Top 3 ACC teams that could challenge Cooper Flagg's projected No. 1 seed Duke feat. RJ Davis' North Carolina

Duke Blue Devils basketball has not been dominant in the ACC in recent years like it used to be. They have only won one conference tournament in the last five years and one regular season title in over a decade.

Blue Devils coach Jon Scheyer has secured the talents of top recruit Cooper Flagg and on paper, they should dominate the conference.

ACC expert Gary Parrish projects Duke to finish first with North Carolina second, led by fifth-year senior RJ Davis.

Here are some other teams that could challenge Duke next season.

---

3 best teams in the ACC besides Duke

#3. Wake Forest

• Last season record: 11-9 (21-14 overall)
• Conference standing: T-5th

Wake Forest played in the NIT twice in his four years but they are yet to make the NCAA Tournament under Steve Forbes' coaching. For the upcoming season, Hunter Sallis, a 6-foot-5 senior guard made his return. Sallis averaged 18.0 points and 4.1 rebounds in his first year with the Demon Deacons.

Besides, Cameron Hildreth and Efton Reid, top scorers for Wake Forest last season have returned as well. Coach Forbes also added Iowa State's Omaha Biliew and Alabama's Davin Cosby to the roster.

---

#2. Clemson

• AP ranking: No. 14
• Last season record: 11-9 (24-12 overall)
• Conference standing: T-5th

Clemson brings back starting point guard Chase Hunter, who averaged 12.9 ppg, and 3.2 apg last season.

Although the Tigers lost their best player PJ Hall in the NBA draft, they have reloaded the squad for the new campaign. Four experienced players from the portal — Duke's Christian Reeves, Boston College's Jaeden Zackery, Cincinnati's Viktor Lakhin and Illinois State's Myles Foster have joined the program.

Clemson, one of the founding members of the Atlantic Coast Conference, won their last and only regular season title back in 1990.

---

#1. North Carolina

• AP ranking: No. 7
• Last season record: 17-3 (29-8 overall)
• Conference standing: 1st

The North Carolina Tar Heels are ranked higher than Duke in the AP Top 25 poll for the upcoming season. They are the defending ACC regular-season champions, having secured 17 wins in conference play.

Five of their top eight scorers from last season including RJ Davis are returning this campaign which is a huge boost for coach Hubert Davis's team.

Although UNC does have noticeable departures including forward Hamson Ingram (drafted in the NBA) and Armando Bacot (graduated), the new set of players Davis landed should help them maintain their competitive edge and stop Duke again from winning the conference titles.

Which team do you think will prove to be Duke's biggest challenge next season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.