Blue Devil Country

Duke Basketball Sees NET Slip Following ACC Opener

Jon Scheyer and his fourth Duke basketball squad are now getting ready for back-to-back conference clashes away from home.
Matt Giles|
Dec 31, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer directs his team during the second half against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils won 85-79. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images
Dec 31, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer directs his team during the second half against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils won 85-79. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

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Duke basketball recorded its 19th consecutive win in ACC home openers on Wednesday. But it was far from a brilliant performance by the Blue Devils (12-1, 1-0 ACC), as they had to climb back to tally an 85-79 victory over the unranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (9-5, 0-1 ACC).

ALSO READ: Duke Ditches 3-Point Dependency to Tame Georgia Tech

And on Thursday morning, Duke slid three notches in the NCAA NET Rankings to No. 5 overall, one spot higher than where the Blue Devils stand in this week's AP Top 25 Poll.

No. 1 Michigan, No. 2 Arizona, No. 3 Iowa State, and No. 4 Gonzaga account for the rest of the top five in the NET, used to help determine NCAA Tournament at-large bids and seeding come March. Meanwhile, No. 11 Louisville and No. 18 UNC join the Blue Devils as the only other ACC teams in the top 25.

Jon Scheyer Reacts to Duke Basketball Effort Versus Georgia Tech

While Duke was favored by more than two dozen points against the Yellow Jackets, fourth-year Blue Devil head coach Jon Scheyer didn't seem surprised by his group's significantly slimmer margin of victory.

"This is exactly what I expected in this game," Scheyer said in his postgame press conference. "We've had a couple games where we've ran away with it against Georgia Tech, but every game literally has been this way, including the last time we played them with last year's team — they were beating us by 14 in the first half. This is what they do.

"Also with them, they haven't been healthy, they haven't had their full team together. They were hot coming in, and so this is exactly what I felt this game would be. I think for our guys, without going through this before, they're learning very quickly that from this point forward, you've got to fight, scrap, and claw for every game you play."

The Blue Devils are now gearing up to face the unranked Florida State Seminoles (7-7, 0-1 ACC) on the road at 3:45 p.m. ET Saturday (CBS) before traveling to square off against the No. 16 Louisville Cardinals (11-2, 1-0 ACC) at 7 p.m. ET Tuesday (ESPN).

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Matt Giles
MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of Duke Blue Devils on SI, North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining SI in 2022, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.

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