UVA Basketball fans, are you ready for the 2025-2026 season? While a fifth-place prediction in the ACC might not sound like a championship banner in the making, it's a perfectly reasonable starting point for Ryan Odom's revamped Virginia Cavaliers. But before we dive into the implications, let's address something that's quietly shrinking: the media landscape covering college hoops.
The recent ACC media poll, conducted during the whirlwind of football season in Charlotte, saw UVA slotted at fifth. The poll, predicting the conference standings for the upcoming season, involved 49 media members. But here's where it gets interesting... and a little concerning. Just a few years ago, in 2018, a whopping 121 media members cast their votes. By 2022, that number had dwindled to 101. And now, we're hovering around just 50 voters. This dramatic decrease highlights a significant trend: the contraction of the sports media industry. Fewer voices are shaping the narrative, which can impact everything from team coverage to player recognition. Is this necessarily a bad thing? Not inherently, but it does raise questions about representation and potential biases.
Anyway, back to the 'Hoos. Fifth place isn't a bad spot. It signals that the media believes UVA will be competitive, vying for a coveted double-bye in the ACC Tournament and a potential NCAA Tournament berth. We can definitely live with that!
Now, let's break down the top contenders. Duke, unsurprisingly, landed at the top spot with a commanding 34 first-place votes, totaling 866 points. It's Duke, after all! But this year's Blue Devils team lacks a Cooper Flagg-level superstar. Instead, they'll rely on a rotation of talented but relatively young 18-year-olds facing off against teams packed with seasoned veterans, often in their early twenties. This experience gap could be a crucial factor.
Louisville secured the second spot (842 points) with 15 first-place votes, and NC State grabbed fourth place (710 points). These teams are built around experienced players, which gives them a distinct advantage in a conference known for its physicality and strategic play. North Carolina (third with 741 points) is a familiar name near the top, much like how Clemson is often favored in football – a testament to consistent program strength, even if the current team isn't necessarily the strongest on paper.
And this is the part most people miss: the location of the ACC media event. Being held in Charlotte, North Carolina, during football season heavily influences who participates. Translation: a higher concentration of Carolina-based media members. Does this regional bias significantly skew the results? That's debatable, but it's certainly worth considering when interpreting the poll.
Here's the full preseason ACC voting breakdown:
- Duke (34 first-place votes), 866 total points
- Louisville (15), 842
- North Carolina, 741
- NC State, 710
- Virginia, 623
- SMU, 616
- Clemson, 510
- Miami, 500
- Syracuse, 489
- Notre Dame, 477
- Wake Forest, 412
- Virginia Tech, 355
- Georgia Tech, 315
- Pitt, 301
- Florida State, 221
- California, 156
- Stanford, 138
- Boston College, 107
The media also selected a preseason All-ACC team:
First Team:
- Cameron Boozer, Duke, 46 votes
- Markus Burton, Notre Dame, 46
- Darrion Williams, NC State, 45
- Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville, 36
- Ryan Conwell, Louisville, 36
Second Team:
- Isaiah Evans, Duke, 24
- Boopie Miller, SMU, 27
- J.J. Starling, Syracuse, 27
- Baye Ndongo, Georgia Tech, 24
- Caleb Wilson, North Carolina, 24
Darrion Williams from NC State was named the ACC Preseason Player of the Year, edging out Duke's Cameron Boozer. Boozer, however, was the overwhelming favorite for ACC Preseason Rookie of the Year, receiving a dominant 43 votes.
ACC Preseason Player of the Year:
- Darrion Williams, NC State, 23
- Cameron Boozer, Duke, 19
- Markus Burton, Notre Dame, 2
- J.J. Starling, Syracuse, 2
- Donald Hand Jr., Boston College, 1
- Baye Ndongo, Georgia Tech, 1
- Caleb Wilson, North Carolina, 1
ACC Preseason Rookie of the Year:
- Cameron Boozer, Duke, 43
- Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville, 3
- Caleb Wilson, North Carolina, 2
- Neoklis Avdalas, Virginia Tech, 1
So, UVA fans, what do you think? Is fifth place a fair assessment of the team's potential? Are you optimistic about Ryan Odom's leadership? And more broadly, should we be concerned about the shrinking pool of media voices shaping the narrative around college basketball? Let's hear your thoughts and predictions for the upcoming season in the comments below! Do you agree with the media's picks for Player and Rookie of the Year, or do you see a dark horse candidate emerging from UVA?
