2026–27 ACC Top 10 Players | Mid-Major Hoops
2026-10-29
This is an independent MMH preseason ranking of expected 2026–27 impact. Established production, role, defensive value, and the ability to improve teammates matter alongside individual scoring. It is not a transfer ranking or a copy of an external ballot. Statistics below are from the verified 2025–26 season; missing fields remain N/A.
1. Thijs De Ridder — Virginia
Forward · So. · 6-9
2025–26, Virginia: 36 GP • N/A MPG • 15.6 PPG • 6.2 RPG • N/A APG.
De Ridder is MMH’s choice because his production already translates to this league and his role should become even more influential. Virginia can build possessions around him without reducing every attack to a difficult isolation. He can score through contact, punish a favorable matchup, and move the ball when the second defender arrives. That combination is particularly valuable alongside guards who can shoot and a center who does not require a large share of the offense.
The next step is handling the attention that comes with being an established first-team All-ACC player. Opponents will try to make him begin farther from the basket, send different help, and force Virginia’s supporting players to make the decisive shot. His perimeter efficiency and decisions against crowded possessions will determine whether the Cavaliers’ offense becomes merely dependable or genuinely difficult to contain.
His defensive work matters as well. Grünloh can protect the rim, but Virginia still needs its forwards to rebound and remain connected when the ball moves. De Ridder offers the best combination of an established ACC scoring floor and a central role on a contender. This ranking values that certainty over a projection based mainly on recruiting reputation.
Team profile · Official player bio
2. John Blackwell — Duke
G · Sr. · 6-5
2025–26, Wisconsin: 34 GP • 33.7 MPG • 19.1 PPG • 5.1 RPG • 2.3 APG.
Duke needed an established perimeter scorer after losing major offensive production, and Blackwell supplies exactly that. His final Wisconsin season produced 19.1 points per game, with enough rebounding and secondary playmaking to make him more than a specialist who must be fed shots. He can benefit from Duke’s interior talent while also creating offense when a first action does not work.
The fit around him is important. Foster can share the organizing burden, Sarr can handle difficult defensive assignments, and the big men can draw help toward the basket. Blackwell should not need to reproduce his Wisconsin workload possession for possession. The challenge is converting that improved environment into efficient scoring while remaining decisive when the opponent makes him the first priority.
Duke also needs him to defend his position consistently. A guard’s offensive production becomes much more valuable when the lineup does not have to compensate for him at the other end. Blackwell has the experience to understand those demands, but the move to a new program still requires adjustment. MMH places him second because his established scoring can solve a specific championship-level problem immediately, with additional value if the passing and defensive work grow alongside it.
Team profile · Official player bio
3. Flory Bidunga — Louisville
F · Jr. · 6-9
2025–26, Kansas: 35 GP • 31.6 MPG • 13.3 PPG • 9.0 RPG • 1.5 APG.
Bidunga changes Louisville’s defensive possibilities before a possession even begins. A center who can challenge shots above the rim allows perimeter defenders to play with a different level of confidence, provided they remain disciplined about where the help comes from. His final Kansas season also included 13.3 points and 9.0 rebounds per game, so this is not a ranking based only on the shots he prevents.
Offensively, Louisville should give him opportunities to finish moving toward the basket. Shelstad and Trimble can create the initial advantage, while Folgueiras offers another passing connection. Bidunga’s value rises when those players make the defense choose between stopping the ball and surrendering a finish at the rim.
The next step is keeping his influence consistent against opponents who pull the center away from the paint or force him to make repeated decisions in space. He also has to stay available through foul trouble and turn defensive contests into completed rebounds. Those are demanding jobs in a league with several skilled frontcourts. MMH places him third because his defensive ceiling is exceptional and his offensive role is concrete. If Louisville’s guards organize the attack effectively, he can be its most important player without leading it in scoring.
Team profile · Official player bio
4. Shelton Henderson — Miami
Forward · So. · 6-6
2025–26, Miami: 35 GP • 31.2 MPG • 13.8 PPG • 4.9 RPG • 2.1 APG.
Henderson’s freshman season established a scoring approach that does not depend on a difficult perimeter attempt falling. He can attack a defender’s body, finish through contact, and exploit the space created when Miami’s other forwards attract help. The final Miami cumulative table lists 13.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game; the current bio’s slightly different scoring figure is documented in the research notes.
His sophomore opportunity is to become a more complete decision-maker. Miami has enough interior talent to draw multiple defenders toward the basket, but that also means a drive must lead somewhere useful when the direct finish is removed. Finding the open teammate and improving the threat of the outside shot would make Henderson much harder to contain.
At the defensive end, his physical tools give Lucas options. The important question is whether he can apply them consistently through positioning, rebounding, and sustained effort across different assignments. Miami’s projected lineup asks its larger perimeter players to cover substantial space.
MMH ranks Henderson fourth because his proven ACC production is supported by a clear developmental path. He does not need to become a completely different player. More efficient decisions and a broader scoring threat could make the strengths he already owns considerably more valuable.
Team profile · Official player bio
5. Malik Reneau — Miami
Forward · 5th · 6-9
2025–26, Miami: 35 GP • 29.0 MPG • 18.9 PPG • 6.5 RPG • 2.1 APG.
Reneau gives Miami an established answer to a question many teams cannot solve: where does a good shot come from when the opponent is organized? His final season line of 18.9 points and 6.5 rebounds reflects the amount of offense he can supply near the basket. He has the strength and skill to make single coverage uncomfortable and to draw help that benefits the players around him.
The key is how his game fits a frontcourt that also includes Henderson and Cyril. Miami cannot simply crowd all three into the same operating area and expect individual ability to repair the spacing. Reneau’s passing, screening, and willingness to move the ball early will help determine whether the group’s physical advantage becomes an efficient offense.
Defensively, he must remain engaged through rotations and complete possessions with rebounds. Miami’s best outcome requires its leading scorer to contribute to the structure at both ends rather than forcing teammates to compensate for him.
This ranking assumes his continued availability under the current fifth-season eligibility ruling. Further legal developments could alter that assumption. With him on the floor, MMH sees one of the ACC’s most dependable interior scorers. He ranks fifth because the production is already established, while the lineup’s fit and defensive consistency leave meaningful room for improvement.
Team profile · Official player bio
6. Amani Hansberry — Virginia Tech
F · Sr. · 6-8
2025–26, Virginia Tech: 30 GP • 30.8 MPG • 14.3 PPG • 7.4 RPG • 2.4 APG.
Hansberry’s value comes from the number of possessions he can improve without needing the ball held for him. He can finish, rebound, pass out of an interior touch, and help keep Virginia Tech’s spacing functional. A final line of 14.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists demonstrates why the Hokies have an established foundation rather than simply another collection of new players.
Young’s roster should give Hansberry several different partners. Curry can create penetration, Hammond can shoot and make decisions, and Heide provides another interior presence. That allows Hansberry to move between scoring and connecting rather than being asked to supply every component of the offense himself.
The difficult part is defensive responsibility. Virginia Tech needs him to be well positioned when the guards are beaten, recover to his own assignment, and still finish the possession on the glass. An expanded offensive role cannot become an excuse for inconsistent work at the other end.
MMH ranks him sixth because he combines established ACC production with a central role on a team projected to improve. He may not generate the same attention as a major newcomer, but a productive returning forward who makes several different lineups work can be one of the league’s most consequential players.
Team profile · Official player bio
7. Jackson Shelstad — Louisville
G · Sr. · 6-1
2025–26, Oregon: 12 GP • 34.8 MPG • 15.6 PPG • 2.9 RPG • 4.9 APG.
Shelstad’s placement includes a significant qualification: his 2025–26 production came in only twelve games. The scoring and playmaking are attractive, but availability and the ability to sustain a full season must be part of the evaluation. Louisville is counting on a guard who can make high-level decisions, not simply on a recognizable name from Oregon.
When available, he can give Kelsey the combination of creation and shooting that helps a talented frontcourt function. Bidunga needs guards who can deliver the ball at the right moment, while Knox and Folgueiras benefit when the defense has already been shifted. Shelstad can initiate those advantages and still remain a threat when another player begins the possession.
The area to watch is how he handles the physical demands of larger backcourts and repeated defensive assignments. Trimble can help distribute that burden, but Louisville cannot design every difficult matchup away. Shelstad’s conditioning and ability to stay decisive late in games will be important.
MMH ranks him seventh on expected impact, with a wider range of outcomes than several players above him. A healthy, sustained season could make the placement conservative. The limited recent sample is why the ranking does not assume that outcome automatically.
Team profile · Official player bio
8. Paul McNeil Jr. — NC State
G · Jr. · 6-6
2025–26, NC State: 34 GP • 28.6 MPG • 13.8 PPG • 3.6 RPG • 0.8 APG.
McNeil gives NC State a returning scorer who already understands the demands of ACC possessions. His final 2025–26 line includes 13.8 points per game, providing a practical starting point for a new coach and a reshaped roster. His shooting can make opposing defenses pay for sending extra attention toward Lubin and Evans inside.
The next step is becoming more than the beneficiary of someone else’s creation. McNeil does not need to turn into a full-time point guard, but he can increase his value by attacking a hard closeout, delivering the next pass, and keeping an advantage alive when the immediate shot is unavailable. Those decisions will matter if opponents make him the first perimeter player they try to remove.
Gainey’s defensive expectations create another opportunity. A dependable two-way perimeter player can remain on the floor through difficult stretches and give the staff more freedom with its other combinations. McNeil’s rebounding and concentration away from the ball will help determine how much flexibility he provides.
MMH places him eighth because his skill addresses a specific need on an upper-third projection. There are players elsewhere with greater individual scoring totals, but established shooting in a central ACC role is valuable. A more complete game would make him one of the season’s most important returning guards.
Team profile · Official player bio
9. Kyle Evans — NC State
F · Gr. · 6-10
2025–26, UC Irvine: 35 GP • 28.7 MPG • 12.0 PPG • 8.7 RPG • 0.9 APG.
Evans earns this position through defensive influence and roster fit rather than a prediction that he will dominate the scoring race. His final UC Irvine season produced 12.0 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. That gives NC State a transfer with an established interior function and the potential to help a new coach build a dependable defensive identity.
The ACC transition will test him against larger and more varied frontcourts. He must protect space without collecting unnecessary fouls, defend the second action after the first screen, and finish possessions on the glass. Rebounding numbers matter most when they prevent an opponent from receiving another high-quality chance.
Offensively, Evans can benefit from Hammond’s organization and McNeil’s shooting. The ideal role is purposeful: screen, present a target, finish, and move the ball when help removes the direct route. Playing alongside Lubin could improve the team’s physical strength while making spacing and passing especially important.
MMH ranks him ninth because the expected impact on NC State’s floor is substantial. This is a projection that his established skills will travel, not a claim that every part of his previous-school production will remain unchanged. If he anchors a strong defense, his value will exceed what a scoring-only ranking captures.
Team profile · Official player bio
10. Neo Avdalas — North Carolina
G · So. · 6-9
2025–26, Virginia Tech: 31 GP • 31.6 MPG • 12.1 PPG • 3.1 RPG • 4.5 APG.
Avdalas brings a rare organizing profile: a 6-foot-9 perimeter player who can see and deliver passes over smaller defenders. His Virginia Tech season gives North Carolina evidence of actual ACC creation rather than only international promise. The final Hokies table records 12.1 points and 141 assists in 31 games, equivalent to 4.5 assists per game when rounded to one decimal.
His new role under Malone will determine how much that skill improves the Tar Heels. Avdalas can initiate, attack a favorable matchup, or become the second handler after another guard shifts the defense. The important distinction is between useful versatility and an offense that never establishes who is responsible for creating the decisive advantage.
The next step is scoring efficiency and defensive consistency. Opponents can try to make a larger guard finish over length or move laterally through repeated actions. Avdalas needs to punish those choices without allowing a missed shot to diminish his influence on the next defensive possession.
MMH ranks him tenth because the combination of established ACC playmaking and unusual size gives him a central role in North Carolina’s adjustment. His ceiling is higher than this placement if the shooting and decision-making improve together. The ranking remains cautious about assuming that a new staff and new teammates will make every part of that development immediate.
Team profile · Official player bio
Just outside the ten
Nick Townsend, Patrick Ngongba II, Somto Cyril, Caleb Foster, and Logan Duncomb were also considered. Freshmen Cameron Williams and Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje have substantial upside; this list gives greater weight to established college production. Shelstad’s limited previous season and Reneau’s current eligibility assumption are explicit qualifications, not omitted risks.