CHARLOTTE—The Blue Devils had been picked to finish first or second in the ACC every year since 2005 before the media predicted Duke would finish third in the conference last season.
Now the Blue Devils are back in familiar territory.
Duke was picked to win the ACC in the preseason media poll released at the league's annual Operation Basketball event Wednesday. The Blue Devils tied for fifth in the conference last year with an 11-7 ACC record on their way to a Sweet 16 appearance, but have topped every major preseason poll that has been released to this point. Duke received 85 of 91 first-place votes, with Tobacco Road rival North Carolina getting the other six.
The Tar Heels, Virginia, Syracuse and Louisville rounded out the top five of the poll, which can be viewed fully below.
Many expect junior guard Grayson Allen to be a major reason Duke is atop in the conference, and the All-American was named the league's Preseason Player of the Year Wednesday with 70 votes. Allen averaged 21.6 points per game during a breakout sophomore campaign, and no other ACC player received more than seven votes for the preseason accolade.
The Jacksonville, Fla., native was also named a preseason first-team All-ACC performer along with Clemson's Jaron Blossomgame, N.C. State's Dennis Smith, Jr., North Carolina's Joel Berry and Virginia's London Perrantes.
Allen was not the only Blue Devil to earn more preseason accolades Wednesday, as freshman swingman Jayson Tatum was named to the second team along with North Carolina's Justin Jackson, Syracuse's Tyler Lydon, Pittsburgh's Michael Young and Florida State's Dwayne Bacon.
After spraining his foot Tuesday, Tatum finished second in Preseason Freshman of the Year voting behind Smith, Jr., who received 51 votes compared to Tatum's 20. Duke freshman Harry Giles—who has been sidelined in the preseason following a knee scope to clean up scar tissue—received 10 votes after coming to Durham as the nation's top recruit.
Although the top five teams in the conference have seemed clear to most media outlets that have released preseason projections to this point, selecting teams six through 12 in the standings was likely a toss-up for many voters, and the final results reflected that.
Smith Jr.'s Wolfpack were picked sixth in the preseason predicted order of finish, with Notre Dame, Florida State, Miami and Virginia Tech not far behind. Clemson, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech and Boston College landed in spots 11-15.
Duke opens exhibition play against Virginia State Friday at 7 p.m.
The full results from the preseason ACC media poll can be found below.
Predicted order of finish (first-place votes in parentheses):
1. Duke (85) - 1359
2. North Carolina (6) - 1239
3. Virginia - 1125
4. Louisville - 1034
5. Syracuse - 905
6. NC State - 772
7. Notre Dame - 716
8. Florida State - 705
9. Miami - 650
10. Virginia Tech - 645
11. Clemson - 623
12. Pitt - 511
13. Wake Forest - 309
14. Georgia Tech - 199
15. Boston College – 128
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