2024-25 College Basketball Conference Preview: ACC Fantasy Outlook

There's no question the ACC has suffered a lot of criticism over the last few years, and for good reason. Despite having two of the most successful programs in the nation in Duke and North Carolina, the league has struggled to perform in the NCAA Tournament, failing to win a title since 2017 and not reaching the Championship Game since 2022 -- both instances where the North Carolina Tar Heels stepped up. However, things could be different in 2024-25.

There will be a lot of eyes in the ACC in 2024-25, and most of that would be due to the presence of Cooper Flagg, the uberly-talented prospect from Duke who already trained with Team USA before the 2024 Olympics and who's tipped to be the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. However, there's more than Flagg and Duke when it comes to the ACC.

UNC will try to win the first title for the ACC since 2017 and will do so under the lead of RJ Davis, the reigning ACC Player of the Year, who returns to the conference for one final season in the college ranks. There's Duke, which has one of the best recruiting classes in recent history. We have Louisville, which has turned things around after rebuilding its entire roster (no, that's not an exaggeration) via the transfer portal and the addition of freshmen. Plus, Wake Forest has a chance to be very good in 2024-25, and programs such as Miami and Clemson are always worth keeping close tabs on.

Without further ado, this is our comprehensive preview of the ACC for the 2024-25 College Basketball season.

Top Players

Overall: RJ Davis, G, North Carolina

One would think Davis would've gotten a lot of draft buzz after being the 2023-24 ACC Player of the Year, but instead, he returned to Chapel Hill for a fifth and final NCAA season. It might have been due to a lack of interest from NBA teams, or maybe because he has some unfinished business at the college level, but Davis returns to lead the Tar Heels once again. Even though Cooper Flagg is getting a lot of buzz as a potential 2024-25 ACC Player Of The Year pick, he's still a freshman, which has inherent fantasy risk. With that in mind, Davis seems like a strong choice to win the award in back-to-back years -- something that hasn't happened in the ACC since Tim Duncan did it with Wake Forest in the late-90s. The 22-year-old New York native averaged 21.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists for a North Carolina team that secured a No. 1 seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. His return is why the Tar Heels are considered Final Four contenders again in 2024-25.

Also considered: Cooper Flagg (F, Duke), Hunter Sallis (G, Wake Forest), Chase Hunter (G, Clemson)

Scoring: Markus Burton, G, Notre Dame

There are a bunch of quality scorers in the ACC, and even though RJ Davis would've been a popular pick after averaging 21.2 points per game in 2023-24, we'll go with someone who's going to carry the offense of his team almost by himself. Burton should have freedom to shoot from anywhere on the court on a Notre Dame team that's not expected to contend in the ACC, and the reigning ACC Rookie of the Year seems bound to take another leap in his game. Burton averaged 18.5 points, 4.6 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 2.1 steals across his 20 outings in 2023-24, and surpassing the plateau of 20.0 points per game isn't far-fetched for a player who seems like a star in the making. The fact that Burton decided to return to college after testing the 2024 NBA Draft waters suggests he's primed for a huge year.

Also considered: RJ Davis (G, UNC), Jamir Watkins (F, Florida State), Cooper Flagg (F, Duke), Chucky Hepburn (G, Louisville)

Rebounding: Ian Schieffelin, F, Clemson

Clemson lost several key players during the offseason, but there's no question the presence of Schieffelin will add some much-needed stability in the frontcourt for a Tigers team that lost PJ Hall, among other key contributors. Schieffelin is set to enter his fourth year in the program and is coming off a career-best season in 2023-24, where he averaged 10.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and a combined 1.1 steals-plus-blocks in 36 starts while logging 27.4 minutes per game. He recorded 11 double-doubles last season and posted 17 games with double-digit rebounds, so averaging a double-double isn't out of the question for him. Plus, Schieffelin's 9.4 boards per contest ranked third in the ACC behind two players who are no longer in the college ranks such as Armando Bacot and Norchad Omier.

Also considered: Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (F, NC State), Matthew Cleveland (F, Miami), Khaman Maluach (C, Duke)

Assists: Elliot Cadeau, G, North Carolina

Choosing who will lead the ACC in assists is, undoubtedly, a challenging task. This is not because there's a lack of talent in the conference, but instead because there are too many good guards to choose from. Cadeau will probably share the playmaking duties with RJ Davis, and while that could impact his assists numbers in the early stages of the season, that should change as the campaign progresses. Still, if Cadeau takes that leap everybody has been talking about for months, he has enough talent and passing ability to pace the conference in dimes, especially given all the talent he'll have around him.

Also considered: Tyrese Proctor (G, Duke), Chase Hunter (G, Clemson), Naithan George (G, Georgia Tech)

Center: Efton Reid, C, Wake Forest

I'll admit it, this was my other most challenging choice. However, unlike choosing who'll be the best passer in the league, this was because there aren't many top-tier centers in the ACC compared to other conferences. Admittedly, Khaman Maluach would've been a popular choice based on his pedigree and the fact he's even played in a World Cup before making his college debut, but we'll go with Reid here. The Demon Deacons are expected to make some noise in the ACC in 2024-25, and Reid should be one of the team's most reliable two-way presences. The seven-footer has finally found some much-needed stability after playing for three different programs in his first three college seasons, and he's coming off a career-best campaign in 2023-24 after averaging 9.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per game across 28 appearances (25 starts). Averaging a double-double is not out of the equation for Reid in 2024-25.

Also considered: Baye Ndongo (F/C, Georgia Tech), Khaman Maluach (C, Duke), Eddie Lampkin (F/C, Syracuse), Viktor Lakhin (C/F, Clemson)

Freshman: Cooper Flagg, F, Duke

We didn't go with Flagg as the top pick in any of the previous categories, but there's no discussion about him being the best freshman in the ACC in 2024-25. He could, and probably should, be considered the top freshman in the entire country as well, which is reflected in his +1200 odds to win the Wooden Award (trailing only Davis and KU's Hunter Dickinson).

Flagg is entering college with as much hype as any recent prospect, maybe Zion Williamson, and he has a legitimate chance of becoming the youngest National Player of the Year in history. Simply put, Flagg can do it all on both ends of the court, and the fact that he managed to stand out during the Team USA practices before the 2024 Olympics is perhaps the best testament to his ability. 

On offense, he can dribble, shoot and pass. On defense, he can guard his position, block shots and rebound. Flagg's ability to impact winning is uncommon for a player his age, and no other freshman can come close to him in terms of the impact he'll generate on a game-to-game basis.

Also considered: Khaman Maluach (C, Duke), Jalil Bethea (G, Miami), Donnie Freeman (F, Syracuse)

Transfers

Chucky Hepburn, PG, Louisville

Hepburn was the floor general for a Wisconsin team that went to the NCAA Tournament in two of his three seasons at the helm. He's now with a Louisville team that had to rebuild the entire roster from scratch ahead of the 2024-25 campaign. Hepburn, who earned Big Ten All-Defense honors after finishing second in the league with 2.1 steals per game, also put up 9.2 points, 3.9 assists and 3.3 rebounds despite Wisconsin's slow pace of play. His two-way play will be the barometer of the Louisville offense, and if he's able to unlock another level in his game, then the Cardinals could make some serious noise in the ACC -- and even further.

Jalen Blackmon, SG, Miami

The Hurricanes lost Norchad Omier, but they still have Nijel Pack and Matthew Cleveland as star players while also adding Lynn Kidd to bolster their frontcourt. However, Blackmon will provide a much-needed scoring presence in the backcourt, where he figures to establish an intriguing partnership next to Nijel Pack. Blackmon averaged 8.3 threes attempted per game at Stetson in 2023-24 and also scored 21.3 points per game while leading the Hatters to their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament. While he might not have the same freedom on a new program, there's no question he will be a menace from beyond the arc. Plus, his offensive confidence will be a welcomed trait in Miami. 

Jaeden Zackery, PG, Clemson

Zackery finished sixth in the ACC last season in assists, steals and minutes played, so there's no question he can get the job done on both ends of the court. He did it while playing for a struggling Boston College team, and he should flourish in a new environment while being surrounded by better talent. Zackery should form an elite backcourt pairing with returning point guard Chase Hunter, and it could be one of the better additions in the league if Clemson lives up to pre-season expectations.

Lynn Kidd, C, Miami

Kidd should bring a lot to the table for a Hurricanes team needing a dynamic interior presence following the departure of Norchad Omier, who was a double-double machine in his two seasons with the program. Kidd seems to fit most of the boxes, though, as he's a presence in the paint who can play near the rim and finish lobs with ease, which is a bonus considering Nijel Pack, one of the best floor generals in the ACC, will run the show on 2024-25. That said, Kidd has never averaged more than 0.4 blocks or 0.5 steals for a season, and he needs to take his game to another level defensively if he'll end up being the two-way impact player Miami needs him to be. On paper, though, the fit is attractive.

Sleepers

Khaman Maluach, C, Duke

Flagg aside, Maluach is the highest-rated prospect in Duke's top-ranked recruiting class. He's a 7-foot-2 native of South Sudan who represented his country in the 2024 Paris Olympics at the age of 17, and although it's uncertain how he'll translate his game into the college ranks, there's no question the potential is there for him to make an impact right out of the gate. Maluach is slated to open the season as a starter for the Blue Devils, and even though things can always go south with a freshman, he has all the tools and potential to be a reliable piece in Duke's frontcourt, as well as being a productive player in most fantasy formats.

Terrence Edwards, SG, Louisville

Edwards was named the Sun Belt Player of the Year in 2023-24 after finishing second in the league in points and fifth in assists, averaging  17.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per contest. The 6-foot-6 senior was the focal point of a team that finished 32-4 in the 2023-24 regular season and that reached the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament, so he brings a lot of experience to a Cardinals roster that underwent several changes in the offseason. He figures to operate as one of the team's most dynamic forces on offense alongside star guard Chucky Hepburn.

Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, C, NC State

Huntley-Hatfield has one the biggest shoes to fill when it comes to transfers in the ACC, as he decided to join NC State from Louisville, but he'll replace DJ Burns, NC State's second-leading scoring and the social-media darling of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. However, and even though Huntley-Hartfield isn't the same player Burns was, there's no question the 6-foot-10, 240-pound center can make an impact on offense. He recorded eight double-doubles for Louisville in 2023-24, and he could be in line to experience a bump in his numbers while being surrounded by better talent across the board. Huntley-Hatfield averaged a career-best 12.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game with the Cardinals in 2023-24 while shooting 56.7 percent from the field, another career-best mark.

Matt Cross, SF, SMU

Cross will enter his fifth season of college basketball and will be playing for a fourth different program, as he's also had stops at Miami, Louisville and UMass. Cross earned All-A10 honors in 2023-24 after finishing 10th in scoring and second in rebounding in the league, and he averaged a robust 15.3 points and 8.2 rebounds across 30.1 minutes per contest. There's no question Cross brings physicality and experience to the Mustangs roster, but most importantly, he's a player who can produce game in and game out. He's seen his points, rebounds and assists per game with each passing year in the college ranks, and there's no reason to think that trend won't continue in 2024-25.

Top-10 Players*

1. Cooper Flagg, F, Duke
2. RJ Davis, G, UNC
3. Chase Hunter, G, Clemson
4. Hunter Sallis, G, Wake Forest
5. Markus Burton, G, Notre Dame
6. Matthew Cleveland, F, Miami
7. Tyrese Proctor, G, Duke
8. Ian Schieffelin, F, Clemson
9. Nijel Pack, G, Miami
10. Chucky Hepburn, G, Louisville

*Note: These rankings are at the discretion of the article author, and may not necessarily correspond with RotoWire's official 2024-25 player rankings.

Projected Team Standings

1. North Carolina
2. Duke
3. Wake Forest
4. Clemson
5. Virginia
6. Louisville
7. NC State
8. Miami
9. Pittsburgh
10. Syracuse
11. Georgia Tech
12. Notre Dame
13. SMU
14. Virginia Tech
15. California
16. Florida State
17. Stanford
18. Boston College

Projected Team Rotations

Other College Basketball Resources:

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• Comprehensive college basketball injury report with estimated return dates.
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