ACC Basketball Preview: Ranking the league's teams 1-15

With just over three weeks to go until the start of the college basketball season on Nov. 25, the ACC rosters and schedules are becoming more clear.

While we still don't know NC State's official 2020-21 schedule, we do know at least five of the Pack's non-conference opponents that will go with the usual ACC slate.

Here are our preseason ACC Power Rankings to give an idea of where the teams stand as the season quickly approaches:

2019-20 Record: 13-18 (6-15 ACC, T-13th)

Returning Player To Watch: Sophomore guard Jahcobi Neath (5.3 PPG, 2.2 APG, 1.9 RPG)

Newcomer To Watch: Houston Baptist grad transfer Ian DuBose (19 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 3.8 APG)

Key Loss: Center Olivier Sarr (Transferred to Kentucky- 13.7 PPG, 9.0 RPG)

Forecast: After losing its top four scorers from 2019-20 this offseason, Wake Forest will be a work in progress in head coach Steve Forbes' first season with the Demon Deacons.

Neath ranked second on the team in assists last season and scored in double-figures in four of his last six contests.

Dubose, the 2020 Southland Conference Men's Basketball Student-Athlete of the Year, should also be a nice contributor for the Deacs in the rebuilding effort.

2019-20 Record: 13-19 (7-13 ACC, T-10th)

Returning Player To Watch: Sophomore guard Jay Heath (13.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.1 APG)

Newcomer To Watch: Freshman guard Demarr Langford Jr.

Key Loss: Guard Derryck Thornton (Graduated- 12.7 PPG, 3.4 APG, 2.8 RPG)

2019-20 Record: 16-16 (7-13 ACC, T-10th)

Returning Player To Watch: Redshirt sophomore guard Tyrece Radford (10.2 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 1.7 APG)

Newcomer To Watch: Kansas State graduate transfer guard Cartier Diarra (13.3 PPG, 4.2 APG, 3.8 RPG, 1.8 SPG)

Key Loss: Guard Landers Nolley II (Transferred to Memphis- 15.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG)

Forecast: Second-year Hokies head coach Mike Young lost his top scorer from last season in Nolley, but he adds a three-man recruiting class that adds two four-stars in forward Darius Maddox and guard Joe Bamisile.

He also will welcome the experience of Diarra, a double-figure scoring transfer from Kansas State, to go along with his top returning scorer Radford in what should be a strong backcourt.

2019-20 Record: 20-12 (10-10 ACC, T-6th)

Returning Player To Watch: Junior guard Prentiss Hubb (12.1 PPG, 5.1 APG, 2.4 RPG)

Newcomer To Watch: Stanford transfer redshirt freshman guard Cormac Ryan (8.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG)

Key Loss: Forward John Mooney (Graduated- 16.2 PPG, 12.7 RPG)

2019-20 Record: 16-17 (6-14, T-13th)

Returning Player To Watch: Junior guard Xavier Johnson (11.7 PPG, 4.9 APG, 3.7 RPG)

Newcomer To Watch: Freshman forward William Jeffress

Key Loss: Guard Trey McGowens (Transferred to Nebraska- 11.5 PPG, 3.6 APG, 3.3 RPG)

Forecast: Head coach Jeff Capel enters his third season as Pittsburgh's head coach with his most talented roster to date. The Panthers are still rather young, but it wouldn't be shocking to see Pittsburgh take the next step and compete for an at-large bid in 2020-21 potentially a year earlier than expected.

Johnson returns alongside sophomore guard Justin Champagnie, who led the Panthers in scoring as a freshman last year, in the backcourt. Pitt also adds two four-star freshmen in Jeffress and center John Hugley but will lose last season's third-leading scorer McGowens.

2019-20 Record: 16-15 (9-11 ACC, 9th)

Returning Player To Watch: Senior forward Aamir Simms (13.0 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 2.6 APG)

Newcomer To Watch: Freshman power forward P.J. Hall

Key Loss: Guard Tevin Mack (Graduated- 12.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG)

2019-20 Record: 15-16 (7-13 ACC, T-10th)

Returning Player To Watch: Senior guard Chris Lykes (15.4 PPG, 2.4 APG, 2.1 RPG)

Newcomer To Watch: Freshman forward Earl Timberlake

Key Loss: Guard Dejan Vasiljevic (Graduated- 13.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG)

2019-20 Record: 18-14 (10-10 ACC, T-6th)

Returning Player To Watch: Sophomore guard Joe Girard III (12.4 PPG, 3.5 APG, 3.0 RPG)

Newcomer To Watch: Illinois transfer sophomore guard Alan Griffin (8.9 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 41.6% 3PT FG)

Key Loss: Junior forward Elijah Hughes (Left for NBA Draft- 19.0 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.4 APG)

2019-20 Record: 17-14 (11-9 ACC, 5th)

Returning Player To Watch: Senior guard Jose Alvarado (14.4 PPG, 4.0 APG, 3.4 RPG)

Newcomer To Watch: Freshman center Saba Gigiberia

Key Loss: Forward James Banks III (Graduated- 9.5 PPG, 7.6 RPG)

2019-20 Record: 20-12 (10-10 ACC, T-6th)

Returning Player To Watch: Fifth-year senior DJ Funderburk (12.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG)

Newcomer To Watch: Freshman point guard Cam Hayes

Key Loss: Point guard Markell Johnson (Graduated- 12.8 PPG, 6.8 APG)

Forecast: NC State will have its deepest, most versatile roster to date in head coach Kevin Keatts' fourth season with the Wolfpack.

It loses two senior guards that averaged double figures in Johnson and C.J. Bryce, but welcomes a five-man freshman class that includes two four-stars in Hayes and guard Shakeel Moore.

The Wolfpack will also present newcomers redshirt junior Thomas Allen, a sharpshooter guard transfer from Nebraska that sat out last season, and redshirt freshman guard Dereon Seabron, who sat out last season but gives the Pack a 6-7 option that can defend positions 1-4.

The biggest question for NC State is how quickly true freshman point guard Hayes can develop to run the offense in the absence of Johnson.

2019-20 Record: 14-19 (6-14 ACC, T-13th)

Returning Player To Watch: Senior forward Garrison Brooks (16.8 PPG, 8.5 RPG)

Newcomer To Watch: Freshman point guard Caleb Love

Key Loss: Guard Cole Anthony (Left for draft- 18.5 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 4.0 APG)

Forecast: Carolina tied for last in the ACC last season, a true abnormality for Tar Heels coach Roy Williams. While UNC is expected to return to its winning ways in 2020-21, it still has several questions to address if it wants to get back into the top tier of the conference.

The Tar Heels welcome the No. 3 overall recruiting class in 2020 according to Rivals, highlighted by three five-stars: Love, center Walker Kessler and center Day'Ron Sharpe. Along with Brooks and sophomore big Armando Bacot Jr., UNC will be loaded in the frontcourt but will have to get production from its backcourt if it doesn't want to fall short of preseason expectations once again.

2019-20 Record: 26-5 (16-4 ACC, Regular season champions)

Returning Player To Watch: Senior guard M.J. Walker (10.6 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 1.5 APG)

Newcomer To Watch: Freshman power forward Scottie Barnes

Key Loss: Guard Trent Forrest (Graduated- 11.6 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 4.0 APG)

2019-20 Record: 24-7 (15-5 ACC, T-2nd)

Returning Player To Watch: Senior center Malik Williams (8.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG)

Newcomer To Watch: Radford graduate transfer guard Carlik Jones (20.0 PPG, 5.5. APG, 5.1 RPG)

Key Loss: Forward Jordan Nwora (Entered NBA draft- 18.0 PPG, 7.7 RPG)

2019-20 Record: 25-6 (15-5 ACC, T-2nd)

Returning Player To Watch: Sophomore forward Wendell Moore Jr. (7.4 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.9 APG)

Newcomer To Watch: Freshman center Mark Williams

Key Loss: Sophomore point guard Tre Jones (Entered NBA Draft- 16.2 PPG, 6.4 APG)

Forecast: Duke lost its top three scorers in 2019-20 to the NBA Draft, but once again welcomes a loaded freshman class that ranks second in the nation and includes four five-stars according to Rivals.

The Blue Devils should have enough talent for Hall of Fame head coach Mike Krzyzewski to get them back inside the national Top 10 to compete for another ACC title.

2019-20 Record: 23-7 (15-5 ACC, T-2nd)

Returning Player To Watch: Junior point guard Kihei Clark (10.8 PPG, 5.9 APG, 4.2 RPG)

Newcomer To Watch: Marquette graduate transfer power forward Sam Hauser (14.9 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 40.2% 3PT FG)

Key Loss: Forward Mamadi Diakite (Graduated- 13.7 PPG, 6.8 RPG)

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