The ACC Team Duke Basketball Should Fear Most Next Season

This ACC team hasn't been getting enough attention.

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Dame Sarr (7) shoots a free throw against the UConn Huskies in the first half during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

The Atlantic Coast Conference is shaping up to be in the best spot it has been in any of the last several years.

The Duke Blue Devils have been absolutely dominant in the ACC over the last two seasons, the only club to remain consistently at the top of the conference standings.

Duke has gone 36-2 in league play over the last two seasons, en route to winning the last two ACC regular-season and tournament titles. However, the 2026-27 campaign could pose the most challenges the Blue Devils have faced in the league in recent years.

Mar 26, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer shoots a ball during a practice session ahead of the east regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Several programs in the ACC are built to legitimately compete not only atop the ACC but also on a national scale. Louisville, Miami, Virginia, and North Carolina are the next teams up entering the year, and Duke will have to face all of them at least once as a part of their ACC schedule.

However, there is one team out of the league that is being heavily overlooked, but Duke fans should certainly not toss it under the radar.

Mar 22, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA;Virginia Cavaliers head coach Ryan Odom reacts in the first half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Virginia Is the ACC Team Duke Should Worry About Most

Louisville, North Carolina, and Miami, for the most part, rebuilt their rosters with talented additions from the transfer portal. At this point, it isn't really clear how consistently successful a team can be compiled mostly of transfers.

Just last season, Pat Kelsey brought in one of the top portal classes of any program in the nation, and the Cardinals were viewed as a top-10 team in the entire sport entering the 2025-26 season. That campaign culminated with a 24-11 overall record, a 6-seed in the NCAA Tournament, and a Round of 32 exit.

What is different about the way Ryan Odom retooled his roster is that he didn't utilize newcomers; instead, he is bringing much of his rotation back from a season ago.

Mar 22, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Virginia Cavaliers forward Thijs de Ridder (28) attempts to shoot the ball against the Tennessee Volunteers in the first half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Virginia Prioritized Returners

The Cavaliers are bringing back four of their top six scorers from a season ago, headlined by 2025-26 First Team All-ACC selection Thijs De Ridder. The 6'9" big man was UVA's leading scorer (15.6 points per game) and rebounder (6.2 rebounds per game).

Virginia also brought back two of its key guards in Chance Mallory and Sam Lewis. Mallory won't fill up the stat sheet often, but he can become one of the better floor generals in the ACC. Lewis was the program's third-leading scorer last year at 10.6 points per game on 45.5% shooting from the field and 43.3% shooting from three-point range on 4.3 attempts.

Mar 22, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Chance Mallory (2) dribbles the ball against the Tennessee Volunteers in the first half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

The Hoos are bringing in some intriguing portal pieces, but it's who is coming back that makes them scary. Continuity is arguably the most important aspect of roster-building in today's era of college basketball, and Odom hit the nail on the head this offseason.

In 2025-26, Virginia went 30-6 overall, reached the ACC Championship game, and earned a 3-seed in the NCAA Tournament. A large part of that production is coming back. Keep your eye on the Hoos as the season draws closer.