Duke is the preseason favorite to take home another Atlantic Coast Conference title, but let’s be real, last year’s run was wild. They somehow dug themselves out of an early 3-6 hole, battled injuries that left them with only seven players, and still clinched a second straight ACC Tournament title along with the regular-season crown. That crew finished 27-9, hitting the Elite Eight before eventual champion UCLA shut them down.
Lawson’s Blue Devils Are Ready, But Others Are Hungry
Coach Kara Lawson totally gets it. She said winning the league, the tournament, and making the Elite Eight with just seven players was a “good learning experience,” proving “there’s no set number you have to have to be successful.” It’s all about finding a group willing to buy in and play hard. And hey, they’ve got some key pieces back: preseason all-ACC pick Toby Fournier, who was dropping 17.3 points and grabbing 7.9 rebounds a game last year, plus starters Delaney Thomas and Riley Nelson. Adding a bit more depth might be the secret sauce for them to go all the way this time.
But it ain’t gonna be easy. Louisville, ranked No. 7, is picked as Duke’s top challenger. Last year, they lost to Duke in overtime in the ACC title game, finishing with a 29-8 record and making a Sweet 16 run. Five of their top seven players are back, including preseason all-conference pick Tajianna Roberts, who averaged 11.5 points and 3.1 assists. Coach Jeff Walz is all about pushing his players to be great, even if they don’t always love his honesty. Then you’ve got No. 12 North Carolina, No. 13 Notre Dame, and No. 25 N.C. State all in the mix. The goal for this whole league is to get back to the Final Four. The ACC has been shut out the past two years, which is kinda brutal considering they had three teams there between 2022 and 2024. UNC coach Courtney Banghart said there’s a “handful of teams” in the league that can get to a Final Four, and her team, fresh off two straight Sweet 16s, is “not far off.”
The Real Show: Hannah Hidalgo and the League’s Top Scorers
Okay, but listen up. While everyone’s talking about Duke, the real story here is Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo. This senior is the ACC’s biggest name, hands down. She’s a preseason Associated Press All-American, has been the ACC Player of the Year for two straight years, and get this: she’s been the league’s Defensive Player of the Year all *three* of her college seasons. The 5-foot-7 guard was third nationally in scoring with 25.3 points per game and led the entire country in steals last year, averaging 5.6! That’s insane.
She’s not alone though. The league is bringing back its top five scorers overall, which is just bonkers. Virginia’s fourth-year guard Kymora Johnson (19.5 points) led her team to become the first women’s First Four team to crash the Sweet 16. Georgia Tech’s Talayah Walker averaged 17.5 points, and N.C. State’s Khamil Pierre put up 16.7 points with a league-best 11.9 rebounds. Plus, the ACC snagged three transfers ranked among ESPN’s top 20 nationally, including former Texas guard A. With all this talent, every night is gonna be a battle.
The stage is set. Can Duke defend their crown, or will Louisville, UNC, or a Hidalgo-led Notre Dame snatch it? We’re about to find out how this stacked ACC season unfolds.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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