While the focus will undoubtedly skew toward Duke — with or without Cooper Flagg — UNC, Clemson and Louisville are coming off thrilling finishes in their own quarterfinals.

No. 1 seed Duke won three games in three days in Charlotte, North Carolina this week to capture the 2025 ACC Tournament championship for the 23rd time in program history and first since 2023. Duke defeated No.

Duke coach Jon Scheyer is practicing extreme caution with all-American Cooper Flagg as the Blue Devils seek an ACC title. But the 6-9 freshman should be back for NCAA Tournament.

It wasn't a surprise that a Duke freshman was named the Most Valuable Player of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament on Saturday night. What may have been surprising is that he wasn't named Cooper Flagg.

Duke, the No. 1 seed in the East region, is expecting to have star freshman Cooper Flagg for the NCAA Tournament beginning this week.

Cooper Flagg came into the college ranks as one of the most hyped prospects in recent history, and that hype has only intensified throughout the season. With all the attention the Duke freshman has garnered comes plenty of NIL opportunities.

In the wake of Flagg's absence, freshman Kon Knueppel took over. The Duke star posted 18 points, eight rebounds and three assists in the ACC final against Louisville. As Knueppel prepares for his first March Madness appearance, he took to social media, sharing some exciting NIL news.

Duke is the consensus betting favorite to win the national championship, listed at around +300 at sportsbooks.

Duke, Auburn and Florida are among the expected top contenders in the 2025 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, which includes a record 14 teams from the Southeastern Conference.