CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A total of seven Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Basketball teams were ranked in the Associated Press (AP) and USA Today Coaches Poll, announced Tuesday by the AP and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).
The ACC placed five teams in the Preseason AP Top 25 and a nation-best seven teams in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
Virginia Tech leads the way in both polls, as the Hokies were slotted eighth in the AP Poll and fifth in the USA Today Coaches Poll. The No. 8 ranking eclipsed last season’s preseason ranking of No. 13, as the best-ever in the preseason AP Poll. Virginia Tech is coming off its first-ever Final Four appearance, becoming the ninth different team to represent the ACC in the national semifinals.
Three ACC Teams Ranked in Associated Press Preseason Men’s Basketball Poll
Notre Dame is slotted 10th in both polls as the Fighting Irish return 82.7 percent of the team’s scoring from their regular season title a season ago. North Carolina is placed No. 16 in the AP Poll and No. 17 in the USA Today Coaches Poll following a 22-win season in 2022-23.
Louisville was ranked No. 17 in the AP Poll and No. 15 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, as the Cardinals extended their streak to 13 consecutive years in the preseason top-20, the longest active streak in the ACC. Florida State was placed No. 18 in the AP Poll and No. 22 in the USA Today Coaches, as the reigning WBCA National Freshman of the Year and the conference’s leading scorer Ta’Niya Latson returns for the Seminoles after averaging 21.3 points per game a season ago.
Duke is No. 19 in the USA Today Coaches Poll after its 26-win season in 2022-23. The Blue Devils closed last year as the second-best scoring defense in the nation, holding opponents to just 51.0 points per game. After earning a spot in the Elite Eight a season ago, Miami tied for No. 25 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. After 22 wins last year, the Hurricanes earned their first preseason ranking since the 2019-20 season.
The 2023-24 campaign begins on Monday, Nov. 6, with nine teams in action, headlined by Notre Dame taking on South Carolina in “Oui Play” in Paris, France, on ESPN. ACC play opens on Thursday, Dec. 7, when Duke visits Clemson.
A nation-best eight ACC teams were selected to compete in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. It marked the fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament in which eight ACC teams were selected, which ties the league record and is the most among all conferences in that span.
ACC communications contributed to this column
