The ACC doesn’t have as many high quality packages because the Large 12, Large Ten or SEC usually produce. That is one of the best rationalization for why the league has ranked exterior of the highest 4 nationally in every of the previous 4 seasons, based on KenPom.com. Too most of the ACC’s huge manufacturers have not been good currently.
However there’s nonetheless actual energy on the prime of the ACC, which expanded to 18 groups by including Cal, Stanford and SMU for 2024-25.Â
North Carolina performed within the nationwide championship recreation three years in the past, earned a No. 1 seed within the NCAA Match final season and ought to be a top-10 workforce this season. And, as my CBS Sports activities Community colleague Pete Gillen as soon as famously stated, Duke is Duke. So I do not anticipate, nor does any so-called Bracketologist anticipate, the ACC to steer all conferences in bids to the 2025 NCAA Match. However the ACC does have not less than two groups which can be clearly geared up to win the 2025 NCAA Match.
Every of our panelists is projecting Duke and North Carolina to complete first and second within the ACC, in some order. Among the many fascinating features of this perceived convention race is that a kind of groups (Duke) will likely be led by a 17-year-old freshman phenom (Cooper Flagg) whereas the opposite is headlined by a fifth-year senior (RJ Davis) who will flip 23 in two weeks.
It ought to be a enjoyable race.
Duke and UNC will meet for the primary time on Feb. 1.
USATSI
ACC Preseason Participant of the 12 months
RJ Davis | G | North Carolina
For all of his greatness on the collegiate stage, Davis just isn’t typically thought-about to be a high-end NBA prospect, which helps clarify his return to UNC for a fifth yr after he was a consensus First Staff All-American final season. The 22 year-old New York native averaged 21.2 factors, 3.6 rebounds and three.5 assists for a North Carolina workforce that secured a No. 1 seed within the 2024 NCAA Match. His return is why the Tar Heels are clearly the ACC’s largest risk to Duke.
ACC Preseason Freshman of the 12 months
Cooper Flagg | F | Duke
Flagg is getting into faculty with as a lot hype as any latest prospect — and he has an opportunity to turn into the youngest Picket Award winner in historical past. On offense, he can dribble, shoot and cross. On protection, he can guard his place, block pictures and rebound. Flagg’s capability to influence profitable is uncanny for a participant his age. He’ll be faculty basketball’s largest attraction this season together with his first marquee recreation scheduled for Nov. 12 in opposition to Kentucky within the Champions Traditional.
4 extra gamers to look at
Chase Hunter | FÂ | Clemson: Hunter is the main returning scorer from a Clemson workforce that superior to the Elite Eight of the 2024 NCAA Match. He averaged 12.9 factors and three.2 assists final season in 32.8 minutes per recreation.
Ishmael Leggett | GÂ | Pitt: Leggett is the main returning scorer from a Pitt workforce that completed thirty third at KenPom.com final season. He averaged 12.3 factors and 5.5 rebounds in 28.6 minutes per recreation in his first yr with the Panthers after transferring from Rhode Island.
Khaman Maluach | C| Duke: Maluach is the highest-rated prospect in Duke’s top-ranked recruiting class in addition to Flagg. He is a 7-2 native of South Sudan who represented his nation within the 2024 Paris Olympics on the age of 17.
Hunter Sallis | G | Wake Forest: Sallis by no means actually figured issues out in two years at Gonzaga however busted via after transferring to Wake Forest. He averaged 18.0 factors, 4.1 rebounds and a couple of.5 assists whereas taking pictures 40.5% from 3-point vary in 35.4 minutes per contest final season.