2017–18 Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball season


The 2017–18 Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball season began with practices in October 2017, followed by the start of the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season in November. Conference play started in late December 2017 and concluded in March with the 2018 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The Virginia Cavaliers won an outright regular season championship, their third in five years under the guidance of Tony Bennett, who also received his third ACC Coach of the Year Award. He also became the only living three-time winner of the Henry Iba Award for national coach of the year.
The Cavaliers finished 17–1 in the conference, finishing four games above second-place Duke. Virginia went on to win the tournament by handily defeating Louisville 75–58, Clemson 64–58, and North Carolina 71–63 in the championship game. Sophomore guard Kyle Guy was named Tournament MVP as well as First-Team All-ACC. Both the Virginia–North Carolina title game and Duke–North Carolina semifinal game set the Barclays Center attendance record for college basketball games, and conference leadership vowed to return the ACC Tournament to New York again in the near future.

Head Coaches

Coaching changes

On February 16, 2017, NC State head coach Mark Gottfried was fired, but the school allowed him to finish out the season. He finished at NC State with a six-year record of 123–86. On March 17, the school hired UNC Wilmington head coach Kevin Keatts as head coach.
On September 26, 2017, federal prosecutors in New York announced that Louisville was under investigation for an alleged "pay for play" scheme involving recruits. The allegations state that an Adidas executive conspired to pay $100,000 to the family of a top-ranked national recruit to play at Louisville and to represent Adidas when he turned pro. The criminal complaint does not name Louisville specifically but appears to involve the recruitment of Brian Bowen, a late, surprise commit to the school. On September 27, head coach Rick Pitino and athletic director Tom Jurich were placed on administrative leave.

Coaches

Notes:

Preseason watchlists

Below is a table of notable preseason watch lists.
WoodenNaismithRobertsonCousyWestErvingMaloneAbdul-JabbarOlson
Deng Adel – Louisville
Grayson Allen – Duke
Marvin Bagley III – Duke
Joel Berry II – North Carolina
Bruce Brown – Miami
Bonzie Colson – Notre Dame
Trevon Duval – Duke
Matt Farrell – Notre Dame
Ben Lammers – Georgia Tech
Deng Adel – Louisville
Grayson Allen – Duke
Marvin Bagley III – Duke
Joel Berry II – North Carolina
Bruce Brown – Miami
Wendell Carter Jr. – Duke
Bonzie Colson – Notre Dame
Trevon Duval – Duke
Matt Farrell – Notre Dame		Den Adel – Louisville
Grayson Allen – Duke
Marvin Bagley III – Duke
Joel Berry II – North Carolina
Bruce Brown Jr. – Miami
Wendell Carter Jr. – Duke
Bonzie Colson – Notre Dame
Trevon Duval – Duke		Trevon Duval – Duke
Quentin Snider – Louisville
Joel Berry II – North Carolina
Matt Farrell – Notre Dame
Bryant Crawford – Wake Forest		Jerome Robinson – Boston College
Grayson Allen – Duke
MJ Walker – Florida State
Lonnie Walker – Miami
Tyus Battle – Syracuse		Gary Trent Jr. – Duke
Deng Adel – Louisville
Bruce Brown Jr. – Miami
Marvin Bagley III – Duke
Wendell Carter Jr. – Duke
Bonzie Colson – Notre Dame		Marques Bolden – Duke
Ben Lammers – Georgia Tech
Omer Yurtseven – NC State
Deng Adel – Louisville
Grayson Allen – Duke
Joel Berry II – North Carolina
Bruce Brown Jr – Miami
Bonzie Colson – Notre Dame
Ben Lammers – Georgia Tech

Preseason polls

APAthlon
Sports		Bleacher
Report		Blue Ribbon
Yearbook		CBS SportsCoachesESPNKenPomNBC SportsSBNationSports
Illustrated
Boston College95
Clemson47
Duke14131116213
Florida State55
Georgia Tech44
Louisville1672361816171612139
Miami131513161012112711712
North Carolina9912101191613171118
NC State109
Notre Dame1418141912142022141915
Pittsburgh121
Syracuse68
Virginia169
Virginia Tech255323
Wake Forest57

ACC Preseason Media Poll

In the end of October, 2017 members of the media gathered in Charlotte to vote on the preseason ACC awards. Conference finish, Preseason ACC teams, rookie of the year, and player of the year were all voted on. The results can be seen in the sections below.

Preseason Poll

First place votes shown in parenthesis.

  1. Duke – 1020
  2. North Carolina – 921
  3. Notre Dame – 852
  4. Miami – 809
  5. Louisville – 733
  6. Virginia – 690
  7. Virginia Tech – 549
  8. Florida State – 519
  9. Georgia Tech – 468
  10. Syracuse – 420
  11. Wake Forest – 378
  12. NC State – 310
  13. Clemson – 289
  14. Boston College – 181
  15. Pittsburgh – 141

    Preseason All-ACC Teams

ACC Preseason Player of the Year

Rankings

Notes: The week 2 Coaches Poll did not release at the same time as the week 2 AP poll. The AP poll does not release a final poll after the NCAA Tournament, where as the Coaches Poll does.

Conference matrix

This table summarizes the head-to-head results between teams in conference play. Each team will play 18 conference games, and at least 1 against each opponent.

Player of the week

Throughout the conference regular season, the Atlantic Coast Conference offices named one or two Players of the week and one or two Rookies of the week.
WeekPlayer of the weekRookie of the week
November 13, 2017Marvin Bagley III, DukeMarvin Bagley III, Duke
November 13, 2017Luke Maye, North CarolinaMarvin Bagley III, Duke
November 20, 2017Grayson Allen, DukeWendell Carter Jr., Duke
November 27, 2017Marvin Bagley III, DukeMarvin Bagley III, Duke
December 4, 2017Luke Maye, North CarolinaMarvin Bagley III, Duke
December 11, 2017Ky Bowman, Boston CollegeLonnie Walker, Miami
December 18, 2017Marcquise Reed, ClemsonOshae Brissett, Syracuse
December 26, 2017Bonzie Colson, Notre DameWendell Carter Jr., Duke
January 2, 2018Ty Jerome, VirginiaMarvin Bagley III, Duke
January 8, 2018T. J. Gibbs, Notre DameChris Lykes, Miami
January 15, 2018Luke Maye, North CarolinaMarvin Bagley III, Duke
January 22, 2018Gary Trent Jr., DukeGary Trent Jr., Duke
January 22, 2018Omer Yurtseven, NC StateGary Trent Jr., Duke
January 29, 2018Allerik Freeman, NC StateMarvin Bagley III, Duke
January 29, 2018Allerik Freeman, NC StateLonnie Walker, Miami
February 5, 2018Gabe DeVoe, ClemsonGary Trent Jr., Duke
February 5, 2018Gabe DeVoe, ClemsonLonnie Walker, Miami
February 12, 2018Jerome Robinson, Boston CollegeJordan Nwora, Louisville
February 19, 2018Grayson Allen, DukeOshae Brissett, Syracuse
February 19, 2018Grayson Allen, DukeDe'Andre Hunter, Virginia
February 26, 2018Allerik Freeman, NC StateWendell Carter Jr., Duke
March 5, 2018Bonzie Colson, Notre DameMarvin Bagley III, Duke

Records against other conferences

2017–18 records against non-conference foes as of. Records shown for regular season only.

Postseason

ACC Tournament

* Denotes Overtime Game
AP Rankings at time of tournament

NCAA Tournament

SeedRegionSchoolFirst Four1st Round2nd RoundSweet 16Elite EightFinal FourChampionship
1SouthVirginiaL 54–74 vs. #16 UMBC –
2WestNorth CarolinaW 84–66 vs. #15 Lipscomb – L 65–86 vs. #7 Texas A&M –
2MidwestDukeW 86–69 vs. #15 Iona – W 87–62 vs. #7 Rhode Island – W 69–65 vs. #11 Syracuse – L 81–85 vs. #1 Kansas –
5MidwestClemsonW 79–68 vs. #12 New Mexico State – W 84–53 vs. #4 Auburn – L 76–80 vs. #1 Kansas –
6SouthMiamiL 62–64 vs. #11 Loyola–Chicago –
8EastVirginia TechL 83–86 vs. #9 Alabama –
9WestFlorida StateW 67–54 vs. #8 Missouri – W 75–70 vs. #1 Xavier – W 75–60 vs. #4 Gonzaga – L 54–58 vs. #3 Michigan –
9MidwestNC StateL 83–94 vs. #8 Seton Hall –
11MidwestSyracuseW 60–56 vs. #11 Arizona State – W 57–52 vs. #6 TCU – W 55–53 vs. #3 Michigan State – L 65–69 vs. #2 Duke –
W–L : Total:

National Invitation Tournament

SeedBracketSchool1st Round2nd RoundQuarterfinalsSemifinalsChampionship
1Notre DameNotre DameW 84–63 vs. #8 Hampton – L 63–73 vs. #4 Penn State –
2BaylorLouisvilleW 66–58 vs. #7 Northern Kentucky – W 84–68 vs. #3 Middle Tennessee – L 56–79 vs. #4 Mississippi State –
5USCBoston CollegeL 62–79 vs. #4 Western Kentucky –
W–L : Total:

Honors and awards

All-Americans

Consensus All-Americans-
First TeamSecond Team
Marvin Bagley III – DukeNone

To earn "consensus" status, a player must win honors based on a point system computed from the four different all-America teams. The point system consists of three points for first team, two points for second team and one point for third team. No honorable mention or fourth team or lower are used in the computation. The top five totals plus ties are first team and the next five plus ties are second team.

ACC Awards

2018 NBA Draft

The Atlantic Coast Conference had a total of 10 players selected in the 2018 NBA Draft. Six players were selected in the first round, and 4 players were selected in the second round. The 10 selections was the most selections of any conference in the draft. The ACC is the only conference to have had at least four first round picks in each of the last 10 NBA Drafts, and has had at least one first round pick for 30 consecutive years.
PGPoint guardSGShooting guardSFSmall forwardPFPower forwardCCenter

PlayerTeamRoundPick #PositionSchool
Marvin Bagley IIISacramento Kings12PFDuke
Wendell Carter Jr.Chicago Bulls17CDuke
Jerome RobinsonLos Angeles Clippers113SGBoston College
Lonnie Walker IVSan Antonio Spurs118SGMiami
Josh OkogieMinnesota Timberwolves120SGGeorgia Tech
Grayson AllenUtah Jazz121SGDuke
Gary Trent Jr.Portland Trail Blazers237SGDuke
Bruce Brown Jr.Detroit Pistons242SGMiami
Devon HallOklahoma City Thunder253SGVirginia
Ray SpaldingPhiladelphia 76ers256PFLouisville

Attendance

TeamArenaCapacityGame 1Game 2Game 3Game 4Game 5Game 6Game 7Game 8Game 9Game 10TotalAverage% of Capacity
TeamArenaCapacityGame 11Game 12Game 13Game 14Game 15Game 16Game 17Game 18Game 19Game 20TotalAverage% of Capacity
Boston CollegeConte Forum8,6064,5223,1043,1303,2778,6063,9894,6695,5383,9115,24787,7315,161
Boston CollegeConte Forum8,6064,9535,8674,0914,7637,7408,6065,71887,7315,161
ClemsonLittlejohn Coliseum9,0008,1885,5285,5265,9327,4348,0316,8479,0007,5949,000123,8957,743
ClemsonLittlejohn Coliseum9,0009,0009,0007,5739,0009,0007,242123,8957,743
DukeCameron Indoor Stadium9,3149,3149,3149,3149,3149,3149,3149,3149,3149,3149,314149,0249,314
DukeCameron Indoor Stadium9,3149,3149,3149,3149,3149,3149,314149,0249,314
Florida StateDonald L. Tucker Center12,1007,4555,2846,0217,3235,8365,0038,93110,60410,9389,879127,6858,512
Florida StateDonald L. Tucker Center12,10011,67510,6579,1319,1239,825127,6858,512
Georgia TechMcCamish Pavilion8,6005,1544,5044,8675,5624,9256,5145,1564,5225,3415,568123,8436,518
Georgia TechMcCamish Pavilion8,6006,6307,7718,6008,6008,6008,6008,6006,9077,422123,8436,518
LouisvilleKFC Yum! Center22,09018,30418,11218,04617,52419,24422,09020,03016,23616,38816,841342,56018,209
LouisvilleKFC Yum! Center22,09016,46116,79816,82717,21518,30516,98316,53321,21019,413342,56018,209
MiamiWatsco Center7,9727,0736,6116,7357,1896,8937,6477,9727,1907,1696,77499,6397,117
MiamiWatsco Center7,9727,3336,8797,0107,16499,6397,117
North CarolinaDean Smith Center21,75018,92613,94119,03614,40212,72016,01719,57817,10420,15520,334275,68118,379
North CarolinaDean Smith Center21,75021,75020,38121,75019,33620,251275,68118,379
NC StatePNC Arena19,72214,80513,60210,47213,42215,27013,84213,95713,69514,89919,500270,61215,918
NC StatePNC Arena19,72217,52615,81517,26519,50019,50015,22517,03718,975270,61215,918
Notre DameEdmund P. Joyce Center9,1496,6338,0468,9118,8916,8377,1348,4417,5639,1499,076126,0888,406
Notre DameEdmund P. Joyce Center9,1499,1498,9539,1499,1499,007126,0888,406
PittsburghPetersen Events Center12,5083,1022,6853,3172,3992,3337,7482,8302,3723,1265,30774,1034,117
PittsburghPetersen Events Center12,5089,1803,5442,5667,0334,7722,8352,4206,53474,1034,117
SyracuseCarrier Dome35,44621,72019,60116,64415,53416,23720,85221,38017,33520,97621,925407,77821,462
SyracuseCarrier Dome35,44620,68824,30421,25921,26227,08324,01821,12527,16528,670407,77821,462
VirginiaJohn Paul Jones Arena14,59313,85512,99513,47213,91113,59413,91013,59713,32814,53814,401236,67313,922
VirginiaJohn Paul Jones Arena14,59313,62514,31714,14914,31014,59313,87314,205236,67313,922
Virginia TechCassell Coliseum10,0529,2759,2754,9515,3907,1017,2656,5785,0436,9795,945138,0237,668
Virginia TechCassell Coliseum10,0525,4789,2759,2759,2759,2759,2759,2759,275138,0237,668
Wake ForestLJVM Coliseum14,6657,8025,2136,8105,7826,5912,97811,3628,1098,26010,014134,8258,427
Wake ForestLJVM Coliseum14,66513,2097,80910,4686,13313,64110,626134,8258,427