Breaking Down the ACC’s Top Teams and Outlook

The Duke Blue Devils are the team to beat in the ACC. The Blue Devils are the champions of the ACC, and they want it to stay that way for this season as well. This is a team that will be the favorites when conference play starts and they will have a target on their back all season long.

Everyone knows they are talking about Duke, and that gives them more reason why they want to take them down. They do not think about other teams that might have the chance to take them down in the ACC.

Duke going into this season is the favorite to take the conference, and it was not even close. They do have the best team on paper. But as we know, like plenty of times before, this ACC could be tricky at times.

At times, you have great teams coming out of this conference and playing great basketball. Upsets will happen, and they are looking to avoid them as much as possible. And when you are the big target, teams are going to game plan well for Duke.

Oct 3, 2025; Durham, NC, USA; Jayson Tatum, NBA Boston Celtics Player helps coach alongside Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer during the Countdown to Craziness at the Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

The ACC was once known as the top College Basketball Conference, but the SEC has taken some of its region over the last few years. Going into this season we look at how the ACC is ranked and what teams will be the ones giving the most to challenge for.

ACC Ranking This Season

Joe Lunardi ranked the ACC as No. 5 in conferences this season.

5. ACC

Current bids: 5
Projected bids: 6
Average seed: 6.2
Bid percentage: 33.3%

fdfs — Duke forward Cameron Boozer (12) and guard/forward Nikolas Khamenia (14) celebrate during a college basketball exhibition game against Tennessee and Duke on October 26, 2025, in Knoxville, Tenn. | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Championship caliber: Duke is a legitimate and obvious national championship contender, but don't sleep on Louisville. It's hard to believe the Cardinals were a Quad 4 team just two years ago.

Joey Brackets says: In many ways, the ACC has only one way to go. The conference hasn't sent at least half of its teams to the NCAA tournament since 2018, and it hasn't come close to that benchmark since ballooning to 18 members two years ago. But the bottom has been hit (we're sure this time!) and a growing number of bubble teams could lead to the league in exceeding its projection for March.

Game of the year: Duke at Louisville (Jan. 6, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN)

mnkm — Oct 8, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke head coach Jon Scheyer answers questions from the media at The Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

The conferences in front of the ACC was the Big East, Big 12, SEC, and Big Ten.

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