Is It Too Early To Say Virginia Is The ACC Favorite Over Duke Next Season?

A look to see if Virginia should be the favorite next year

Mar 22, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Virginia Cavaliers forward Thijs de Ridder (28) reacts against the Tennessee Volunteers in the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Virginia finished in second place in the ACC last season and had a chance to win the ACC title before losing to Duke in the championship game, 74-70. Virginia lost to Duke twice last season, and they kind of had their number. However, the Hoos have shown they can compete and be a team that you shouldn’t gloss over. Virginia last year won 30 games in the first year under head coach Ryan Odom.

Now the question is, should Virginia be considered the ACC favorite next season over Duke? 

When you break down both rosters, you see two really good teams, but more work has to be done. The Blue Devils will lose Darren Harris, who hit the portal and will play for Indiana next season. They also lost Nikolas Khamenia, who hit the portal, but it is possible for them to bring him back. Duke will also lose Cameron Boozer, Isaiah Evans, and Patrick Ngongba, who all declared for the draft. The Blue Devils will have to replace several very talented players, who made a big impact last season.

In terms of the roster next year, Cayden Boozer, Caleb Foster, Dame Sarr, and Sebastian Wilkins all return for Duke. Duke will bring in four recruits, all blue-chip prospects, including a couple of five-star prospects. The Blue Devils will bring in Deron Rippey Jr, Maxime Meye, Bryson Howard, and Cameron Williams. Both Rippey Jr and Williams are top 10 in the recruiting rankings. 

For the Cavaliers, they did a great job bringing back the majority of their talent from a season ago in Johann Grünloh, Thijs De Ridder, Chance Mallory, Elijah Gertrude, Silas Barksdale, Sam Lewis, and Marin Carrerre. It is a good roster, but the Cavaliers definitely need to pick up some guys in the portal to continue to add to their roster. Duke sits in the same spot and hasn’t added anybody to the portal just yet. 

As it stands right now, I would say that the Cavaliers shouldn’t be expected to be the ACC favorite, but they are not far off. They need one or two big-time signees, and they can be in contention with the Blue Devils. Coach Odom is trending for several players at the moment and just has to close the deal. Virginia will certainly be in a position to contend. Now, it is whether they can build out the roster necessary to win the ACC crown.