ACC Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2024-25 season
1. Duke Blue Devils
The NBA Draft always takes its pound of flesh from Duke each offseason, with leading scorers Kyle Filipowski and Jared McCain going pro. However, the transfer portal also proved to be a problem, with several players entering it. That includes starters Jeremy Roach and Mark Mitchell and former 5-star prospects Sean Stewart and TJ Power.
The Blue Devils did land a few transfers of its own. Former Tulane guard Sion James (14.0 ppg) joins returning guards Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster in the backcourt, while Big Ten 6th Man of the Year and sharpshooter Mason Gillis comes over from Purdue. Maliq Brown was an All-ACC defender at Syracuse and offers frontcourt depth.
Of course, Duke’s chances at success depend on the No. 1 recruiting class. This group is led by Cooper Flagg, the superstar two-way forward prospect and the early projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Four other five-star freshmen are on the roster, including centers Khamn Maluach and Patrick Ngongba and guards Kon Knueppel and Isaiah Evans.
Preseason top 25 power rankings for 2024-25. dark. Next. Preseason top 25 power rankings for 2024-25
Even though the transfers make them older, Duke’s roster is fairly younger than the rest of the ACC. However, with questions concerning the other teams, it’s hard not to give the Blue Devils the early nod to win the regular-season title. But if Flagg isn’t the biggest game-changer, then the conference will be up for grabs.