ACC Media Pick Pack 10th

As Tampa-Pack noted in this fanpost, N.C. State is ranked 10^th by the ACC media in their annual preseason poll. As in 10^th in the ACC. That's kind of a far cry from the top 10 national ranking and whispers of ACC championships from a year ago. Of course the Pack did lose 483% of its scoring from a year ago, but Jordan Vandenberg is back and in the best shape of his life.

Here are the full results:

1.       Duke (50)

2.       Syracuse (3)

3.       North Carolina (1)

4.       Virginia

5.       Notre Dame

6.       Pittsburgh

7.       Maryland

8.       Boston College

9.       Florida State

10.   North Carolina State

11.   Georgia Tech

12.   Miami

13.   Wake Forest

14.   Clemson

15.   Virginia Tech

Orange-man C.J. Fair edged Hoo Joe Harris by a 17-16 vote as preseason POY, while Duke's Jabari Parker was a near unanimous selection as ROY (52 of 54 ballots). Last season C.J. Leslie and Rodney Purvis were adorned with such honors, so, yeah. Parker joins Harris and Fair on the all-ACC team. Duke's Rodney Hood and Irishman Jerian Grant round out the team.

Noticeably absent from that squad is Mr. T.J. Warren, who, like Vandenberg, is in the best shape of his life. Warren lost close to 30 pounds in the offseason Jared style, dumping the grease in favor of Subway (I see sponsorships in your future, T.J.) He also grew 11 inches, increased his range out to half court, and saved whales.

Hopefully 2013-14 proves to be the anti-2012-13, and the Pack use preseason dissings as motivation to overachieve. It will be pretty hard to underachieve given these expectations.

I am a homer, but, young as it is, this team has more talent than at least half the teams above them on the list. It makes one wonder if the ACC media are doubting Mark Gottfried's coaching ability. If he can coach, this team finishes a lot higher than 10^th. So coach ‘em up, coach.