ACC Preview: Guard Play Leads the Way

Arguably the nation's premier basketball conference, the ACC has generated four of the past seven National Championship winners, including two of the past three. It's a conference that produced seven first-round picks in June's NBA Draft, while also losing its top eight scorers. The conference will also bring in five of the nation's top-25 recruits (according to Rivals.com), resulting in what, on paper, should be a guard heavy league.

With three teams ranked in the preseason Top 10, 2015-16 already appears to be another season in which the ACC reloads rather than rebuilds, with blue bloods Duke and North Carolina again leading the way.

Top Three Players

Codi Miller-McIntyre, guard, Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Miller-McIntyre has improved in nearly every statistical category in each of his first three years, capped by his 2014-15 season in which he posted 14.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists while shooting 45.0 percent. He's not much of a 3-point shooter, however, as he hit just 19 during his junior year. Furthermore, it's certainly a little worrisome that he'll miss at least a portion of November while recovering from surgery to repair a stress fracture in his foot. Nonetheless, Miller-McIntyre will get to play off the ball more this year thanks to the presence of freshman Bryant Crawford, which should lead to a fourth straight year of increased scoring.

Xavier Rathan-Mayes, guard, Florida State Seminoles

Rathan-Mayes, the conference's leading returning scorer, potentially has the highest ceiling in the ACC -- at least among the non-freshman. When all was said and done, he averaged 14.9 points, 4.3 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals during his first season with the Seminoles. The problem for Rathan-Mayes was consistency. He posted three 30-point games during conference play, but also had three games where he failed to post double-digits in points. Rathan-Mayes' streaky scoring can be traced to his 41.9 percent field goal percentage and 69.0 percent free throw rate. It also shows he has plenty of room for improvement. Rathan-Mayes had 12 games with at least five dimes last year, and few players are capable of going on two-week production binges as he is.

Marcus Paige, guard, North Carolina Tar Heels

Paige represents the exact opposite of Rathan-Mayes. He's safe, probably not the sexiest, and has little room for statistical growth as a senior. But prospective fantasy owners will know exactly what they're drafting when he comes off the board. In each of the last two seasons, Paige has averaged at least 4.2 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.5 made 3-pointers while shooting roughly 87 percent from the foul line. Paige could continue to play off of the ball more this season if Joel Berry and Nate Britt can handle the point, which could push his scoring up closer to the 17.5 points he averaged as a sophomore rather than the 14.1 points he posted last year.

Top Freshman

Brandon Ingram, forward, Duke Blue Devils

Based purely on upside, Ingram gets the nod here over a few of his new teammates in Durham. Projected as high as the first pick in next year's NBA Draft, Ingram stands at 6-foot-9 with a freakishly long 7-3 wingspan. His size and athletic ability will allow him to play anywhere from the one to the four, and he's even drawn some comparisons to Kevin Durant due to his length and scoring ability. The knock on Ingram is his weight; he's reportedly gained 23 pounds since arriving on campus, which puts him up to 190 pounds. At that weight, he's going to get pushed around playing anywhere other than on the wing. Coach Mike Krzyzewski and the Blue Devils have plenty of other options on the wing, which could lead to Ingram flashing immense potential while it not fully appearing in the box score. Point guard Derryck Thornton could be a safer bet for freshman value due to safer minutes and having the ball in his hands often, but Ingram is too talented not to open eyes.

Top Transfer

Damion Lee, guard, Louisville Cardinals

There's certainly no shortage of options among ACC transfers, and a more comprehensive list is available from earlier in the offseason. Lee is one of three guards that transferred into the conference and could lead their respective teams in scoring, but given his 6-6 frame, he is better positioned to help in other categories. Lee averaged 21.4 points last season while at Drexel, the fifth highest total in the nation. He added 6.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals, and while the competition is obviously stiffer in 2015-16, Lee has seemingly fit in perfectly. The Cardinals played seven games in five days in Puerto Rico in August, and Lee averaged 23.6 points and 6.2 boards. He also took 29 more shots than any teammate; quickly establishing himself as the Cards' go-to scorer for a team that lost its top four scorers from last season.

Sleepers

Anthony Gill, forward, Virginia Cavaliers

Gill will likely slide into the team's second scoring role this season following the departure of Justin Anderson. Listed at 6-8, 230 pounds, Gill actually looks a little small to be a leading power forward in the ACC. Despite that potential disadvantage, he saw his rebound rate increase to 6.5 boards per game last year after 4.0 in his first year following a transfer from South Carolina, while also chipping in 11.6 points. Not only will the Cavaliers need to replace Anderson's 12.2 points and 4.0 rebounds, they will also be without Darion Atkins' 7.6 points and 6.0 boards. Gill offers little in terms of peripheral stats, but there appears to be room and opportunity for growth.

Abdul-Malik Abu, forward, North Carolina State Wolfpack

Abu averaged only 19.1 minutes during his freshman season, but saw a nice uptick during the 'Pack's three-game NCAA Tournament run, during which he averaged 10.7 points and 7.3 rebounds in 29.7 minutes. He came to Raleigh as a five-star recruit, and those types of talents aren't usually on campus for multiple years. The 'Pack will need to replace the scoring of guards Ralston Turner and Trevor Lacey, who combined for 28.5 points a season ago, and Abu's 240 pound frame could be a force in a guard-dominated league.

Justin Bibbs, guard, Virginia Tech Hokies

Bibbs was well on his way to an impressive freshman campaign before a concussion sidelined him for four games in January. He had four 20-point games in 16 games prior to the injury, and none after as his conditioning and shot failed him down the stretch. The Hokies lost leading scorer Adam Smith, but welcome transfer Seth Allen from Maryland, suggesting Bibbs' role will be similar to that of last season, rather than him shouldering an increased workload. His 6-5, 220 pound frame would seemingly suggest he can be one of the conference's better rebounding guards, and with some modest growth as a sophomore, Bibbs could build on an 11.4 point, 3.0 board rookie season.