Duke basketball projected second in ACC by coaches

N.C. State is bringing in the hype even before the season has started, ranking No. 1 in the ACC men's basketball coaches preseason poll.

The Duke basketball team ranked second in the conference with three of the 12 first-place votes.

The Blue Devils received 130 points, nine behind N.C. State, which received 139 points and eight first place tallies. North Carolina, which finished third with 124 points, received the final first place vote.

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This was the first time an ACC did a preseason coaches poll for men's basketball—and Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski was not happy about it. Before the results were announced, Krzyzewski revealed his displeasure with the process speaking with reporters Friday.

Krzyzewski said the new measure was voted in at the ACC meetings last year, which he did not attend because of the Olympics.

"I would have never voted that," Krzyzewski said. "Why would we make predictions? I don't understand that.... I would rather be praised for what we've done, not the expectations of what we're supposed to do."

The rest of the schools in order were Miami, Florida State, Maryland, Virginia, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech/Wake Forest (tie), and Boston College.

Also in the poll, N.C. State forward C.J. Leslie was voted the conference's preseason player of the year.

The only Duke player joining him on the all-conference squad is forward Mason Plumlee, who is joined by the Wolfpack's Lorenzo Brown, Florida State's Michael Snaer and North Carolina's James Michael McAdoo.

Finishing its sweep of the awards, N.C. State freshman Rodney Purvis was voted the conference's preseason freshman of the year.

 

 

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