One Major Issue Arising for Duke That Needs Instant Fixing

1-seed Duke will play in the Sweet Sixteen for the third straight season under head coach Jon Scheyer, as the Blue Devils defeated 9-seed TCU 81-58 on Saturday to advance. This comes on the heels of a sketchy win for the Blue Devils in the Round of 64, as they took down 16-seed Siena 71-65.

Against the Horned Frogs, Duke looked like a totally different team on both sides of the ball compared to the Round of 64. Offensively, Duke shot 55% from the field and had four of its five starters tally double digits in the scoring department.

Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) looks to pass near TCU Horned Frogs forward Micah Robinson (5) March 21, 2026 during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round East Region game at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Duke also limited TCU to 33% shooting from the field and 7-of-24 (29%) shooting from three-point range, while outscoring Jamie Dixon's club 43-24 in the second half.

Despite the Blue Devils firing on nearly all cylinders, there is one facet of the game that has become more of an issue in the NCAA Tournament than it has been all season, and especially in March, it has to get fixed sooner rather than later.

Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer talks to a referee March 21, 2026 during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round East Region game with TCU at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Turnovers Becoming Major Issue for Duke As of Late

On the year, Duke averages the fifth fewest turnovers per game of any team in the ACC at 10.6. It's not a club that will turn opponents over at a super high rate, but it takes good care of the basketball. However, over the squad's two NCAA Tournament games, there have been several points of extremely sloppy play.

Against TCU, Duke surrendered 17 turnovers, tied for the most it has in a game all year. Those cough-ups turned into 20 points for the Horned Frogs. Across the Blue Devils' first two tournament games, it has totaled 25 turnovers while only turning their opponents over 14 times.

Duke Blue Devils guard Dame Sarr (7) celebrates after scoring Saturday, March 21, 2026, during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. | Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Duke doesn't need to force a ton of turnovers to establish its will defensively, but it has to take care of the basketball to avoid giving up points in transition. The Blue Devils like to win games by slowing the tempo down and utilizing the half-court, and that rhythm is shattered with sloppy live-ball turnovers that turn into fast breaks.

Duke Blue Devils guard Isaiah Evans (3) drives to the basket Saturday, March 21, 2026, during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. | Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Turnovers Could Be Major Problem in Sweet Sixteen

In the Sweet Sixteen, Duke will face the winner of 4-seed Kansas and 5-seed St. John's. The Blue Devils have gotten away with their turnover margin so far, but that likely won't be the case in the second weekend.

Kansas and St. John's rank ninth and 10th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, respectively, according to KenPom. Additionally, both are top 100 nationally in turnover percentage.

Mar 20, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino reacts in the first half against the Northern Iowa Panthers during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Regardless of who Duke meets next, it will be an elite defensive team, and the Blue Devils will not be able to get away with being careless with the basketball.