According to the ACC voters not much is expected out of the 2015-16 Panthers. They received zero All-ACC players and were projected to finish ninth in the conference.
North Carolina was the clear favorite of the voters as they finished with a high of 60 first place votes. Following behind the Tar Heels was Virginia at two, Duke three, Notre Dame four, and Miami five. Last season Virginia was the cream of the crop finishing the year a remarkable 16-2. However, Notre Dame won the conference tournament and Duke ultimately had the last laugh taking home the NCAA title.
The interesting note from the rankings is that every team picked above Pitt will be on the schedule this year. On the one hand it will difficult for the Panthers to fight their way through this schedule. On the other hand though, it will give them plenty of chances to prove these preseason rankings wrong.
The only slightly surprising news from the ACC is the fact that neither Jamel Artis nor Michael Young were able to make second team All-ACC. Of course it is not shocking, because Pitt missed the tournament and both of their numbers did not set the world on fire, but they still showed a lot of promise throughout the course of the season and that should be recognized. Notable players to finish on first and second team All-ACC include Florida State’s Xavier Rathan-Meyes, North Carolina’s Marcus Paige, Virginia’s Malcolm Brogdon, Duke’s Brandon Ingram, and Notre Dames’ Demetrius Jackson Jr.
Finally, two other notable preseason awards were player of the year and freshman of the year. Pitt was unsurprising absent from both as North Carolina’s Marcus Paige and Virginia’s Malcolm Brogdon were Co-Players of the Year and Duke’s Brandon Ingram was named Freshman of the Year.