The Duke Blue Devils were all over the ACC honors selections, with the Blue Devils' rookies leading the way all across the board. Several Blue Devils took home a number of different accolades, but the rookies were all across the board. Let's take a look over the awards and see where the different Duke players ended up.
Cooper Flagg reels in the accolades
It's no surprise that Duke freshman phenom Cooper Flagg led the way for the Blue Devils amid the announcement of All-ACC awards. Flagg was undoubtedly the best player in the ACC all season and is the favorite to win the National Player of the Year award right now. Flagg won ACC Player of the Year and ACC Rookie of the Year while being named to All-ACC First Team and All-ACC Freshman Team. Flagg is averaging 19.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.5 steals a game, leading the Blue Devils in all five major statistical categories. The rookie sensation is shooting 49.4% from the field and 37.7% from three-point range. Flagg is -210 per Sportsbook Review to take home the National Player of the Year award at this point, and being named the best player in the sport this season would cement Flagg's rookie campaign as one of the best freshman seasons of all-time. Flagg would become the fourth freshman ever to win the Wooden Award and first since Zion Williamson did it in 2019.
Duke freshmen come in all across the board
Aside from Flagg, two other five-star freshmen for Duke found their names on All-ACC lists. Kon Knueppel was named to All-ACC Second Team and Khaman Maluach along with Knueppel were named to All-ACC Freshman Team. Maluach also earned All-ACC Honorable Mention. Some would think Knueppel was snubbed for not making All-ACC First Team, as the rookie developed into one of the best all-around freshmen in the country this season. Knueppel is averaging 13.7 points and 2.5 assists a night on 39.9% shooting from beyond the arc. He's been one of Duke's most reliable and versatile defenders at six-foot-seven, able to guard the one through four spots on the floor. Maluach's development has been rapid this season and he's become one of the most dominant interior presences in the ACC. Maluach is averaging 1.1 blocks per game and is one of the most athletic centers in the country, able to also guard at the perimeter and can get back in transition better than almost any big in the nation. Both are projected top 10 picks in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Veteran guards make their presense known
The Blue Devils' veteran backcourt of Tyrese Proctor and Sion James became one of the most complete backcourts in college basketball this season. Proctor is in the midst of the best season of his career at Duke, as the junior is putting up career-high numbers in points per game (12.0), field goal percentage (44.4%), and three-point percentage (40.1%). After experiencing a bit of a sophomore slump in 2024 when many thought Proctor would take a big leap, the junior has taken that leap in 2025. Proctor earned All-ACC Third Team honors. James came over to Duke as a graduate transfer from Tulane and has been one of the best defensive guards in the country all season long as well as an elite passer. James is averaging 1.2 steals a night and has dished out 37 assists to 13 turnovers over his last 11 games. The grad student was named to All-ACC Defensive Team. He and Proctor have been the experienced leaders of this young Duke squad and make winning plays as often as any backcourt in college basketball.
Isaiah Evans snubbed off All-ACC Freshman Team
The lone five-star freshman that didn't see his name on any list was Isaiah Evans and it's a bit confusing why. The sharpshooter has gotten so much better as the season has progressed and has set himself as one of the best shooters in the country. Evans is averaging 2.0 threes made a game on 44.4% shooting from distance. Evans went on a four-game stretch through February and early March where he averaged 17.2 points per game on 17-of-32 (53.1%) shooting from three point range. Not only did Evans not get a nod to the All-ACC Freshman Team, he didn't even receive a vote for Honorable Mention. Evans did receive some votes for ACC Sixth Man of the Year, but the rookie should've gotten more looks for accolades beyond that.