College Sports

The 2025 all-ACC men’s basketball team is set, award winners announced. Here’s who won

On the way to earning the Associated Press Top 25 poll’s No. 1 ranking entering the postseason, Duke racked up plenty of ACC honors while rolling to the league’s regular-season championship.

As expected, Duke freshman Cooper Flagg was named ACC Player of the Year on Monday after he led the Blue Devils in five statistical categories this season.

Duke’s Cooper Flagg (2) reacts after a dunk to give the Blue Devils’ an 82-67 lead against North Carolina on Saturday, March 8, 2025 at the Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Duke’s Cooper Flagg (2) reacts after a dunk to give the Blue Devils’ an 82-67 lead against North Carolina on Saturday, March 8, 2025 at the Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C. Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com

The 6-9 freshman, named first-team, all-ACC and the league’s rookie of the year while also making the all-defensive team, averaged 19.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game for the Blue Devils (28-3). That helped Duke go 19-1 in the ACC regular season and lock down the No. 1 seed for this week’s ACC Tournament in Charlotte.

Duke’s Cooper Flagg (2) blocks the shot by North Carolina’s Ven-Allen Lubin (22) during the second half of Duke’s 82-69 victory over UNC at the Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C., Saturday, March 8, 2025.
Duke’s Cooper Flagg (2) blocks the shot by North Carolina’s Ven-Allen Lubin (22) during the second half of Duke’s 82-69 victory over UNC at the Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C., Saturday, March 8, 2025. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com

Flagg won rookie of the week honors a league-record 12 times this season. The previous record of 10 was set by Georgia Tech’s Kenny Anderson in 1990, and tied by North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough in 2006, and Duke’s Jabari Parker in 2014.

Clemson (26-5, 18-2 ACC) and Louisville (25-6, 18-2 ACC), which each finished a game behind Duke in the league standings, were also represented on the all-ACC first team. Louisville guard Chucky Hepburn made that group after leading the Cardinals with 16.5 points per game. Clemson is represented by guard Chase Hunter, who averages 16 points per game.

Stanford’s Maxime Raynaud, who led the ACC in rebounding (10.9) and was second in scoring at 20.1 points per game, and Wake Forest’s Hunter Sallis (18 points per game) rounded out the five-man first team.

Duke’s Kon Knueppel (7) drives by the defense of Illinois’ Ben Humrichous (3) during the first half of Duke’s game against Illinois in the SentinelOne Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York City Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025.
Duke’s Kon Knueppel (7) drives by the defense of Illinois’ Ben Humrichous (3) during the first half of Duke’s game against Illinois in the SentinelOne Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York City Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com

Fellow freshman Kon Knueppel joined Flagg on the league’s all-rookie team. The 6-7 Knueppel averaged 13.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while making 39.9% of his 3-pointers. Duke’s third freshman starter, 7-2 center, Khaman Maluach, is also on the all-rookie team along with North Carolina’s Ian Jackson and California’s Jeremiah Wilkinson.

Knueppel joined North Carolina’s R.J. Davis on the all-ACC second team along with this season’s league scoring champion, Markus Burton of Notre Dame. Burton averaged 22.7 points per game.

Louisville’s Pat Kelsey was voted ACC coach of the year in his first season with the Cardinals. After going 8-24 last season, Louisville is 25-6 this season, including 18-2 in the ACC. Duke’s Jon Scheyer finished second in the voting after leading the Blue Devils to the regular-season title.

North Carolina’s RJ Davis (4) looks to pass during the first half of UNC’s game against Clemson at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, S.C., Monday, Feb. 10, 2025.
North Carolina’s RJ Davis (4) looks to pass during the first half of UNC’s game against Clemson at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, S.C., Monday, Feb. 10, 2025. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com

2025 All-ACC team

First team: Cooper Flagg, Duke; Maxime Raynaud, Stanford; Chucky Hepburn, Louisville; Chase Hunter, Clemson; Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest.

Second team: RJ Davis, North Carolina; Kon Knueppel, Duke; Markus Burton, Notre Dame; Ian Schieffelin, Clemson; Jamir Watkins, Florida State.

Third team: Terrence Edwards Jr., Louisville; Tyrese Proctor, Duke; Baye Ndongo, Georgia Tech; Boopie Miller, SMU; Jaland Lowe, Pitt.

Honorable mention: Matthew Cleveland, Miami; Andrej Stojakovic, California; Naithan George, Georgia Tech; Isaac McKneely, Virginia; J.J. Starling, Syracuse; Donald Hand Jr., Boston College; Cameron Hildreth, Wake Forest; Khaman Maluach, Duke; Viktor Lakhin, Clemson; Eddie Lampkin, Syracuse.

All-defensive team: Chucky Hepburn, Louisville; Cooper Flagg, F, Duke; Jaeden Zackery, Clemson; B.J. Edwards, SMU; Sion James, Duke; Zack Austin, Pitt.

All-rookie team: Cooper Flagg, Duke; Kon Knueppel, Duke; Ian Jackson, North Carolina; Jeremiah Wilkinson, California; Khaman Maluach, Duke.

Player of the year: Cooper Flagg, F, Duke

Rookie of the year: Cooper Flagg, F, Duke

Coach of the year: Pat Kelsey, Louisville

Most improved player: Donald Hand, Boston College

Defensive player of the year: Chucky Hepburn, Louisville

This story was originally published March 10, 2025 at 5:30 PM with the headline "The 2025 all-ACC men’s basketball team is set, award winners announced. Here’s who won."

Steve Wiseman
The News & Observer
Steve Wiseman was named Raleigh News & Observer and Durham Herald-Sun sports editor in May 2025. He covered Duke athletics, beginning in 2010, prior to his current assignment. In the Associated Press Sports Editors national contest, he placed in the top 10 in beat writing in 2019, 2021 and 2022, breaking news in 2019, event coverage in 2025 and explanatory writing in 2018. Before coming to Durham in 2010, Steve worked for The State (Columbia, SC), Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, S.C.), The Sun Herald (Biloxi, Miss.), Charlotte Observer and Hickory (NC) Daily Record covering beats including the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints, University of South Carolina athletics and the S.C. General Assembly. He’s won numerous state-level press association awards. Steve graduated from Illinois State University in 1989. 
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