ACC's Bounce Back Needs to Be More Than Duke

The league is improved this season, with potentially eight teams in the men's NCAA tournament, but its strength must translate to deep March Madness runs.

Mar. 14, 2026 at 3:24am

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The ACC men's basketball conference is bouncing back this season after a historic low point last year, with potentially eight teams making the NCAA tournament. Much of the turnaround can be attributed to new coaches at places like Miami, NC State, Florida State and Virginia. However, the conference's strength will need to translate to deep March Madness runs beyond just Duke, which has been a consistent Final Four threat.

Why it matters

The ACC has long been one of the premier basketball conferences, but last year's poor performance raised concerns about the league's overall strength. This season's bounce back, with a potential eight tournament bids, shows the conference is on the upswing. But to truly regain its status, the ACC needs to see more of its teams advance deep into the NCAA tournament, not just rely on perennial powerhouse Duke.

The details

Last year, only four ACC teams made the NCAA tournament, with just one (Duke) seeded higher than a 5-seed. This year, the conference is on track to get at least seven teams safely in the tournament, and very likely eight. Much of the turnaround can be attributed to new coaches at places like Miami, NC State, Florida State and Virginia. The Cavaliers, in particular, have had a strong season and are into their first ACC tournament final since 2023 under new coach Ryan Odom.

  • Last year at the ACC tournament, there was a 'crisis of confidence' surrounding the league's poor performance.
  • This year, the ACC is on track to get at least seven teams, and likely eight, into the NCAA tournament.

The players

Ryan Odom

The new head coach of the Virginia Cavaliers, who has led the team to a 29-4 record and the ACC tournament final after a 15-17 season last year under interim coach Ron Sanchez.

Jon Scheyer

The head coach of the Duke Blue Devils, who have seamlessly transitioned from Mike Krzyzewski and remain a consistent Final Four threat.

Hubert Davis

The head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels, whose team has seen diminishing results since his magical first season, and was eliminated early from the ACC tournament this year.

Will Wade

The head coach of the NC State Wolfpack, who is working to put the program back on track after a disappointing season, and plans to be active in the transfer portal to build a bigger, better winner for next year.

Cameron Boozer

The star freshman forward for Duke, who is putting together one of the best campaigns ever for a true freshman, and will need to do even more as the team deals with injuries to other key players.

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What they’re saying

“Nobody did it better than Tony Bennett, the most humble national championship coach to ever do it. I'm just honored to be the one chosen to follow a guy like that.”

— Ryan Odom, Virginia Cavaliers Head Coach (Sports Illustrated)

“We were underrated in the beginning of the season. I think we're still underrated. We lost one big game that was really bad [against Duke], everybody knows that, everybody saw that, but I think we bounced back great. Today we showed the country what we can do.”

— Thijs De Ridder, Virginia Cavaliers Forward (Sports Illustrated)

“Four years in a row and we've had some type of injury in the tournament. Do I wish it wasn't the case? Of course. It's part of the game, unfortunately. Nobody has put their head down. I'm not going to allow any of our guys to do that.”

— Jon Scheyer, Duke Blue Devils Head Coach (Sports Illustrated)

“I was hired at NC State to do a job. This wasn't going to take one year. I've already met with our administration about next year and some of the changes that we need to make and some of the things that we need to do to put this program where it deserves long-term. We have what we need, and it's on me and my staff to get the job done. Look, this year hasn't gone exactly how we wanted it to, but we're going to rally and we're going to work hard and we're going to have a team next year that's ready to roll.”

— Will Wade, NC State Wolfpack Head Coach (Sports Illustrated)

What’s next

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The takeaway

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