Doug Doughty

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One reason that Virginia Tech’s Seth Greenberg and Virginia’s Dave Leitao were contenders for ACC coach of the year was the ACC Operation Basketball poll in which the Hokies and Cavaliers were picked sixth and eighth, respectively.

That being the case, Greenberg and Leitao might be coach-of-the-year candidates next year.

Few in the media are thinking basketball when the ACC holds its basketball media day in October, so the preseason projections never can be taken too seriously.

It might make more sense to take the poll at the end of the preceding season, if only you knew who was turning pro.

Nobody in a prized ACC freshman class has expressed any intentions of turning pro, but, remember, this was the year that a new NBA rule took effect and players could not go directly to college.

If the current ACC freshmen had been allowed to turn pro, how many would have bypassed college? North Carolina’s Brandan Wright? Georgia Tech’s Thaddeus Young? Maybe the Yellow Jackets’ Javaris Crittendon.

At 6-foot-9 and with a condor’s wingspan, Wright seems most ready to make the move. Whether he comes or goes, I don’t think he’ll affect the preseason conference rankings that much. Regular-season co-champion and tournament winner North Carolina is still the preseason choice for No. 1.

Four teams finished within one game of the Tar Heels in the regular season – Virginia, Virginia Tech, Boston College and Maryland. I can’t see any of those teams being picked No. 2 in the preseason next year.

Some people are likely to pick Duke second because, of course, Duke is Duke. Here’s a team that went 8-8 in the ACC regular season, then lost in the first round of the ACC and NCAA Tournaments. Moreover, there is growing speculation that sophomore post player Josh McRoberts will turn pro.

McRoberts and Tyler Hansbrough were the prizes of the ACC recruiting class of 2005, but Hansbrough has indicated he will stay four years and most people believe him. He looks happy, except when he’s required to wear a facemask. McRoberts never looks happy and is said not to like school, but I wouldn’t swear that he’s gone.

Duke is bringing in the ACC’s top-rated recruit, Oregon big man Kyle Slingler, who is the No. 4 prospect on Rivals’ list of the nation’s top seniors. The Blue Devils have two other Top 40 recruits, Nolan Smith and Taylor King. But, Georgia Tech’s Paul Hewitt can tell you, great freshmen can’t guarantee a crown.

A team that played very well at the end of the season is North Carolina State and the Wolfpack’s only senior of consequence was Engin Atsur, but that’s a big loss. Just look at how poorly the Wolfpack played during the first half of the season, when Atsur was nursing a hamstring injury, compared to the way it played under Atsur’s leadership in the ACC Tournament.

Like State, Clemson has everybody returning but its point guard, Vern Hamilton. Hamilton was a nightmare at the free-throw line but he was the unqualified leader of a Tigers team that started 17-0.

At least that’s what I thought until I called up the Tigers’ statistics. Hamilton didn’t even lead his team in assists and his assist-turnover ratio (104-81) was much worse than Cliff Hammonds’. I always thought that Hammonds was a shooter – and not a great one – but his 132-50 assist-turnover ratio would suggest that he could be the Tigers’ point guard as a senior in 2007-2008.

Along the same lines, I could see N.C. State putting the ball in the hands of 6-7 Gavin Grant, another senior who has the experience of having run the offense in Atsur’s absence. Grant leads State in assists with 132 and Atsur isn’t second. Virginia Tech fans won’t have a hard time believing that 6-8 Wolfpack sophomore Ben McCauley had 112.

Is there any chance that State redshirt freshman Brandon Costner could turn pro? I don’t think so, but nobody in the ACC was coming along at a faster rate at the end of the season. Who else could turn pro? Virginia’s Sean Singletary? How many times does Singletary have to say he’s staying for people to believe him.

Two teams that appear headed for a fall. Maryland loses its top two scorers – D.J. Strawberry and Mike Jones – as well as the ACC’s top shot-blocker Ikene Ebekwe. Gone at Boston College are ACC player of the year Jared Dudley and Sean Marshall.

I’m not sure that the Eagles’ Al Skinner didn’t do the best coaching job in the ACC this year, although Leitao got the award. Maryland coach Gary Williams was second after getting his team to 10-6 after a 3-6 start. If either the Terps or Eagles get to the NCAA Tournament next year, its coach will merit coach-of-the-year consideration.

People close to the Virginia Tech team tell me that the Hokies will be more talented next year, but the loss of Zabian Dowdell, Jamon Gordon and Coleman Collins makes them a doubtful NCAA participant. Virginia has a chance with Singletary but the Cavaliers’ shaky post situation won’t improve.

A lot could change when Huntington, W.Va., big man Patrick Patterson makes his decision. Duke, Virginia and Wake Forest are still under consideration, but Florida might be his leader.

I’d feel a little more strongly if this were October and I knew what Patterson was doing and who had turned pro, but we’ll all be thinking football in October. If I had to do my preseason picks on what’s available right now, here’s how I would go:

1) North Carolina; 2) Georgia Tech; 3) N.C. State; 4) Duke; 5) Virginia; 6) Clemson; 7) Maryland; 8) Virginia Tech; 9) Florida State; 10) Wake Forest; 11) Miami, and 12) Boston College.

But, I can tell you right now. Boston College won’t finish 12th.