Blue Devil Country

Duke Basketball Entering Sneaky Tough Stretch of ACC Slate

Duke just improved to 3-0 in ACC play, but things might not be as easy-going from here as it looks on paper.
Hugh Straine|
Jan 6, 2026; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer reacts during the second half against the Louisville Cardinals at KFC Yum! Center. Duke defeated Louisville 84-73. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images
Jan 6, 2026; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer reacts during the second half against the Louisville Cardinals at KFC Yum! Center. Duke defeated Louisville 84-73. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images | Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

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The No. 6-ranked Duke Blue Devils improved to 14-1 overall and 3-0 in ACC play after taking down No. 20 Louisville (11-4, 1-2 ACC) on the road 84-73. The Blue Devils outscored Pat Kelsey's Cardinals 46-26 in the second half after entering the halftime break in a 47-38 deficit, their third straight contest entering the half either tied or in a deficit.

Now, Jon Scheyer's club is far from perfect, but despite consistent slow starts on both sides of the ball lately, the Blue Devils still sit with a 5-1 record against ranked opponents and have firmly established themselves as the team to beat in the ACC once again. However, Duke's upcoming slate of conference games might appear to be a light stretch on paper, but there are a few potential trap games that could easily trip it up.

The ACC as a whole looks to be in a much better place than it's been in any of the past five seasons. The conference currently has 10 teams in the top 60 of the NCAA NET Rankings and eight projected NCAA Tournament teams according to ESPN Bracketology. Duke won't face another ranked opponent until it takes on Louisville at Cameron Indoor on Jan. 26, but the contests sandwiched between Duke's two duals with the Cardinals could pose issues.

Duke’s Upcoming ACC Stretch Tougher Than It May Look on Paper

In an ACC that is much deeper than it was in 2024-25, expecting the Blue Devils to roll to a 19-1 conference record again is probably unrealistic. A season ago, this next stretch of games would've been a cakewalk, but it's a different story in 2026.

Over its next three matchups, Duke will face No. 24 SMU (12-2, 1-0 ACC) at home, then California (13-2, 1-1 ACC) and Stanford (12-3, 1-1 ACC) on the road. The Mustangs just entered the AP Poll after defeating No. 17 North Carolina 97-83 at home, and Andy Enfield's offense is developing into one of the best in the entire nation.

The Mustangs have won four of their last five games and boast victories over Texas A&M and Butler, in addition to the Tar Heels. SMU has tallied 90 or more points in eight of its first 14 games of the year, and currently sits 15th in adjusted offensive efficiency at KenPom.

California is one of the more pleasant surprises out of the ACC. The Golden Bears received votes to enter the AP Poll after winning 10 of their last 11 games, which includes an 80-72 victory over UCLA. Cal is another team with great potential from the three-point line, and if it gets hot, any team could have issues.

The Blue Devils will stay in California to take on Stanford after that on Jan. 17, facing a Cardinal squad that has won five of its last six contests, including an 80-76 win over Louisville. This freshman class is likely the most talented that college basketball has ever seen, but the most underrated rookie in the entire nation might be Stanford's Ebuka Okorie. The 6'2" guard is third among freshmen nationally in scoring at 22.0 points per game to go along with 1.7 steals a night on 43.4% shooting, tallying 20 or more points in eight of the Cardinal's first 15 games.

Duke has one loss on the 2025-26 season, and that won't remain the case for the remainder of the campaign. This next stretch for the Blue Devils could pose some challenges.

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Hugh Straine
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.