3 Ways Duke Can Beat Virginia in ACC Tournament Championship

The 1-seed Duke Blue Devils have advanced to the ACC Tournament Championship for the second straight season after defeating the 5-seed Clemson Tigers in the Semifinals on Friday night, 73-61. The Blue Devils extended their winning streak to 10 games with the victory.

Duke looked much improved on both sides of the ball in its semifinals matchup compared to its quarterfinals contest against 8-seed Florida State. In the Blue Blood program's 80-79 win over the Seminoles to kick off its postseason, the Blue Devils allowed them to shoot 52% from the floor and 11-of-28 (39%) from the three-point line.

Mar 13, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) with the ball as Clemson Tigers forward Nick Davidson (11) defends in the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Jon Scheyer's squad followed that up by limiting Clemson to just 61 points on 33% shooting and 7-of-25 (28%) from three-point range.

Duke is continuing to adjust to the absence of junior guard Caleb Foster and sophomore center Patrick Ngongba, two experienced veterans who serve as key defensive pieces on this Blue Devils team that ranks No. 1 in adjusted offensive efficiency, according to KenPom.

Mar 13, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Dame Sarr (7) reacts in the first half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Blue Devils will take on 2-seed Virginia for the ACC Tournament crown, which defeated 3-seed Miami 84-62 to advance from the other side of the bracket.

Let's take a look at three ways the Blue Devils can take down the Cavaliers.

Limit Easy Looks From Three

Virginia owns one of the highest three-point rates in the entire country, ranking 37th nationally in distribution of total points from three (46.6).

The Blue Devils defeated UVA 77-51 at Cameron Indoor Stadium the first time these two clubs met, and that began with defense. Duke held Ryan Odom's club to just 7-of-35 (20%) shooting from the perimeter. UVA moves the ball very well and has shooters all over the floor, so even with a depleted rotation, Duke must limit three-point opportunities.

Feb 16, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Syracuse Orange guard J.J. Starling (2) brings the ball down court around Duke Blue Devils guard Caleb Foster (1) during the during the first half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Virginia ranks 58th nationally in team three-point shooting percentage (36.0). It shot 11-of-26 (42%) in its lopsided win over the Hurricanes to get here.

Mar 13, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) brings the ball up court against the Clemson Tigers during the first half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Keep Cameron Boozer a Factor

Virginia is arguably the best shot-blocking team in college basketball, sitting second nationally at KenPom in block percentage (17.1). UVA's frontcourt trio of Thijs De Ridder, Ugonna Onyenso, and Johann Grunloh has led a Virginia unit that leads the ACC in blocked shots with 208.

In the first matchup between these two programs, Duke freshman phenom Cameron Boozer was clearly bothered by the physicality of the Cavaliers. Boozer went for 18 points on 3-of-9 (33.3%) shooting from the floor, but was specifically held in check in the first half.

Mar 13, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Dame Sarr (7) and forward Cameron Boozer (12) with head coach Jon Scheyer in the first half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Miami does its work inside the paint, similar to how Duke operates, and Virginia made life extremely difficult for Jai Lucas' bigs. Especially without Ngongba, keeping Boozer at the forefront of the offense will be crucial.

Mar 12, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Maliq Brown (6) knocks the ball from Florida State Seminoles guard Robert McCray V. (6) in the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Win the Offensive Glass

Both Duke and Virginia are two of the best offensive rebounding teams in the nation, ranking 10th 11th nationally at KenPom in offensive rebounding percentage.

In the first matchup between the Blue Devils and Cavaliers, UVA bested Duke's seven offensive boards with nine of its own. Against Miami, the Cavaliers snagged 12 offensive rebounds that turned into 14 second-chance points.

Mar 13, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Clemson Tigers guard Ace Buckner (21) with the ball as Duke Blue Devils guard Isaiah Evans (3) defends in the first half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Through Duke's first two ACC Tournament games, it has compiled 31 offensive boards that have turned into 36 second-chance points. They'll be hard to come by for both clubs, but having the advantage on the glass will pay dividends.