Duke Basketball 'Not Changing Way We Play' at ACC Tournament

By tallying a 76-61 home victory over the archrival UNC Tar Heels on Saturday night, Jon Scheyer and his fourth Duke basketball team wrapped up their regular season with a 29-2 overall record, the program's most victories entering a postseason since the 1998-99 campaign. And the Blue Devils rank No. 1 in the AP Top 25 Poll, bringing an eight-game winning streak to this week's ACC Tournament in Charlotte's Spectrum Center.

Add in that Duke boasts the ACC Player and Rookie of the Year in power forward Cameron Boozer, the ACC Defensive Player and Sixth Man of the Year in senior power forward Maliq Brown, and an All-ACC Third Team selection in sophomore wing Isaiah Evans. All three of those players appear to be 100 percent healthy ahead of the group's quarterfinal bout (versus the winner of Wednesday night's matchup between the Florida State Seminoles and Cal Golden Bears) at 7 p.m. ET Thursday (ESPN).

Moreover, as of the conference's announced accolades on Monday afternoon, Scheyer is now the reigning ACC Coach of the Year.

That said, as Scheyer noted during his Zoom press conference on Tuesday morning, his Blue Devils will be without the on-court services of two starters, junior guard Caleb Foster (fractured foot) and sophomore big man Patrick Ngongba II (foot soreness), throughout their stay in Charlotte.

Even so, Scheyer explained to the media that the absences of Foster and Ngongba will by no means drastically alter Duke's plan of attack at the ACC Tournament.

Jon Scheyer on the Duke Basketball Outlook This Week

"One, our team is determined to come right back on Thursday and to pick up where we left off," Scheyer remarked, "understanding that it's different without both of those guys [Foster and Ngongba], of course. I mean, those guys are a huge part of what we've done.

"But we're not changing the way we play. You know, we're not changing how we defend and how we guard. I think part of the beauty of what we've done this season, by playing nine guys and [sophomore guard Darren Harris] getting back in that rotation the way that he's played, all seven [healthy] guys are impactful players, and you can have a really good rotation with those guys...

For anyone who is now overly worried about Duke, let me explain something in simple terms:

Duke has CAMERON BOOZER! He's 100 percent healthy and hungry! It's March, and he's just licking his lips! That should be all you need to know! Now, cheer up and get excited, y'all!😈🦾👀6️⃣ pic.twitter.com/YS4UPo8R0T
— Matt Giles (@MattGilesBD) March 10, 2026

"So, for me, this isn't about changing who we are, changing our identity. You know, I love the job that [freshman point guard] Cayden Boozer has done all year long."

Jon Scheyer said that Caleb Foster probably won't have any chance to return to action this season unless the Blue Devils reach the Final Four in Indianapolis. As for Patrick Ngongba II, Scheyer confirmed the goal is to have him back on the court in time for the Duke basketball squad's first game in the NCAA Tournament next week.

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