The Blue Devils begin their ACC Tournament Championship hunt on Thursday.
The Duke Blue Devils are searching for their third ACC Tournament Championship in four seasons under head coach Jon Scheyer, and enter this season's conference tournament as the outright ACC regular season champions and the No.
1 seed in the tournament. Duke will compete for the entirety of the ACC Tournament short-handed, as starters Patrick Ngongba and Caleb Foster havedue to foot injuries. Ngongba is expected to return for the NCAA Tournament, but Foster's absence is expected to be more extended. Feb 10, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Caleb Foster dribbles the ball against Pittsburgh Panthers guard Omari Witherspoon during the first half at Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images With how dominantly Duke ran through the rest of the ACC, finishing the regular season with a 17-1 record in league play, it's difficult to see another squad taking them down, even with injuries.Mar 7, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer controls the ball during the second half against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Duke Blue Devils won 76-61. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images1-seed Duke vs.Mar 7, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA;Duke Blue Devils forward Dame Sarr reacts after hitting a three-pointer during the second half against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Duke Blue Devils won 76-61. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images1-seed Duke vs. winner of 4-seed North Carolina /5-seed Clemson . 9:30 pm ET on ESPN/ESPN2. Feb 24, 2026; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Isaiah Evans works against Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Logan Imes during the first half at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images1-seed Duke vs. winner of opposite side of bracket. Potential opponents include: 2-seed Virginia , 3-seed Miami , 6-seed Louisville , and 7-seed NC State . 8:30 pm on ESPN. Jan 26, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer directs his team during the first half against the Louisville Cardinals at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn ImagesEven with significant injuries to two veteran starters, the Blue Devils are still the clear-cut best team out of the ACC. Duke closed the regular season on an eight-game win streak while winning those matchups by an average margin of 23.1 points and not allowing 65 or more points to any opponent in that span.full control of the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, and a conference tournament crown would assuredly lock up the top seed in the big dance for the Blue Devils. Mar 7, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer dunks during the second half against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Duke Blue Devils won 76-61. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images The Blue Devils' lone loss in league play came off a buzzer-beater three in Chapel Hill to the Tar Heels, and besides that one contest, there's no real reason to believe Duke won't take home its third ACC Tournament title in the last four seasons. However, no team in the history of college basketball has won the National Championship after losing its first conference tournament game, making today's bout with the Seminoles crucial.HUGH STRAINE Hugh Straine is an accomplished writer and proud Bucknell University alumnus, holding a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing. He has served as editor of The Bucknellian, worked as an analyst for ESPN+ and Hulu, and currently reports on college sports as a general reporter for On SI.
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