While the ACC took a beating in its reputation over the course of the season, the league ended up with four very good teams (regardless of their early exits in the NCAA Tournament) that all spent some time in the Top 25. The league was top-heavy with a clear upper quadrant this year, but that didn’t stop the bottom from occasionally feeding on the weaknesses of some of the top teams, as Wake Forest beat Duke, Boston College and Georgia Tech beat Syracuse, and UNC lost to Wake and Miami. The ACC has traditionally run through Tobacco Road, but with the inclusion of powerhouses Syracuse and Louisville, the league will have a much more diverse, East Coast feel to it. The new rivalries that will develop among those schools are practically bred for prime time, with some of the sport’s most magnetic and well-known coaching personalities clashing on the sidelines, Hall of Famers with thousands of combined wins at this level. Their players aren’t halfway bad, either.

Louisville’s Rick Pitino has to be pleased (contrary to his facial expressions above) with his well-rounded  six-man recruiting class(Getty Images).

Most other basketball conferences will be hard pressed to match the star power and coaching prowess that programs like Syracuse, Duke, UNC, and Louisville will bring to an already tradition-rich ACC. Much of the the league’s success can be laid on the shoulders of the incoming recruits that will provide these future made-for-TV moments. The 2014 recruiting class among the league’s programs seems to be fertile and deep, full of stars and instant impact performers who will enhance the collegiate landscape during their time on campus. The McDonald’s All-American game, played on Wednesday night in Chciago, featured seven future ACC players, all headed to Tobacco Road. While Duke’s top-ranked class has received much of the early accolades, North Carolina also is bringing in a potent blend of athleticism and shooting ability.

But that is not all that awaits the ACC next year and beyond, as there are plenty of other excellent prospects who will stay on campus for several years to become the backbone of their programs. Anyone paying close enough attention to the college game can tell you that player development, program fit, and available playing time can play a huge role in who becomes an impact player, a star, or a disappointment. It will also be particularly intriguing to keep our eyes on Virginia Tech’s recruiting class, and whether new head coach Buzz Williams will modify it in some way. Wake Forest and Boston College are also still in some recruiting flux. While only time will tell which of these recruits will develop over their college careers, what is certain is that they will provide a lot of entertainment and pride to the ACC over the next several seasons.

ACC 2014 Recruiting Classes

*All rankings in parentheses reflect the Composite Rankings provided by 247Sports

Duke

• C Jahlil Okafor (1)
• G Tyus Jones (5)
• F Justise Winslow (13)
• G Grayson Allen (31)

North Carolina

• F Justin Jackson (9)
• F Theo Pinson (15)
• G Joel Berry (19)

Louisville 

• G Shaqquan Aaron (24)
• G Quentin Snider (37)
• C Chinanu Onuaku (65)
• F Jaylen Johnson (85)
• C Anas Osama Mahmoud (161)
• F Matz Stockman (196)

Syracuse

• F Chris McCullough (16)
• G Kaleb Joseph (52)

N.C. State

• F Abdul Malik Abu (44)
• F Caleb Martin (58)
• F Cody Martin (106)

Miami (FL)

• G JaQuan Newton (46)
• F Omar Sherman (133)
• G James Palmer (147)
• F Ivan Cruz Uceda (JUCO)

Florida State

• F Cinmeon Bowers (JUCO)
• G Dayshawn Watkins (JUCO)
• F Norbertas Giga (279)
• G Robbie Berwick (301)
• G Kedar Edwards (JUCO)

Virginia

• G B.J. Stith (56)
• F Isaiah Wilkins (164)
• C Jack Salt (416)

Georgia Tech

• G Tadric Jackson (77)
• C Ben Lammers (228)

Notre Dame

• F Bonzie Colson (132)
• F Martin Geben (137)
• G Matt Farrell (350)

Virginia Tech

• G Justin Bibbs (118)
• G Jalen Hudson (192)
• F T.J. Lang (318)

Wake Forest

• G Shelton Mitchell (86)
• G Rondale Watson (347)

Clemson

• F Donte Graham (87)
• G Gabe DeVoe (384)

Pittsburgh

• C Shaquille Doorson (304)
• F Ryan Luther (NR)
• F Tyrone Haughton (JUCO)

Boston College: None

Christopher Kehoe (42 Posts)

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 3rd, 2014 at 2:01 pm by Chris Kehoe and is filed under acc, microsites. Tagged: 247sports, acc, duke, louisville, recruiting, recruits, syracuse, unc. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.