Duke Cuts Down the Nets in Charlotte, Sets Sights on NCAA Tournament in Raleigh

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:

• Round of 32: A possible showdown with former Blue Devil Jeremy Roach and Baylor 
• Sweet 16: Another battle against Caleb Love and Arizona—Duke avenged last season’s loss in Cameron with a win in Tucson earlier this season.
• Elite 8: A potential clash with Nate Oats and Alabama. Oats has taken shots at Duke in the past, and if both teams advance, the Blue Devils could have a chance to silence him once and for all.

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.
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March is here, and Duke is ready.