Arguably the best rivalry in college sports returns to center stage on Saturday, as the fourth-ranked Duke Blue Devils travel to Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C., to take on their bitter rivals, the No. 14 North Carolina Tar Heels.
The Blue Devils look to keep their perfect intraconference record in the ACC unblemished while the Tar Heels are itching to score the program’s signature win of the season. That the two ACC powers are led by diaper dandies—as the great Dick Vitale would call them—Cameron Boozer (Duke) and Caleb Wilson (North Carolina)—in a year dominated by talented first-year players only adds to the game’s intrigue.
And it got us thinking.
Boozer and Wilson, both projected lottery draft picks in the 2026 NBA draft, are poised to deliver two of the best seasons by a first-year player in the one-and-done era, dating back to 2006. Which Duke and North Carolina freshmen players delivered the best seasons of this era?
15. Cole Anthony, North Carolina, 2019-20
Anthony’s freshman year isn’t remembered mostly because it came during the worst season of legendary former coach Roy Williams’s tenure, a 14-19 slog back in 2019-20. But Anthony, who averaged 18.7 points, 4.0 assists and 1.3 steals while draining 2.2 triples per game, was highly productive in a freshman year that saw him earn All-ACC honors.
14. Brandan Wright, North Carolina, 2006-07
Making full use of a 7-foot-4 inch wingspan and 36-inch vertical leap, Wright was a disruptive defensive presence and a rim-rattling big (2.6 blocks and 2.98 dunks per 40 minutes). And he was at his best when it mattered most, earning ACC Tournament MVP and pouring in 21 points while pulling down nine rebounds in a Sweet Sixteen triumph over USC.
13. Brandon Ingram, Duke, 2015-16
Ingram was Duke’s leading scorer in the 2016 NCAA tournament, posting averages of 23 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per contest in three games played. He parlayed his smooth and efficient scoring into being selected with the second pick in the ‘16 NBA draft, drawing comparisons to another lanky freshman who once scorched the collegiate nets.
12. Vernon Carey, Duke, 2019-20
Carey had his struggles at the charity stripe and too often got himself into foul trouble, forcing then-coach Mike Krzyzewski’s hand into pulling him off the court. But when Carey was on the court, he was among the most impactful players in the nation—and the only ACC player that year to rank inside the top-10 in scoring, rebounding, field-goal percentage and blocks.
11. Harrison Barnes, North Carolina, 2010-11
Barnes, the top-rated prospect in the 2010-11 freshman class, initially struggled to live up to the hype surrounding him in his first year, but began to play better as the season progressed, eventually winning ACC ROY. When the stakes were raised, so too was Barnes’s game.
He hit some clutch shots over the course of the season, memorably scored a then-record 40 points in the ACC Tournament semifinal, and proceeded to average 21 points in the NCAA tournament—the highest-ever for a UNC freshman—while helping the Tar Heels reach the title game. In any other year, Barnes would have been a one-and-done, but the NBA lockout complicated matters and resulted in the talented freshman returning for his sophomore year.
10. Jabari Parker, Duke, 2013-14
Parker was one of the most sought-after high school basketball recruits—and for good reason. A supreme stat sheet stuffer, Parker averaged 19.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, and over a steal and a block per game. Parker was the engine behind one of the most efficient offenses in the nation that year, was named the ACC Rookie of the Week a record-tying 10 times and racked up 14 double doubles, a record for a Duke freshman that stood until it was broken by another player on this list.
9. Coby White, North Carolina, 2018-19
White was one of the few Tar Heels players to break the narrative that then-coach Roy Williams’s top first-year players didn’t develop quickly enough to be considered top draft talents. Case in point, White arrived at Chapel Hill as the No. 25 player in the 2018 high school class. White proceeded to average 16.1 points, 4.1 assists and 2.3 three-pointers made per game, scored more points in his freshman year than Michael Jordan and led the Tar Heels to the Sweet Sixteen. He played his way into becoming an NBA draft lottery pick.
8. Paolo Banchero, Duke, 2021-22
At 6-foot-10 and 250 pounds, Paolo Banchero looked like a man among boys as a Duke freshman. He played like it too. The Seattle, Wash., racked up 12 double doubles during the year, was named a consensus second-team All-American and saved his best performances for the bright lights of the NCAA Tournament. Banchero averaged 18.8 points and 7.6 rebounds in five tournament games, helping Duke reach the Final Four. He was the No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft.
7. R.J. Barrett, Duke, 2018-19
Barrett presented collegiate defenders with a significant challenge, for the 6-foot-7 forward could overpower smaller defenders and use his quickness to beat bigger defenders, making him one of the country’s most dangerous scorers off the dribble in 2018-19. Barrett tied with one of his teammates for the ACC lead in scoring and went on to set the Duke single season scoring record, one that still stands today.
6. Marvin Bagley III, Duke, 2017-18
Simply put, Bagley was the best big man in the country in 2017-18. A force on the glass, the 6’11” big won the Naismith College Player of the Year and Pete Newell Big Man of the Year Awards in a season that saw him set the Duke freshmen record for points, rebounds, and double-doubles. While Bagley’s points record was surpassed by Barrett the next year, the other two records still stand today.
5. Kyrie Irving, Duke, 2010-11
Putting Kyrie Irving at five might be controversial, given that he only made eight collegiate starts due to injury. But consider this. In 11 total games played, Irving posted a box/plus minus of 14.8, which would have ranked among the 20 best in the statistic in the one-and-done era.
Irving averaged 17.5 points and 4.5 assists on ridiculously-efficient shooting—over 50% from the field, 40% from deep and 90% from the charity stripe. So great was Irving that the Cavaliers saw all they needed to see in 11 games and selected him with the No. 1 pick in the 2011 draft.
4. Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina, 2005-06
Hansbrough was not a one-and-done like many of the players on this list. But he could have been if he had wanted to. Hansbrough aka Psycho T was a stat sheet stuffer from the very beginning of his collegiate career, averaging 18.9 points and 7.8 rebounds while setting a then-ACC freshman record with 40 points in a game against Georgia Tech. Hansbrough was one of the best collegiate players ever—and his freshman year was one of the best in Tar Heels history.
3. Jahlil Okafor, Duke, 2014-15
Okafor, a traditional back-to-the-basket center, didn’t go on to have as fruitful an NBA career as many thought. But he was a dominant collegiate center, racking up 11 double-doubles while shooting a ridiculous 66.4% from the field. Okafor was at his best in the NCAA Tournament, which saw him score 47 points in the first two games combined en route to a national championship for Duke.
2. Zion Williamson, Duke, 2018-19
Williamson certainly has a case to be No. 1. Williamson’s combination of thunderous, rim-rattling dunks and ferocious shot-blocking skills created nightly highlight reels and lots of did-you-see-what-Zion-just-did moments.
So dominant and powerful was Williamson that his Nike shoe infamously exploded while he was attempting to plant his foot while dribbling the ball. It may as well have been a metaphor for Williamson’s dominance in a season that saw him sweep the six major National Player of the Year Awards.
1. Cooper Flagg, Duke, 2024-25
Flagg lived up to the hype as one of the most anticipated freshmen in NCAA history. Flagg became the youngest player (18) to score 40-plus points in a game in which he also set the ACC freshman scoring record—a 42-point eruption against Georgia Tech.
He then became just the fourth freshman to win the Naismith Award, joining Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis and the top-ranked player on this list, while sweeping the ACC Player and Freshman of the Year Awards. So impressive was Flagg’s season that the legendary Coach K, who had seen plenty of great first-year players, said it was the best freshman season Duke has ever had.
Where could Cameron Boozer, Caleb Wilson rank on this list?
Boozer is well on his way to becoming one of the best Duke freshmen to ever suit up and likely already slots in at third or fourth on this list. He’s on pace to break the Duke freshman record for points per game average, has already racked up 11 double-doubles and owns one of the highest box/plus minus scores of the one-and-done era. Should he help Duke win a national title, Boozer will put a bow on a case to be the greatest Duke freshman of the one-and-done era.
Meanwhile, Wilson might already hold that title for the Tar Heels. He’s already broken Hansbrough’s record for the most 20-point games by a freshman and has already posted 11 double-doubles, tied with Armando Bacot for the second-most by a freshman in Tar Heels history. There isn’t much left for Wilson to prove in terms of his standing as a North Carolina freshman in the one-and-done era.
More College Basketball on Sports Illustrated
- Roger Goodell Offered NFL's Help As Challenges to NCAA Eligibility Rules Mount
- Eight Best Men’s College Basketball Games to Watch This Weekend
- Five Hypothetical Trades We’d Like to See in Men’s College Basketball
- Big 12 Investigating Reports of Anti-Mormon Chants at BYU-Oklahoma State Game
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ranking Duke, North Carolina's 15 Best Freshmen of the One-and-Done Era.
