All right, everyone, it's that time of year again. The hardwood has been polished (yeah, I really did just type that...you guys are dirty), the balls inflated (all right, this is getting a little out of control)...whatever. It's college basketball season, and that means that everyone will once again be touting the ACC as the best college basketball conference in America.

They are right. This is not an opinion. This is a fact. The ACC is the best college basketball conference in America.

Consider this: of the last 10 national champions, four of them have been from the ACC (Dook in 2001, Maryland in 2002, UNC in 2005 and 2009). Between UNC and Dook, those two teams have appeared in the Final Four 32 times (the next closest conference combination is Ohio State and Indiana with 18). The ACC will be home to the college basketball program with the most wins in history once UNC passes Kentucky this season (the Tar Heels are currently four games behind the Wildcats in the win column), and has boasted great players like Michael Jordan, David Thompson, Len Bias, Ralph Sampson, Tim Duncan, and Bobby Hurley.

This year promises to be a great year for the ACC in college basketball. North Carolina is the defending regular-season champion and the defending national champion, while Dook is the defending ACC tournament champion. While both those teams will be expected to maintain their high level of play, there are high expectations for nearly every school in the league.

Wake Forest came on strong last year with a group of talented freshmen including PF Al-Farouq Aminu, and figure to be in the mix again this year with a tall and dominant frontcourt.

Georgia Tech adds arguably the #1 recruit in the country in PF Derrick Favors to the fold as they look to stir the pot.

Maryland has a sleeper for the ACC POY in PG Greivis Vasquez and looks to be a factor in the title race.

Clemson returns PF Trevor Booker and adds a talented recruiting class to a team poised to take the next step into that elite basketball stratosphere. And the list goes on...and on...and on.

Over the past few years, there have been some great stories in college basketball. Coaches like Billy Donovan, Mark Few, and Jay Wright have solidified their places in the pantheon of great college coaches. Players like Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, and Blake Griffin have wowed the crowds with their skill and ability. Programs like Indiana, Memphis, and Louisville have been rocked by scandal. But one story has remained the same:

The ACC is the best conference for college basketball in the country. And this season promises to be one of the best in recent memory.