The Athletic released its early top 25 for the 2024-25 men’s college basketball season on Monday evening, and the Blue Devils were first in the rankings.
The Blue Devils made the Elite Eight this season, and despite (probably) losing presumed first-round picks Kyle Filipowski and Jared McCain to the NBA, they have the top overall recruiting class in the country. Cooper Flagg, the highest-ranked prospect in the country, will lead a freshman class with three other five-star prospects and two more four-star players.
The Athletic’s CJ Moore and Sam Vecenie, who put the rankings together, gave an expected starting five in the rankings, too. They had Jeremy Roach, Tyrese Proctor, and Caleb Foster coming back to start alongside Flagg and Khaman Maluach.
“This is the deepest team in college basketball as presently constructed at the time of recording,” the duo wrote. “This Duke team kind of has everything.”
Moore and Vecenie emphasized that the Blue Devils, in their projections, have a balance of freshmen and veteran leadership.
Gonzaga was second in the site’s rankings, with Houston, Iowa State, and Connecticut rounding out the top five. North Carolina came in ninth in the rankings, and Miami (18th) was the only other ACC team in the top 25.