[ACC MEN] North Carolina is the preseason favorite to claim the 2011 ACC men’s championship, according to a vote of the league’s nine head coaches.

The Tar Heels were listed first on seven coaches’ ballots. Defending ACC champion Maryland received one first-place vote and placed second in the voting, while Virginia was picked to finish third.

Wake Forest was picked for a fourth-place finish, while Duke (one first-place vote) was projected fifth and Boston College sixth.

All six teams are in the Soccer America Preseason Top 25.

Clemson, NC State and Virginia Tech rounded out the preseason voting.

The ACC is coming off a 2010 season that saw five teams receive NCAA Tournament berths and two teams – North Carolina and Maryland – place among the Final Eight.

With UNC advancing to the NCAA semifinals, the ACC placed at least one team in the Men’s College Cup for the 10th straight year.

2011 ACC Preseason Poll:
Team (First-Place Votes) Points
1. North Carolina (7) 78
2. Maryland (1) 66
3. Virginia 60
4. Wake Forest 52
5. Duke (1) 48
6. Boston College 44
7. Clemson 28
8. N.C. State 18
9. Virginia Tech 11