Get ready, basketball fans! The Duke women's basketball team is poised to dominate the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) once again, according to preseason projections. But that's not all – Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo has been crowned the Preseason Player of the Year, setting the stage for an exciting season.
Duke, currently holding the No. 7 spot in The Associated Press Top 25, secured a commanding lead with 40 out of 70 first-place votes from a media panel. This clearly indicates the high expectations surrounding the team.
Now, let's look at the competition. North Carolina State, which faced Duke in a nail-biting ACC championship game last year, isn't backing down. They received 25 first-place votes and are projected to finish strong, ahead of formidable teams like North Carolina, Louisville, and Notre Dame. Interestingly, a total of five schools received at least one vote to win the conference, showing the depth of talent in the ACC.
Here's the projected order of finish:
- Duke
- North Carolina State
- North Carolina
- Louisville
- Notre Dame
- Stanford
- Virginia
- Miami
- Florida State
- Virginia Tech
- Clemson
- California
- Syracuse
- SMU
- Georgia Tech
- Pitt
- Boston College
- Wake Forest
And this is the part most people miss... Hannah Hidalgo's selection as Preseason Player of the Year is a testament to her incredible skills. Last season, she averaged an impressive 23.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.7 steals, and 3.6 assists. She's gearing up to take on an even bigger leadership role with the Fighting Irish. Hidalgo secured 53 votes, surpassing North Carolina State's Zoe Brooks, who came in second.
Here's a look at the Preseason All-ACC team:
- Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame)
- Kymora Johnson (Virginia)
- Toby Fournier (Duke)
- Ashlon Jackson (Duke)
- Tajianna Roberts (Louisville)
- Laura Ziegler (Louisville)
- Zoe Brooks (NC State)
- Khamil Pierre (NC State)
- Reniya Kelly (North Carolina)
- Nunu Agara (Stanford)
And the Preseason All-Freshman team:
- Emilee Skinner (Duke)
- Hailee Swain (Stanford)
- Lara Somfai (Stanford)
- Nyla Brooks (North Carolina)
- Aliyahna “Puff” Morris (California)
- Leah Macy (Notre Dame)
Controversy alert: While Duke is favored, could another team rise to the challenge and upset the projections? What do you think? Share your predictions in the comments below!
