The Duke Blue Devils have been at least a little immune to the ACC's basketball downturn in the last couple seasons.
This season, Duke is still Duke. But the ACC is like the ACC of old, and that's good news.
The conference is "back," writes ESPN's Myron Medcalf in a new article on Wednesday. There's certainly a convincing case.
It still starts with Duke, which Medcalf recognizes.
"Yes, Duke is Duke," Medcalf writes. "Boozer is the front-runner for National Player of the Year and is surrounded by a supporting cast that could help the Blue Devils win their first national title since 2015. That's not new. What is though, is the role other ACC teams could have in producing a resurgence for the conference."
That supporting case is loaded up with high-class freshman and a bunch of new coaches that are getting the job done.
"Louisville (Mikel Brown Jr.) And North Carolina (Caleb Wilson) are led by a pair of projected lottery picks," Medcalf writes. "First-year head coaches Ryan Odom (Virginia), Jai Lucas (Miami) and Will Wade (NC State) could turn the tide for their teams this season. Overall, five ACC teams are ranked in the top 25 in adjusted offensive efficiency at the start of December."
Last season, Medcalf shares, the ACC ended with five top-100 KenPom teams. This season, they've got nine right now.
Does a better ACC help Duke? Maybe. There's certainly more regular season competition, which if approached the right way can help when March Madness rolls around.
It's also just good for college basketball. The ACC has been a renowned basketball conference for a long time. The game is better when the ACC is rocking.
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