By Brian Murphy, WRAL

Duke and North Carolina — both ranked in the top-10 in the preseason Associated Press poll — were picked as the top men’s basketball teams in the ACC, according to a vote released Tuesday of media members that cover the league.

The Blue Devils had 42 of 54 first-place votes, and star freshman Cooper Flagg was the near-unanimous selection as preseason rookie of the year earning 53 of 54 first-place votes. Flagg also the No. 2 selection for preseason player of the year behind reigning ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis from North Carolina.

Davis, a consensus All-America last season, was the only unanimous selection on the league’s preseason All-ACC team, leading Flagg, Wake Forest’s Hunter Sallis, Notre Dame’s Markus Burton and Miami’s Nijel Pack.

North Carolina (11 first-place votes) was picked to finish second in the 18-team ACC with Wake Forest (one first-place vote) finishing third in the poll, NC State, coming off its first Final Four appearance since 1983, was picked eighth.

Conference newcomers SMU (13th), California (16th) and Stanford (17th) are expected to struggle in their first season in the league.

The ACC has received five bids to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last three years, a low number compared to other power conferences and a source of frustration for league officials and coaches, who note the league’s success in the event. The ACC has placed four different teams in the Final Four in the last three tournaments, including NC State in 2024.

Women’s basketball: Notre Dame, NC State dominate ACC preseason poll, honors

2024 ACC Preseason Poll

1. Duke (42 first-place votes), 956 points

2. North Carolina (11), 924

3. Wake Forest (1), 800

4. Clemson, 765

5. Virginia, 743

6. Miami, 659

7. Pitt, 636

8. NC State, 550

9. Louisville, 518

10. Notre Dame, 462

11. Syracuse, 454

12. Georgia Tech, 433

13. SMU, 344

14. Virginia Tech, 252

15. Florida State, 251

16. California, 206

17. Stanford, 165

18. Boston College, 116

Preseason ACC Player of the Year

RJ Davis, North Carolina, 40 votes

Cooper Flagg, Duke, 10

Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest, 3

Maxime Raynaud, Stanford, 1

Preseason ACC Rookie of the Year

Cooper Flagg, Duke, 53 votes

Jeremiah Wilkinson, California, 1

Preseason All-ACC Team

First Team

RJ Davis*, North Carolina, 54

Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest, 52

Cooper Flagg, Duke, 52

Markus Burton, Notre Dame, 41

Nijel Pack, Miami, 37

Second Team

Ian Schieffelin, Clemson, 36

Chase Hunter, Clemson, 31

Jamir Watkins, Florida State, 26

Baye Ndongo, Georgia Tech, 21

Ishmael Leggett, Pitt, 20

* denotes unanimous selection

Source: wralsportsfan.com