Pitt Basketball picked 14th in ACC Preseason Poll

Preseason AP #1 and last year’s National Runner-Up North Carolina is atop the ACC preseason poll. They’re followed by Duke, Virginia, Miami, and Florida State to round out the top 5. Pitt finds themselves at 14, just ahead of Georgia Tech.

2022 ACC Preseason Poll (101 total votes)

1. North Carolina (90), 1504

2. Duke (2), 1339

3. Virginia (6), 1310

4. Miami (2), 1138

5. Florida State, 1064

6. Notre Dame, 971

7. Virginia Tech (1), 921

8. Syracuse, 700

9. Wake Forest, 672

10. NC State, 548

11. Clemson, 528

12. Louisville, 477

13. Boston College, 368

14. Pitt, 320

15. Georgia Tech, 260

First-place votes in parentheses

At first glance, Pitt seems low given the number of impact newcomers they should have, but voters are probably taking a wait-and-see approach. Until Pitt shows some life in January and February, that perception is going to stay. After the top 3, it’s a jumbled mess. Duke and UNC have too much talent to have anything more than a year hiccup, and UVA has Tony Bennett still.

For the All-ACC teams, UNC’s Armando Bacot is the runaway choice for preseason player of the year. Bacot broke Tim Duncan’s single-season conference record for rebounds so it makes sense. Anytime you return to school after breaking a Tim Duncan record, you should expect the hype.

Preseason All-ACC (101 total votes)

First Team

Name, School, Votes

Armando Bacot, North Carolina, 100

Isaiah Wong, Miami, 81

Caleb Love, North Carolina, 58

Terquavion Smith, NC State, 46

Jeremy Roach, Duke, 35

Second Team

Name, School, Votes

Jayden Gardner, Virginia, 32

Dereck Lively II, Duke, 19

Justyn Mutts, Virginia Tech, 18

PJ Hall, Clemson, 17

RJ Davis, North Carolina, 14

I think Pitt will finish in the 9th to 11th range and challenge for an NIT bid. Hopefully, this year presents a step in the right direction for the program.

What does everyone think?