Defending Champ Duke Runaway Favorite In ACC

Oct. 20, 2010

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – Defending national champion Duke is a nearly unanimous preseason choice to win the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The Blue Devils earned 61 of a possible 62 first-place votes in ballots cast by media members at the league’s Operation Basketball preseason media event Wednesday. Senior Kyle Singler – the most outstanding player at last year’s Final Four – was the preseason player of the year.

Virginia Tech, led by all-ACC pick Malcolm Delaney, was picked second. North Carolina was voted third following last year’s struggles, and had the league’s predicted rookie of the year in freshman Harrison Barnes.

North Carolina State was picked fourth, followed by Florida State, Maryland, Clemson, Miami, Georgia Tech, Boston College, Virginia and Wake Forest.