UNC was picked to finish first in the 2011-12 preseason ACC poll voted on by media members at today’s ACC Operation Basketball in Charlotte. Below are the media's preseason predictions.
| 2011-12 ACC Preseason Predictions | |
| ACC Operation Basketball, Charlotte, N.C. | |
| 59 Ballots | |
| Team Finish: | |
| 1-North Carolina (57) | 706 |
| 2-Duke (2) | 649 |
| 3-Florida State | 560 |
| 4-Virginia | 463 |
| 5-Miami | 455 |
| 6-Virginia Tech | 411 |
| 7-Clemson | 403 |
| 8-NC State | 316 |
| 9-Maryland | 264 |
| 10-Georgia Tech | 176 |
| 11-Wake Forest | 109 |
| 12-Boston College | 90 |
| Preseason All-ACC: | |
| Harrison Barnes, UNC | 59* |
| John Henson, UNC | 47 |
| Tyler Zeller, UNC | 46 |
| Malcolm Grant, Miami | 32 |
| Seth Curry, Duke | 20 (t) |
| Mike Scott, Virginia | 20 (t) |
| *denote unanimous | |
| Preseason Player of the Year: | |
| Harrison Barnes, North Carolina | 57 |
| John Henson, North Carolina | 2 |
| Preseason Rookie of the Year: | |
| Austin Rivers, Duke | 57 |
| James Michael McAdoo | 1 |
| Nick Faust, Maryland | 1 |
