For the third consecutive year, Duke has been picked to finish third in the ACC. The Blue Devils received 14 first-place votes in the annual preseason poll, which was released Wednesday and voted upon by the newly formed Blue Ribbon Panel.
Defending conference champion North Carolina, which was undefeated in the ACC last year, was first in the poll with 15 first-place votes. Maryland came in second with 11 votes, and fourth-place Virginia captured the remaining two first place votes.
Senior Chante Black was named to the preseason All-ACC team, along with Kristi Toliver and Marissa Coleman of Maryland, North Carolina's Rashanda McCants and Virginia's Monica Wright.
Black was one of the Blue Devils' main offensive weapons last year, leading the team with nine double-doubles. She averaged 14.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game, and she was among the nation's leaders in field goal percentage at 52.5 percent. Along with senior shooting guard Abby Waner, the 6-foot-5 center has also been tabbed as a preseason candidate for the Wade Trophy, awarded annually to the best Division I player.
The Blue Ribbon Panel selected Toliver as the preseason player of the year, and the Terrapins' Lynetta Kizer captured preseason rookie of the year.
After advancing to the Sweet 16 last March, Duke returns nine players-including four starters-and adds the country's No. 5 recruiting class. The Blue Devils kick off their season Sunday at 2 p.m. with their second annual Blue-White game. Their first regular-season action comes Nov. 14 against Oklahoma State.
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