The defending champion North Carolina Tar Heels lost Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green.
Yet they remain the favorites to win the ACC this season.
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Roy Williams' team welcomed a stellar freshman class led by long and talented big man John Henson, and North Carolina still has guys like Deon Thompson, Ed Davis and Marcus Ginyard to build around.
But the disparity from North Carolina down to the team — whomever you want to pick — that is selected to finish 10th in the league is as minimal as it has been in years.
The loss of Gerald Henderson to the NBA and Elliott Williams will hurt Duke, but the Blue Devils still have Kyle Singler, Jon Scheyer and a couple of promising young big men.
Georgia Tech welcomes highly touted center Derrick Favors, and Florida State should be loaded despite the loss of guard Toney Douglas.
Clemson, Miami, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Maryland and Boston College are all capable of cracking the top half of the league as well.
Top storylines
Predicted finish
1. North Carolina
2. Duke
3. Georgia Tech
4. Maryland
5. Florida State
6. Clemson
7. Virginia Tech
8. Boston College
9. Wake Forest
10. Miami
11. N.C. State
12. Virginia
All-Conference team
Small forward: Kyle Singler, 6-7, 225, Jr., Duke
2008-09 Stats: 16.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.5 spg, 1.0 bpg
Power forward: Al-Farouq Aminu, 6-8, 218, Soph., Wake Forest
2008-09 Stats: 12.9 ppg, 8.2 rpg
Center: Derrick Favors, 6-10, 235, Fr., Georgia Tech
2008-09 Stats: N/A
Shooting guard: Sylven Landesberg, 6-6, 210, Soph., Virginia
2008-09 Stats: 16.6 ppg, 6 rpg
Point guard: Greivis Vasquez, 6-6, 190, Sr., Maryland
2008-09 Stats: 17.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 5.1 apg
Player of the Year: Kyle Singler, 6-7, 225, Jr., Duke
Newcomer of the Year: Derrick Favors, 6-10, 235, Fr., Georgia Tech
Frosh to watch
