:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65444852/usa_today_13478585.5.jpg)
Earlier today the Atlantic Coast Conference media released the preseason men’s basketball poll for the 2019-2020 season.
Wake Forest was picked to finish last, receiving a total of 328 points. This was 6 below 14th place Virginia Tech.
Wake Forest picked to finish last in the ACC's preseason poll.
— Conor O'Neill (@ConorONeillWSJ) October 10, 2019
Deacons got 328 points, 6 behind Virginia Tech -- which is the only team in the league with a new coach and its top returning scorer averaged 4.7 ppg last year.
In addition, no Demon Deacons received votes for any of the Preseason All-Conference teams or awards. This is after last season not a single Wake player was named to any postseason All-Conference team or award.
This is the first time since the league expanded to 15 teams in 2014 that Wake Forest has been picked to finish last in the preseason poll.
Last year the Deacs were picked to finish 14th in the league, and ended up finishing 13th ahead of Notre Dame and Pitt.
Duke was once again picked to win the league with 51 first place votes. North Carolina, Louisville, Virginia, and Florida State rounded out the top five.
Boston College, Georgia Tech, and Clemson joined Wake Forest and Virginia Tech in the bottom five.
Louisville’s Jordan Nwora was selected as the ACC’s Preseason Player of the Year, and North Carolina’s Cole Anthony was selected as the ACC’s Freshman of the Year.
The football team has done well recently with being picked low in the preseason polls, so here's hoping that the basketball team can follow suit this year.