CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – The ACC that Ryan Odom will be competing in will be a tougher league than it showed the past two seasons, Virginia’s first-year coach predicted.

“We know that the ACC is going to be a lot better this year than it was last year,” Odom said during the team’s preseason media day.

Is he right?

The conference appears to have a pair of Final Four contenders – at least, on paper – in Louisville and Duke.

After that, there’s a cluster of transfer-rebuilt rosters, a handful of impact freshmen and a group of intriguing that could determine just how good the rest of the ACC is. Virginia, North Carolina State and North Carolina appear to have the pieces to vie for a league title and a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Our preseason all-conference ballots are due Monday at 5 p.m. Here’s mine:

Player of the year: Darrion Williams, North Carolina State

Rookie of the year: Cameron Boozer, Duke

First-team All-ACC: Williams, Boozer, Markus Burton (Notre Dame), Mikel Brown Jr. (Louisville), Seth Trimble (UNC)

Second-team All-ACC: Ryan Conwell (UL), Donald Hand (BC), JJ Starling (Syracuse), Malik Thomas (UVA), Boopie Miller (SMU)

Projected order of finish:

  1. Louisville: Pat Kelsey is the real deal. He’ll follow up a big first season with the Cardinals with an even bigger one, thanks to a talented cast of transfers – including Xavier transfer Ryan Conwell and former UVA guard Isaac McKneely – on the perimeter and the arrival of five-star freshman Mikel Brown Jr.
  2. Duke: Yes, the Blue Devils lost five NBA draft picks off last year’s Final Four team. But, as always, Duke reloaded. Cameron Boozer leads another vaunted recruiting class, and returner Isaiah Evans could be poised for a breakout.
  3. North Carolina State: Will Wade is well-suited for the NIL era and he put together a Year 1 roster with the Wolfpack that can contend for an ACC title. That haul includes Texas Tech transfer Darrion Williams and Michigan State transfer point guard Tre Holloman.
  4. Virginia: Like Wade, Ryan Odom is a former VCU coach with a track record of rebuilding rosters. At UVA, he’s put together a deep and talented roster that could get the Cavaliers up into the upper echelon of the league sooner rather than later. Transfer guard Malik Thomas and international forward Thijs DeRidder figure to be two of the Hoos key pieces.
  5. North Carolina: Is Hubert Davis going to make it at UNC? This season could be a make-or-break year, Davis has Seth Trimble back, and added Arizona transfer forward Henri Veesaar and top recruit Caleb Wilson.
  6. SMU: Boopie Miller, B.J. Edwards and Samet Yigitoglu are all back, and the Mustangs added a pair of transfers to create a solid starting five. Andy Enfield also brought in one of the nation’s most exciting freshman classes, and if a few of them become contributors quickly that could give SMU a boost.
  7. Notre Dame: Markus Burton is a legitimate player of the year candidate and he and Braeden Shrewsbury could give the Irish the veteran core that returns Notre Dame to the NCAA Tournament.
  8. Virginia Tech: The Hokies invested in the roster this season, unlike last year, and Mike Young has some intriguing pieces to work with. Delaware transfer Isaiah Pasha is a perfect fit for Young and European Neo Avdalas could be a star.
  9. Syracuse: JJ Starling is back after scoring 17.8 points per game last season. He’ll be joined in the Orange backcourt by Georgia Tech transfer Nait George, and Syracuse brought in a heralded recruiting class that could have an impact, as well.
  10. Clemson: The names have changed for the Tigers. Only Dillon Hunter, Chase’s younger brother, returns. But Brad Brownell impressively rebuilt the roster, highlighted by the addition of Nevada transfer forward Nick Davidson.

The rest:

  1. Miami
  2. Wake Forest
  3. Georgia Tech
  4. Pittsburgh
  5. FSU
  6. Boston College
  7. Cal
  8. Stanford