 No Cooper Flagg for almost the entire ACC Tournament? No problem. No Maliq Brown? No problem. Duke weathered a fierce comeback from North Carolina in the ACC semifinals last Friday, securing a three game sweep over their archrivals. The Blue Devils then followed up with a dominant 73-62 victory over Louisville on Saturday night, clinching their 23rd ACC Tournament title in front of a Duke-heavy crowd in Charlotte. With Flagg sidelined, multiple players stepped up, led by Kon Knueppel, who delivered a stellar performance throughout the tournament. Knueppel was named ACC Tournament MVP, averaging 21 points per game over the three contests. The team’s depth and resilience were on full display, a testament to Jon Scheyer's leadership in his third season as head coach. Scheyer on Duke’s Championship Run After the win over Louisville, Scheyer praised his team’s effort in the postgame press conference: “Great game. Really proud of our team to win this ACC Championship. To win an outright regular season and then to win in the tournament is special.” Duke’s ability to dominate both the regular season and the ACC Tournament underscores just how special this team is. Duke Earns No. 1 Seed, Opens NCAA Tournament in Raleigh As expected, Duke was awarded the #1 seed in the East Region on Selection Sunday. The Blue Devils will begin their NCAA Tournament run this Friday March 21, in Raleigh, facing the winner of Mount St. Mary's vs. American from the First Four games in Dayton. Tipoff is set for 2:50 PM ET on CBS. Potential Storylines in Duke’s NCAA Tournament Path Duke’s road to the Final Four could feature some intriguing matchups:
Looking ahead to the Final Four? Possible rematches with Houston (“Houston, we have a problem” vibes, anyone?) or a revenge game against Rick Barnes and Tennessee, who knocked Duke out in the 2023 Round of 32. One Game at a Time While fans and media love to speculate about matchups and bracket scenarios, Scheyer and the Blue Devils are locked in on the present. Their focus is solely on Friday’s game, where they await the winner of Mount St. Mary's vs. American. March is here, and Duke is ready.
0 Comments
 It's that time of year when hardcore college basketball fans as well as casual fans come together for the NCAA Tournament. March Madness is one of the most popular sporting events and unique in its own way. Unlike college football, that had a four team playoff for years to now a 12 team playoff for this last season, to possibly a 14 team playoff in the future, college basketball has arguably the most pure and fair form of a tournament in all of sports. The NCAA selection committee picks the top 68 teams to go dancing. There is talk out there of expanding the tourney.. but hopefully the powers that be don't ruin what is arguably the best tournament to exist. Also unlike college football - if you win your conference tournament in basketball, you go to the NCAA Tournament. It doesn't get much fairer and to the point than that. Even if you don't win your tourney, if you play a tough schedule and pull off a lot of wins, you still go dancing. There is no perfect process to pick teams, but the NCAA tournament is as close as you can get. Now that the bracket has been released, you will see people from all walks of life, gathering at the office water cooler, or at a sports bar, or maybe even meeting in a group Zoom meeting to discuss strategies on picking their bracket. You will have the person who spends hours and hours analyzing data such as college basketball conference standings, KenPom rankings, strength of schedules, as well as other data and statistics only to see his/her bracket get busted when a Cinderella pulls off an upset. You will also have that one person who makes picks based on team colors or mascots end up winning the office pool. March Madness has a unique way of bringing together the hardcore and casual fan. Once Thursday gets here, you will have fans watching games from everywhere and anywhere possible. Many will take off work the first two days of the NCAA Tourney (Thursday and Friday - not the play in games) to watch games at home, a local bar or chain restaurant like Buffalo Wild Wings that display multiple TVs. At certain times in the NCAA Tourney, you can have four games going at once. You will also have many employees who don't take off work but instead watch the games at work by streaming through devices like their laptop, tablet, or iphone using the company wi-fi. This is why I have long argued that the first two days (not the First Four in Dayton) of the NCAA Tournament (but Thursday and Friday) should be an optional holiday. You don't see events like the Super Bowl, College Football Playoff, World Series, and NBA Playoffs being played during normal working hours. Employees spending time at work streaming games can have an economic impact on the workplace. A 2021 analysis report from outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas suggested " that between 23 million and 34.5 million workers would fill out brackets" for the 2021 NCAA Tournament. The report also suggested the 2021 tournament could have possibly cost employers over $13 billion from their workforce. According to the report.. "that would mean 72,114,720 workers are participating in March Madness activities while at work. Using this figure multiplied by the average hourly wage, the games could cost employers $2.16 billion per hour." To see the full 2021 analysis report from Challenger, Gray, & Christmas click on the link below. Challenger, Gray, & Christmas 2021 March Madness Report The above was from a 2021 analysis. Now fast forward to 2023 NCAA Tournament... According to Challenger, Gray & Christmas the 2023 NCAA Tournament cost employers $17.3 billion dollars. That's $1 billion more than last year. Another stat - $2.55 billion dollars - Lost wages resulting from the possibility of 48% of all workers, or 76,951,200 people, spending at least one hour of one workday on March Madness activities. You can find more information and stats from their report at the link below. https://www.challengergray.com/blog/the-2023-tournament-will-cost-employers-17-3b-1b-more-than-last-year/ One would think that for this upcoming 2025 NCAA Tourney, that all those numbers and statistics will go up. March Madness attracts several viewers to the NCAA Tournament games. Several years back, the NCAA and CBS Sports teamed up to offer the March Madness on Demand web streaming service. With the app, you now can watch games from your iPhone, and tablet to go along with watching games on your laptop and TV. With just owning a few basic technology items, one could turn their living room into a mini Buffalo Wild Wings, streaming all the games being played at the same time. Check out the pic below from my 2024 March Madness Party to get an idea.  In 2006, the gurus at CBS Sports took it to a new level with the famous "BOSS" button. The BOSS button allows viewers to watch games at work but quickly be able to bring up a fake email, spreadsheet, flow chart, etc.. if somebody walks by their computer. CBS Sports reported a few years back there were 2.77 million clicks on the BOSS button. Now that has been 19 years ago since the creation of the "BOSS" button. Times and technology have changed since then. Click on the link below to see a 2019 article from USA Today on the history of the BOSS button. History of the BOSS button To see a discrete history of the "BOSS" button click on the link below from NCAA.com www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2023-03-19/march-madness-boss-button-discrete-history  As you can see, March Madness has continued to embrace the use of technology. Office pools are another popular event that goes along with March Madness. Billions of dollars will exchange hands the next few weeks as people from all walks of life will participate in office pools across the country. Filling out the bracket the Monday after Selection Sunday has become a pastime for many fans. According to a 2018 USA Today article, the American Gaming Association estimated the following… The amount that will be wagered on this (2018) year’s tournament, only $300 million of which will be done legally at sports books in Las Vegas, according to the American Gaming Association. With sports betting now legal in more than 30+ states ( I believe currently 38 states and Washington,D.C.), one would think the amount of sports betting (legal with sports books as well as office pools) on the NCAA Tournament will surely increase. CBS, Yahoo, ESPN and other sites offer up cash and/or prizes for a perfect bracket. In 2014, Warren Buffett upped the ante by offering one billion dollars to the person who had a perfect bracket. Warren Buffett is no fool when it comes to investing money. His challenge brought even more attention to Yahoo Fantasy sports, as Yahoo and Quicken Loans partnered together to launch the billion dollar bracket challenge. The challenge opened to the first 15 million qualified entrants. By late Friday of the first round of games, out of the fifteen million brackets, none were left perfect. It didn’t help that Mercer upset Duke and Dayton beat Ohio State in the first round to shatter millions of brackets. As you can see, Warren Buffett placed a safe bet that ended up bringing a lot of hype to the bracket challenge and he didn’t have to give out a dollar. Over the years Warren Buffet has then offered a bracket challenge to his employees in which they would receive one million every year for life to the employee that could pick a perfect Sweet 16. None of his employees have been able to do that. However, in 2017, one employee came very close correctly picking 31 out of the 32 games. He didn't win the one million a year for life, but did win $100,000 prize for having the best bracket. Who has scored the best March Madness bracket ever? According to an Investopedia.com article (link below) - " With 49 games accurately predicted in a row, Gregg Nigl of Columbus, Ohio, scored the best March Madness bracket ever recorded. In 2019, the neuropsychologist was the first person to reach the Sweet 16, eventually breaking the streak in its second game when two-seed Tennessee lost to three-seed Purdue. " https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/082714/what-are-odds-getting-perfect-bracket-warren-buffetts-1-billion-march-madness-bracket-challenge.asp Still trying to achieve the perfect bracket is always a challenge many fans dream of. Every year, I myself think, "yeah this is my year to finally produce the perfect bracket." Well, a quick Google search will give you the statistics of having a perfect bracket. Here are the odds from a recent NCAA article: “Jeffrey Bergen, a professor of mathematics at DePaul University, has been crunching numbers on the topic for years. And they don’t look good. Bergen says that the chances of someone filling out a perfect bracket is 1 in 9,223,372,036,854,775,808. That’s one in more than nine quintillion. To put how large that number is into proper perspective, Bergen reports that if you were to begin filling out random brackets now and stacked each of the 9 quintillion pieces of paper on top of each other, the stack would reach all the way to the sun and back…over 3,000 times by the time you finished.” You would have a better chance at winning the lottery than producing a perfect bracket. As USA Today stated, “You’d have a better chance of hitting four holes-in-one in a single round of golf.” Even with the odds NOT in your favor, fans across the country will come together at the water cooler starting Monday to discuss their strategies and why they think their bracket is going to be perfect this year. The next 3 weeks, the March Madness Effect will be everywhere. Whether it be fans attending the games at different locations across the country, co-workers discussing the games over a lunch break, friends getting together at the local sports bar to cheer on their team, or living rooms being turned into temporary sports bars to display all the games, March Madness is truly a unique sporting event that all can enjoy.   It’s that time of year again when friends and coworkers across the country are getting together to fill out brackets for March Madness. I am one of those guys who watches the selections shows, surfs different sports websites for their advice, and still buys two different newspapers... (wait... do they still make newspapers?...) to read before filling out my bracket. A couple days later, I find I can’t get through the first round undefeated. But then again, very few get through Thursday and Friday with a perfect bracket. The thing I love about March Madness is that it brings people from different walks of life together. You have your diehard sports fans filling out brackets, as well as people who don’t follow sports but love to fill out a bracket. I have had friends who don’t follow sports who make their picks based on the mascot or even team colors. Several years ago, I joined a unique March Madness office pool at work created by my buddy whose nickname is “The Flo” and have been hooked ever since. What I like about this office pool is that it is something different than your normal “fill out a bracket” office pool. It is a pool for hard-core college basketball fans as well as people who have never watched a game. You need 16 people to do the pool. After the teams are announced on Selection Sunday you take the 64 teams (the teams in the play in games are both grouped in one team slot) and split them into 4 groups. The groups below are the following: #13 – #16 seeds - Low #9 – #12 seeds - Mid-Low #5 – #8 seeds - Mid-High #1 – #4 seeds - High Look at the image below (it is from a previous March Madness year) to get an idea of how the teams are divided in groups.  Each of the 16 people in your pool each get a team out of the 4 groups listed above. You could put the teams in 4 hats and do a random draw or you could use a computer to generate the pics. It is a fair pool, since everybody ends up with a low, mid-low, mid-high, and high seed. If one of your 4 teams is the winner of the NCAA Tourney, you win the pool. For this pool, I used the old school method of cutting out the 64 teams and grouping them in the 4 seed groups. Some years I have used my 2010 Duke national championship cups :) to shake up the pieces of paper and draw out each person's picks at random. See pic below.  We here at Duke Report have created the pool with myself @Skeelow22, Josh @joshuacox and 14 Twitter friends/followers who responded to a request to join. Below are the results of the random selections for the 2025 Duke Report - Unique March Madness Pick 'Em Pool.  The last 2 years I even added a snake draft style (pic above as you can see with the arrows marked by a sharpie) to mix it up as I randomly chose teams from the cups. As you can see, this is a unique office pool. I myself take a sharpie and scratch out the teams as they are eliminated from the tournament. There is no better feeling as a Duke fan than marking out North Carolina from the pool as they get eliminated. With Selection Sunday already completed, this is another pool you can do along with filling out the brackets. Winner of the Duke Report - March Madness Pick 'Em Pool will receive a small Duke prize. Enjoy March Madness and Go Duke! Want to know how to throw an exciting March Madness party? Read below for the details. It's that time of year when the brackets are out and millions of people will be filling them out in hopes of winning their local office pool. Many people will take the first Thursday and Friday of the NCAA Tournament off work to watch games at home or even their favorite sports bar. I have long argued those two days should be holidays. Employees spending time at work streaming games can have an economic impact on the workplace. A 2021 analysis report from outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas suggested " that between 23 million and 34.5 million workers would fill out brackets" for the 2021 NCAA Tournament. The report also suggested the 2021 tournament could have possibly cost employers over $13 billion from their workforce. Now fast forward to 2023 NCAA Tournament... According to Challenger, Gray & Christmas the 2023 NCAA Tournament cost employers $17.3 billion dollars. That's $1 billion more than last year. Another stat - $2.55 billion dollars - Lost wages resulting from the possibility of 48% of all workers, or 76,951,200 people, spending at least one hour of one workday on March Madness activities. You can find more information and stats from their report at the link below. https://www.challengergray.com/blog/the-2023-tournament-will-cost-employers-17-3b-1b-more-than-last-year/ A lot of people will have friends over to watch the games. It’s not that difficult or expensive to throw an exciting March Madness party. I’ve lost count of how many years I have thrown a March Madness party. Every year, we seem to up the ante and do something unique. Below are some ideas to help you throw a party your friends won’t forget. The first thing is your setup. Most households own at least 2 TVs and multiple electronic devices. CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV will be showing the games of the NCAA tourney. At some points, you can have 4 games airing at once. My basic setup consist of 3 or 4 TVs displaying games from YouTube TV and 1 or 2 laptops either streaming the other games or displaying the bracket. Over the years, we have changed the lineup. Some years I have used my iPad to display the bracket. One year, I had an iPod (remember iPods?) in the guest bathroom streaming games so that even when nature calls, you wouldn’t miss the game. As you can see, with the basic electronic items that many people own, you can set your house up to rival a Buffalo Wild Wings. The second item on the agenda is the food. Pizza, wings, and buffalo chicken dip seem to be the go-to for my party every year. Pick the food, snacks, and beverages you would like to have at your event. Some years, I have had a friend decorate a Duke themed March Madness cake for my party. As you can see, get as creative as you want with food selections.  The third item on the agenda is the extras. This includes things such as decorations, activities, or even souvenirs. Years back I have bought a 2x3 feet size bracket off Ebay to hang up in the mancave as we watch the games. We update the bracket after each game. Last year I up my game and I splurged and finally got the Fathead March Madness bracket. I bought the giant size bracket... and let me say... this bracket is huge! I also set up my Duke corn hole boards outside as an extra activity. One year I even had custom-made koozies for my March Madness party. Last, but not least is to fill out the bracket and enter a March Madness bracket challenge. There are several sites such as ESPN, Yahoo, and CBS that offer a bracket competition and some offer prizes. I enter online bracket challenges as well as a few local bracket challenges and even help lead one that gives out the coveted FC LAKE2LAKE March Madness Bracketology trophy to the winner. Hosting a party with your friends all in the same bracket challenge just adds to the excitement of March Madness as you all compete to become the winner of Bracketology.  All it takes is a little creativity and you can throw an exciting March Madness party! The next 3 weeks, March Madness will be talked about everywhere. Whether it’s coworkers discussing the games over a lunch break, friends getting together at the local sports bar to cheer on their team, or living rooms being turned into temporary sports bars to display all the games, March Madness is truly a unique sporting event that all can enjoy.  The rivalry between Duke and North Carolina is always intense, but Saturday night’s showdown in Chapel Hill felt like it had a little more edge to it. While bragging rights for Tobacco Road are always on the line, this game felt like it meant even more. Earlier in the week, Duke entered the contest favored from 12 to 14 points, but that line began to shrink to around 8 or 9 points as the game drew closer. North Carolina had just come off a six-game win streak, entering the rivalry match hot and ready to defend home court. Meanwhile, Duke had been on a seven-game win streak of their own, dominating ACC opponents with blowout victories of 21, 36, 18, 43, 37, 35, and 33 points in their previous seven games. As the teams took the floor, you could feel the tension in the Dean Dome. A venue once known for a more subdued wine and cheese crowd atmosphere had become electric, with the Blue Devils traveling the short 8 miles down Tobacco Road to face their rivals. For Duke, the stakes were with a win, they would clinch the #1 seed for the ACC Tournament and extend their impressive run. For North Carolina, the stakes were higher as it was about securing a signature win against a top-tier opponent, one that could boost their NCAA Tournament chances. While Duke was already likely a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Tar Heels were and are still battling to solidify their place in March Madness. Duke quickly asserted control in the first half, jumping out to a 29-19 lead in the first 10 minutes. It seemed like the Blue Devils were on track for another blowout victory. But as we all know, this rivalry is unpredictable. North Carolina responded with a 14-2 run and entered the locker room just one point behind, with Duke leading 43-42 at halftime. The second half started with a surge from the Tar Heels, who took their first lead of the game, 48-45. The Dean Dome was rocking as the crowd cheered. But Duke remained poised under pressure, battling back to secure a 82-69 victory, highlighted by a spectacular dunk from Cooper Flagg in the closing moments. After the game, head coach Jon Scheyer praised his team for their resilience. "I thought it was incredible to go through," Scheyer said in his post-game press conference. "I even said that at halftime to our team — this is great. We're always preaching inflection points in the game, and the end-of-half is one of them. We're up 15, and they cut it to one, but I knew we needed it. Even the start of the second half when we went down seven. It was a real test of your trust in those moments. And we showed we have great trust in each other in that situation." I caught up with Kon Knueppel in the hallway after the game and asked him about his mindset heading into the postseason. "Just battle every possession. Got to battle," he said. He’s absolutely right. This game was a battle — one that Duke needed to experience as they now enter the "win or go home" phase of the season. A battle mentality is essential for any coach, team, and player as March Madness and tournament play kicks into high gear. With the win over North Carolina, Duke clinches the ACC regular-season title and the #1 seed in the upcoming ACC Tournament. The Blue Devils will face the winner of the #8 Georgia Tech vs #9 Virginia game on Thursday, with a 12:00 PM tipoff on ESPN.   On the final Saturday night of the season in Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke basketball put on a clinic, easily dismantling Florida State 100-65. Even more impressive? The Blue Devils did it with Cooper Flagg playing just 19:39 due to a first-half injury. Flagg bounced back in the second half, finishing with 16 points, 4 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block. Duke also secured the dominant win without leader Tyrese Proctor and defensive specialist Maliq Brown. The 35-point rout unfolded before a star-studded crowd, with Ken Jeong and Dez Bryant on one end of the court and Coach K watching on the other. It was a complete team victory, as several players stepped up in key moments. Khaman Maluach recorded his fifth double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Isaiah Evans, in his first start, dropped 19 points. The exclamation point came when Spencer Hubbard entered the game and drilled a three-pointer to put Duke at 100, sending Cameron Indoor into a frenzy as players, coaches, and fans erupted in celebration. This marked Duke’s fourth 100-point game of the season and its third in the last five games. Jon Scheyer praised the team effort postgame, stating: "I'm really proud of this win because we're missing Tyrese and Maliq, Cooper goes out in the first half, and it was really what a team is all about. Darren Harris steps up. Mason Gillis and his minutes. Isaiah starts, and wasn't making shots. I think we're used to him making shots all the time and then stuck with it. He ends up being our leading scorer. Kon Knueppel ended up playing point guard for us, he led us in assists, no turnovers. So many guys stepped up, and that’s what I’m most proud of. Khaman with a double-double, just a complete team win. Couldn't be more proud of these guys." Scheyer is right. On a night when Duke needed others to step up, they delivered, securing a dominant win. Now, Duke faces a quick turnaround with its final home game against Wake Forest tonight before closing the regular season in Chapel Hill on Saturday against North Carolina, with ESPN College GameDay in attendance. Despite injuries, Duke shows no signs of slowing down. If Proctor and Brown return soon, the Blue Devils will be a formidable force come March Madness. For now, it’s business as usual—taking it one game at a time.  Coming off a dominant win over Stanford on Saturday afternoon at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke faced a quick turnaround, heading to Charlottesville for a Monday night showdown against Virginia at John Paul Jones Arena. The Blue Devils didn’t miss a beat, delivering a commanding 80-62 victory—one that was even more lopsided than the 18-point margin suggests. Duke’s success came from a balanced attack, with Kon Knueppel, Cooper Flagg, and Isaiah Evans each scoring 17 points. Flagg stuffed the stat sheet once again, finishing with 17 points, 14 rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and two steals. Meanwhile, Evans torched Virginia from deep, shooting a scorching 5-of-6 from beyond the arc. Head coach Jon Scheyer praised his team’s performance, emphasizing their preparation and effort on the glass. “Really, really proud of our team tonight,” Scheyer said in his postgame press conference. “Short turnaround—I think [Virginia is] a hard team to prep for on a short turnaround. Proud of the preparation, their focus, what they did. To me, I think the big thing was the rebounding. That's something we've talked about.” With the win, Duke remains atop the ACC standings at 15-1 and improves to 23-3 overall. Virginia, on the other hand, falls to 6-9 in conference play and sits at 13-13 overall. Despite the dominant win, the night wasn’t without setbacks for the Blue Devils. Forward Maliq Brown suffered a shoulder injury and did not return. Scheyer later confirmed it was a dislocation, with further testing pending. From 2012 to 2023, Duke-Virginia matchups were consistently tight battles, with no game decided by more than 10 points. But times have changed—Duke has now handled Virginia comfortably in back-to-back meetings, winning last season in Cameron and again last night in Charlottesville. (See more stats from Mike Barber below.)  Next up, Duke heads to Madison Square Garden for a neutral-site matchup against Illinois on Saturday night.  Photo by Zachary Taft, Imagn Images Led by the dynamic freshman duo of Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, Duke dominated North Carolina on Saturday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium, cruising to an 87-70 victory. The final score made the game seem closer than it actually was. Flagg finished with 21 points, while Knueppel added 22. They were joined in double figures by Tyrese Proctor, who contributed 17 points, and Sion James, who chipped in 13. From the opening minutes, it was clear this game was never truly in doubt. North Carolina briefly kept it close down by 1 point at 7-6 before Duke erupted for a commanding 16-0 run, seizing control of the game early. By halftime, the Blue Devils had built an overwhelming 47-25 lead, evoking memories of the historic 82-50 beatdown Duke delivered to UNC during Jon Scheyer’s senior year. Though North Carolina attempted to fight back in the second half, cutting into the deficit with an 11-0 run, Duke quickly regained momentum following a timely timeout by Scheyer. The Blue Devils never let the Tar Heels get within striking distance, securing a convincing win. Duke’s defense was stifling, overwhelming UNC’s smaller lineup and setting the tone throughout the game. Following the victory, Scheyer praised the Cameron Crazies and the electric atmosphere inside Cameron Indoor Stadium: “First, I just want to thank our fans. It was such an incredible environment tonight. I thought our guys really helped with the defense and how we played on that end, it got the crowd going. From the get-go, you could just feel a special environment and its credit to all the students; I'm really thankful for that." Maliq Brown’s return to the court was a welcome sight for Duke fans, as his defensive instincts and quick reactions elevated the team’s defensive intensity. As expected, ESPN College GameDay was in attendance for this rivalry showdown. While Duke-UNC matchups are often unpredictable, this one was a statement from the Blue Devils. There was no need for an Austin Rivers buzzer-beater or a Tre Jones miracle to force overtime—this was a wire-to-wire domination, spearheaded by the freshman duo of Flagg and Knueppel. With this being what is almost certainly Cooper Flagg’s only UNC rivalry game inside Cameron, he made sure to acknowledge the fans who fueled the Blue Devils’ performance: “It was an incredible game, incredible atmosphere. The students really brought it tonight, so it was just really fun to be able to play in front of them and get the win. I thought it was a great start. We came out with really good energy. The building was jumping. Something Coach (Scheyer) stressed to us was that this is just another game, but you could definitely feel a different energy in the gym tonight." Duke now holds a 1-0 lead over UNC this season, with the rematch set for March 8th in Chapel Hill. But for now, the focus shifts to Syracuse, where the Blue Devils will look to extend their win streak beyond 15 games in a road matchup this Wednesday. It’s a one-game-at-a-time mentality for this Duke squad, and they’re showing no signs of slowing down.  Photo by Laura Murphy - Duke Football Talk Duke Football is riding high after a remarkable 9-4 campaign under first-year head coach Manny Diaz. Despite a tough loss to Ole Miss in the Gator Bowl, the season was a major success. The Blue Devils shattered expectations, surpassing Vegas oddsmakers’ preseason win total of 5.5, reclaiming the Victory Bell for the first time in six years, and earning the title of state champs by defeating North Carolina, NC State, and Wake Forest in the same season. The ACC officially released the 2025 schedule yesterday, giving fans a first look at what’s ahead. While it’s still early—spring games and another transfer portal window could shake things up—we’ve put together an early list of Duke’s six most intriguing matchups for the upcoming season. These games were selected based on last season’s performances, rivalries, and potential excitement. As kickoff approaches, this list may evolve, but for now, here are the six games we’re most excited about. 1. Duke vs. Illinois - Wallace Wade Stadium, Durham, NC – September 6, 2025 Illinois will be a major early test for the Blue Devils. The Fighting Illini are coming off a stellar 10-3 season, capped with a win over South Carolina in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, and finished ranked #16 in the final AP Poll. This matchup will give Duke fans a chance to see how their team stacks up against a solid Big Ten opponent early in the season. 2. Duke at Tulane - Yulman Stadium, New Orleans, LA – September 13, 2025 This road trip to Tulane is shaping up to be one of the more intriguing matchups of the season. Former Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah transferred to Duke, adding an intriguing layer to the game. Tulane finished last season at 9-5 and appeared in the Gasparilla Bowl, though they fell to Florida. Expect a lively, potentially hostile environment in New Orleans. 3. Duke vs. NC State - Wallace Wade Stadium, Durham, NC – Date 9/20/25 This in-state showdown is always a fan favorite, and this year should be no different. Duke has won the last two meetings, including a home victory in 2023 and a road win in Raleigh in 2024. NC State is coming off a 6-7 season, which ended with a loss to East Carolina in the Military Bowl. With state bragging rights and the potential for a packed Wallace Wade Stadium on the line, this game is sure to deliver plenty of excitement. 4. Duke at Syracuse - JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse, NY – Date 9/27/25 Syracuse quietly had an impressive 2024 season, finishing 10-3 and earning a #20 ranking in the final AP Poll after defeating Washington State in the Holiday Bowl. This matchup will test Duke in a tough environment, making it a key game to watch. 5. Duke at Clemson - Memorial Stadium, Clemson, SC – Date 11/1/25 The last time these two teams met, Duke stunned Clemson with a 28-7 upset in primetime on Labor Day to open the 2023 season. The two teams did not meet last season. Clemson earned a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff and finished last season at 10-4, ranked #14 in the AP Poll. This year, the Tigers will look for revenge on their home turf, making this one of the most anticipated games of the year for Duke fans. 6. Duke at North Carolina - Kenan Memorial Stadium, Chapel Hill, NC – Date 11/22/25 The annual rivalry game for the Victory Bell always delivers, and this year promises to be no different. Last season, Duke ended a six-year drought by reclaiming the Bell with a victory at Wallace Wade Stadium. UNC is looking to bounce back after a disappointing 6-7 season, which ended with a loss to UConn in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl. Adding to the intrigue, the Tar Heels will be led by new head coach Bill Belichick, who makes his college coaching debut after a legendary NFL career. Honorable Mentions A few other games could have easily made this list. UConn, fresh off a 9-4 season and a victory over North Carolina in the Fenway Bowl, will be another challenging opponent. Georgia Tech, despite a grueling 2024 schedule, finished 7-6 and will be hungry to build on that success. Final Thoughts Duke’s 2025 schedule is packed with tough competition. Nine of the Blue Devils’ 12 regular-season opponents played in bowl games last year, including Illinois, Tulane, UConn, California, Clemson, Georgia Tech, NC State, North Carolina, and Syracuse. Stay tuned to Blue Devils Blog, follow us on Twitter (@DukeReport), and subscribe to our YouTube channel (@Skeelow22) for updates, predictions, and more coverage as the season approaches. It may be a cold winter now, but the spring game will be here soon—followed by the thrill of college football under the lights in the fall.  As the college basketball season moves well past its halfway point, Duke basketball stands in a strong and enviable position. Boasting a 16-2 record, the Blue Devils have demonstrated both resilience and consistency, with their only two losses coming against blue blood programs Kentucky and Kansas on neutral courts. These defeats, however, were far from setbacks, as both teams rank among the nation’s elite: #9 Kentucky and #12 Kansas.
Some of Duke’s season highlights so far include marquee victories over currently ranked #1 Auburn in the electrifying atmosphere of Cameron Indoor Stadium and road wins against Arizona and Louisville. While the number of wins against current AP Top 25 teams might not overwhelm, it’s important to note that the Blue Devils sit atop the KenPom rankings, underscoring their overall strength. With the ACC experiencing a down year, Duke’s non-conference schedule has been crucial in showcasing the team’s quality. Matchups against top-tier opponents such as Auburn, Kentucky, and Kansas have prepared them well. An upcoming neutral-site clash against Illinois on February 22nd will serve as another critical test, arriving just weeks before the start of the ACC and NCAA Tournaments. While the ACC may lack depth this season, Duke’s conference schedule still presents hurdles. This Saturday, the Blue Devils will travel to Winston-Salem to face a solid Wake Forest team sitting at 15-4 (7-1 ACC) and fresh off a thrilling 67-66 win over North Carolina. Duke will also host Wake Forest in the regular-season finale in March. Factor in the always-unpredictable home-and-away series against rival North Carolina, where rankings often go out the window, along with challenging road games like Clemson, and it’s evident that Duke’s path to the postseason is lined with potential pitfalls. Does it matter if Duke goes undefeated in ACC play? Not really. The focus is on being battle-tested and ready for March Madness. The losses in January or February won’t define the season; what matters is how prepared the team is for the intensity of the NCAA Tournament. Head coach Jon Scheyer, his staff, and the players have shown adaptability throughout the season, particularly in responding to adversity like Maliq Brown’s injury. While his absence is felt, it’s also provided opportunities for others to step up and contribute to the team’s current 12-game win streak. The most dominant team doesn’t always win the national championship. Take 2015, for example: Kentucky entered the Final Four undefeated and seemingly unstoppable, only to be stunned by Wisconsin in a shocking upset that ended their dream season. I was at that Final Four and vividly remember walking into the postgame press conference with John Calipari and the players—it was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Duke, under the leadership of Coach K, capitalized on the moment and defeated Wisconsin to secure their fifth national championship. That tournament showcased a critical truth: adaptability, focus, and timing often triumph over sheer dominance. This year’s Duke team mirrors some of those same traits. Whether or not they are the most dominant team in college basketball right now is irrelevant. What matters is their ability to handle adversity, play the opponents in front of them, and peak at the right time. With a 12-game win streak, a top-ranked KenPom rating, and the resilience shown in Maliq’s absence, the Blue Devils are shaping up to be a serious contender for a deep March run. For now, the focus remains on taking each game as it comes, but the future looks bright for Duke basketball. |
Author
Archives
December 2024
Categories |
RSS Feed
