LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — It's 26 days until the University of Louisville basketball team opens the 2019-20 season but expectations for coach Chris Mack's second Cardinals' team have already moved up a notch.
Results from the annual ACC Operation Basketball preseason media poll were released by the league office Thursday afternoon.
The Cards were predicted to finish third, behind Duke and North Carolina. Louisville forward Jordan Nwora was named to the first-team and voted the ACC Preseason Player of the Year.
Nwora received 55 votes for player of the year while North Carolina guard Cole Anthony had 31.
Nwora, a junior, is the league's top returning scorer after averaging 17.3 points last season. He has been featured on several preseason magazine covers, and Nwora and teammate Steven Enoch represented the program at Operation Basketball in Charlotte, N.C. Tuesday.
"It (the recognition) won't change him," Enoch said of the increased attention Nwora has received. "He doesn’t worry about any of that stuff. He just wants to win."
Louisville, which will play a Red/White scrimmage at the KFC Yum! Center at 1 p.m. Saturday, earned 29 first-place ballots in the voting.
Duke earned 51 first place votes. North Carolina was the pick of 19 voters, while Virginia, the defending NCAA champion, earned 12 first-place votes.
Joining Nwora on the first all-league team were Virginia forward Mamadi Diakite; Duke guard Tre Jones; Anthony and Notre Dame forward John Mooney.
Louisville will open the regular season at Miami on Nov. 5 in the first of 20 conference games. The Cards' first home game is Nov. 10 against Youngstown State.
Here are the complete results from media voting:
ACC Preseason Order of Finish (first-place votes in parentheses)
1. Duke (51 first-place vote), 1564
2. North Carolina (19), 1493
3. Louisville (29), 1448
4. Virginia (12), 1405
5. Florida State, 1157
6. NC State, 1038
7. Notre Dame, 915
8. Syracuse, 910
9. Miami, 768
10. Pitt, 577
11. Clemson, 564
12. Georgia Tech, 437
13. Boston College, 382
14. Virginia Tech, 334
15. Wake Forest, 328
Preseason All-ACC Team
First Team
Jordan Nwora, Louisville, 95
Tre Jones, Duke, 89
Cole Anthony, North Carolina, 81
John Mooney, Notre Dame, 51
Mamadi Diakite, Virginia, 49
Second Team
Markell Johnson, NC State, 39
Vernon Carey Jr., Duke, 19
Chris Lykes, Miami, 18
Garrison Brooks, North Carolina, 11
Trent Forrest, Florida State, 11
Preseason ACC Player of the Year
Jordan Nwora, Louisville, 55
Cole Anthony, North Carolina, 31
Tre Jones, Duke, 19
John Mooney, Notre Dame, 3
Mamadi Diakite, Virginia, 2
Markell Johnson, NC State, 1
Preseason ACC Freshman of the Year
Cole Anthony, North Carolina, 89
Vernon Carey Jr., Duke, 8
Wendell Moore Jr., Duke, 5
Casey Morsell, Virginia, 3
Cassius Stanley, Duke, 3
Matthew Hurt, Duke, 3
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