Over the past decade, ACC men’s basketball has landed plenty of blue-chip talent, and the league’s biggest recruiting wins have come with the usual mix of promise, production and, in some cases, a fast track to the NBA.
That’s the gamble every program takes. A five-star can soar, stall or get derailed.
A lower-rated recruit can outplay the ranking. But when the ACC has hit, it has hit big - with Duke leading the way, Syracuse making a few notable splashes, and programs like North Carolina, Miami, Florida State and Notre Dame also cashing in.
Here’s a look at the conference’s top recruiting victories by class, beginning with the most recent cycle.
In the 2025 class, Duke landed Cameron Boozer, a 5-star power forward ranked No. 3 overall by the 247Sports Composite. Boozer was twice named national player of the year in high school, then repeated that honor as a freshman with the Blue Devils. Duke reached the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, and Boozer was taken No. 3 overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in last month's NBA Draft.
Duke struck again in the 2024 class with Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall prospect and a 5-star forward. Flagg arrived after a senior prep season in which he was the country’s top player and won a national championship.
His lone year in Durham ended with a Final Four run and national player of the year honors. The No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks, Flagg was the league’s rookie of the year this past term.
Syracuse also made the list in 2024 with Donnie Freeman, a 5-star forward ranked No. 13 nationally. Freeman became the Orange’s highest-rated commit since Carmelo Anthony in the 2002-03 campaign.
Injuries limited both of his seasons at Syracuse, and after transferring to St. John’s this offseason, he suffered another injury that will keep him out for the entire 2026-27 season.
The 2023 class brought Elliot Cadeau to North Carolina, where the 5-star point guard ranked No. 11 overall. Syracuse was also in the mix for him.
Cadeau had already won a national championship in prep before arriving in Chapel Hill. His two seasons with the Tar Heels were solid, but he made his biggest national impact this past season at Michigan, where he helped deliver a national title and earned most outstanding player honors at the 2026 Final Four.
In 2022, Syracuse again surfaced through J.J. Starling, a 5-star combo guard from Central New York ranked No. 22 overall.
Starling was a McDonald’s All-American and spent his freshman season at Notre Dame, a major recruiting win for the Irish. He made the ACC All-Freshman team there, then transferred to Syracuse for the next three seasons.
As a junior with the Orange, he averaged 17.8 points per game.
Duke added another major piece in 2021 with Paolo Banchero, the No. 2 overall recruit and a 5-star power forward. Banchero was the MaxPreps national junior of the year in high school and a McDonald’s All-American as a senior.
He won ACC rookie of the year honors and was a third-team All-American in his lone season with the Blue Devils. Taken No. 1 overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2022 NBA Draft, Banchero has averaged at least 20 points per game in all four of his pro seasons and has reached the playoffs three times.
Florida State scored one of its biggest recruiting wins in the 2020 class with Scottie Barnes, a 5-star power forward ranked No. 7 overall. Barnes was a first-team All-American at Montverde, where the Florida powerhouse went 25-0 and rolled through opponents.
In his only season with the Seminoles, he won ACC freshman of the year and sixth man of the year. Barnes went No. 4 overall to the Toronto Raptors in the 2021 NBA Draft, earned rookie of the year honors in 2022 and was named to the All-Defensive second team in 2026.
North Carolina landed Cole Anthony in the 2019 class, a 5-star guard ranked No. 4 overall. Anthony was an All-American in high school and then made the All-ACC third team and the league’s All-Freshman squad as a Tar Heel. The Orange Magic selected him No. 15 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, and he has played for Orlando and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Duke’s 2018 haul included Zion Williamson, a 5-star power forward ranked No. 5 overall. Williamson was a McDonald’s All-American in high school and then became national player of the year at Duke as the Blue Devils reached the Elite Eight of the 2019 NCAA Tournament.
The New Orleans Pelicans took him No. 1 overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, and he has averaged at least 21 points per game in each of his six pro seasons, though injuries have been a factor. He is a two-time All-Star.
Miami’s biggest recruiting win over the last decade came in the 2017 class with Lonnie Walker, a 5-star shooting guard ranked No. 16 overall. The Hurricanes beat out schools including Syracuse for the McDonald’s All-American from Reading, Pa.
Walker made the ACC All-Freshman team and was then selected No. 18 overall by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2018 NBA Draft. He spent seven NBA seasons with the Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers before playing the last two campaigns with pro clubs overseas.
And in the 2016 class, Duke landed Jayson Tatum, a 5-star forward ranked No. 4 overall. Tatum was the national player of the year and a McDonald’s All-American as a senior in high school.
In his lone season with the Blue Devils, he earned All-ACC third-team and All-Freshman honors. The Boston Celtics took him No. 3 overall in the 2017 NBA Draft, and he later won a world title in Boston in 2024 and has been named to the All-NBA first team four times.
In Other News...
Gerry McNamaras Latest Syracuse Twist Is Raising Eyebrows Fast
Gerry McNamaras first months as Syracuses new mens basketball coach have already produced a little off-court intrigue, and this one has nothing to do with rotations or recruiting. The former Orange star is moving into the house that belonged to outgoing athletic director John Wildhack, a detail that has quickly become a talking point around campus and a reminder that life in a high-profile college job can spill well beyond the practice facility.
The Syracuse real estate market alone would make the arrangement notable, but the connection between McNamara and Wildhack has only added to the curiosity. For now, there are no official details on how the transaction came together, which leaves plenty of room for speculation about whether it was tied to the job itself or simply a personal arrangement between the two men. [Read more 🡒]
Steve Angelis Return Puts Syracuses Biggest Camp Question Front And Center
Steve Angeli is moving closer to a full return after the torn Achilles tendon that wiped out his last season, and his progress has pushed Syracuses quarterback picture back into the spotlight. Head coach Fran Brown has already made clear that the position will not be handed out, and with new transfers in the room, the Orange are heading into camp with a real battle ahead as Angeli works back toward full participation.
Angeli has sounded confident about where he is physically and about the help around him in the passing game, which matters for a team trying to settle its offense before the season starts. Even so, the quarterback race is only part of the equation, and Syracuse still has other moving pieces to sort through as camp unfolds, making Angelis return one of the more important developments to watch. [Read more 🡒]
Boeheims Army Opens TBT Run With One Big Syracuse Question
Boeheims Army opens its TBT run tonight at Walsh Gymnasium with the kind of first-round test that usually tells you plenty about a team right away. The Syracuse-based group has already put its coaching staff and roster in place, and the lineup has the look of a squad built to stretch the floor, with enough shooting to make it more dangerous from deep than some of its past summer teams.
Hall In brings a different kind of challenge, starting with the familiar name of Isaiah Whitehead and a front line that can make life difficult around the rim. Darnell Brodie, Romaro Gill and KC Ndefo give the underdog plenty of size and shot-blocking, so the intrigue is whether Boeheims Army can turn this into a perimeter game before the matchup starts to tilt toward the paint. [Read more 🡒]