Duke won an Atlantic Coast Conference title with a national player of the year in 2024, then did it again last year.
The second-ranked Blue Devils might lack the same type of headlining talent for Jon Scheyer's fifth season, but they're expected to stay in their perch all the same.
Duke is the preseason favorite to win the ACC crown for the fourth time under Scheyer, the 39-year-old former Blue Devils star and successfor for Hall of Fame mentor Mike Krzyzewski. That run has included producing a pair of Associated Press national players of the year in eventual No. 1 overall NBA draft pick Cooper Flagg in 2025 and Cameron Boozer last year.
Those teams went 42-2 against ACC opponents. Now they Blue Devils will try to keep rolling by leaning into their depth in a league race featuring No. 9 Virginia, No. 11 Louisville and No. 14 Miami.
“I think our depth is real, and that's different,” Scheyer said. “We're going to have to figure out how ... go where the players take us in terms of playing time and how that should work. But I think the balance of our size in the frontcourt and our guard experience, I think that's a balance we haven't had yet.”
The Blue Devils (35-3) return a pair of NBA prospects in big man Patrick Ngongba II and wing Dame Sarr, added one of the nation's top transfers in Wisconsin guard John Blackwell then brought in another top-tier recruiting class that includes an American playing internationally in big man Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje.
The Cavaliers (30-6) and Cardinals (24-11) are Duke's top challengers.
Virginia had an immediate leap in Year 1 under Ryan Odom and reached last year's ACC Tournament title game, then won its first March Madness game since cutting down the nets under Tony Bennett in 2019. The Wahoos return three starters, including preseason ACC player of the year Thijs De Ridder.
The Cardinals, meanwhile, cracked the top 10 with a transfer-heavy retool but stumbled to a 5-5 finish. They've leaned even more into the portal with 247Sports' No. 2-ranked class, topped by Kansas big man Flory Bidunga as the No. 1 addition.
“The length and athleticism that we added hopefully will make us an elite defensive and rebounding team as well in competing at this level,” Louisville coach Pat Kelsey said.
The 6-foot-9, 238-pound De Ridder thrived last year in his transition from being a multiyear professional player from Europe, averaging 15.6 points and 6.2 rebounds.
The 6-9, 235-pound Bidunga will give Louisville an inside presence (13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, 64% shooting) and rim protection (fourth nationally at 2.6 blocks). Blackwell, the No. 3-ranked transfer addition, joins Duke after averaging 19.1 points for the Badgers.
They join Ngongba and Miami forward Shelton Henderson (13.8 points) on the preseason all-ACC first team.
The league's top transfers include Louisville's Jackson Shelstad and Seth Trimble.
Shelstad averaged 15.6 points at Oregon but played just 12 games due to a hand injury. He scored 23 points in a preseason win at No. 17 Kansas. The experienced Trimble arrives from North Carolina — where he hit one of the biggest shots in college basketball last season — after a court win for a fifth eligibility year.
UNC has three transfers to watch in versatile forward Neo Avdalas (Virginia Tech) along with guards Terrence Brown (Utah) and Matt Able (N.C. State).
Duke's Boumtje Boumtje is the preseason pick for ACC rookie of the year. The 7-2, 250-pounder is a skilled big who can step outside. And as a 17-year-old NBA prospect who reclassified to get to Duke a year early, he's set for a two-year college stay since he won't be draft eligible until 2028.
He's joined by point guard Deron Rippey Jr. and big man Cameron Williams in Duke's third straight No. 1-ranked recruiting class by 247Sports.
North Carolina's hiring of Michael Malone stood out among the league's five coaching changes.
The Tar Heels fired Hubert Davis last year after five seasons. And after missing on a pursuit of Arizona's Tommy Lloyd, they turned to the 55-year-old Malone, who three years earlier led the NBA's Denver Nuggets to a championship.
Two programs turned to former players in N.C. State hiring Tennessee associate head coach Justin Gainey after Will Wade's one-year tenure ended in a messy exit to LSU, while Syracuse hired Gerry McNamara from Siena to replace the fired Adrian Autry.
Additionally, Boston College hired UConn assistant Luke Murray after firing Earl Grant and Georgia Tech hired Troy head coach Scott Cross after firing Damon Stoudamire.
The changes mark the latest in a multiyear sideline overhaul that has included the departures of Hall of Famers like Krzyzewski, UNC's Roy Williams and Syracuse's Jim Boeheim. The league has gone from its head coaches having an average tenure of 13.5 years in 2020-21 before Williams' retirement started the exodus to 4.1 this year.
Champion: Duke; 2) Virginia; 3) Louisville; 4) Miami; 5) UNC; 6) Clemson; 7) Florida State; 8) N.C. State; 9) Virginia Tech; 10) SMU; 11) Syracuse; 12) Pittsburgh; 13) Stanford; 14) Wake Forest; 15) California; 16) Notre Dame; 17) Boston College; 18) Georgia Tech.
Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here, visit the Top 25 here and see AP’s full men’s basketball coverage here
FILE - In this photo taken with a smartphone, North Carolina men's basketball head coach Michael Malone speaks during a news conference Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, in Chapel Hill, N.C. (AP Photo/Aaron Beard,File)
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 27, 2026--
Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential claims against UP Fintech Holding Limited ("“UP Fintech Holding Limited” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: TIGR) and reminds investors of the December 28, 2026 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261027644801/en/
Faruqi & Faruqi is a leading national securities law firm with offices in New York, Pennsylvania, California and Georgia. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors since its founding in 1995. See www.faruqilaw.com.
As detailed below, the complaint alleges that the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws by making false and/or misleading statements and/or failing to disclose that: (1) UP Fintech materially understated its legal and regulatory risk, considering its continued illegal activity in China, and (2) as a result, Defendants' statements about UP Fintech's business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.
On May 22, 2026, before the market opened, Reuters published an article entitled "China to crack down on 'illegal' cross-border securities," reporting that China announced a major crackdown on cross-border investment and that online brokers Tiger, Futu and Longbridge would be penalised for soliciting business in China without an onshore licence; UP Fintech also filed a Form 6-K disclosing that the CSRC Beijing Bureau had imposed administrative penalties of approximately RMB308.1 million and confiscation of illegal income of approximately RMB103.1 million. On this news, UP Fintech ADSs fell $1.48 per ADS, or 25.3%, to close at $4.36 on May 22, 2026.
On June 2, 2026, before market open, the Company issued a press release reporting unaudited first quarter 2026 financial results and disclosing that the Beijing Bureau of the CSRC had issued administrative penalties and ordered the confiscation of illegal gains against certain subsidiaries of the Company, with a total amount of approximately RMB 411 million (equivalent to roughly $59.7 million), stemming from certain subsidiaries' unlicensed cross-border securities business and illegal activities relating to the fund and futures business in mainland China. On this news, UP Fintech ADSs fell $0.20 per ADS, or 3.86%, to close at $4.97 on June 2, 2026.
The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not.
Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding UP Fintech Holding Limited’s conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others.
To learn more about the UP Fintech Holding Limited class action, go to www.faruqilaw.com/TIGR or call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Investors Regarding the UP Fintech Holding Limited Securities Class Action Lawsuit:
What is the UP Fintech Holding Limited securities fraud lawsuit about?
The lawsuit alleges that UP Fintech Holding Limited and certain of its officers and directors made materially false and misleading statements during the Class Period regarding the company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, the complaint alleges that Defendants materially understated UP Fintech's legal and regulatory risk in connection with its alleged continued illegal activity in China. The action further alleges that UP Fintech allegedly solicited business from Chinese investors without holding the required onshore license, and that certain subsidiaries allegedly engaged in unlicensed cross-border securities activity as well as illegal activities relating to the fund and futures business in mainland China. As a result of these alleged misstatements and omissions, investors allegedly purchased UP Fintech American Depositary Shares ("ADSs") at artificially inflated prices during the Class Period.
Who may be eligible to participate in the lawsuit?
Investors who purchased or otherwise acquired UP Fintech Holding Limited ADSs traded on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol "TIGR" between April 22, 2024 and June 2, 2026, inclusive, may be eligible to participate in this securities class action. Eligibility to participate in any potential recovery from the lawsuit is not limited to those who apply to serve as lead plaintiff; any class member who submits a valid proof of claim form may share in a recovery if one is obtained. Investors who believe they may be members of the proposed class are encouraged to review their trading records for transactions in TIGR securities during the Class Period. Consulting with legal counsel may help investors assess whether and how to participate in the action.
What is a lead plaintiff, and how can I seek appointment?
A lead plaintiff is a court-appointed class member who serves as the representative party on behalf of all similarly situated investors in a securities class action, and who works with counsel to direct the litigation in the interests of the class as a whole. Any investor who purchased UP Fintech ADSs during the Class Period may move the court to be appointed lead plaintiff, and that motion must be filed no later than the lead plaintiff deadline. Courts typically appoint the movant with the largest financial interest in the relief sought who otherwise satisfies the requirements of Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Importantly, an investor need not seek appointment as lead plaintiff in order to be eligible to share in any recovery that may result from the lawsuit; class members who do not serve as lead plaintiff may still participate by submitting a proof of claim at the appropriate time.
Why should investors contact Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP?
Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP has represented investors in securities litigation for decades and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for shareholders. Investors who purchased UP Fintech Holding Limited securities during the Class Period may contact the firm to discuss their legal rights, potential claims, and the lead plaintiff process at no cost or obligation.
Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP ( www.faruqilaw.com ). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner.
TIGR SHAREHOLDER NOTICE: Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Reminds UP Fintech Holding Limited Investors of Securities Class Action Lawsuit Deadline on December 28, 2026
