Duke Has Strong Competition Across the ACC

The Duke Blue Devils will be back on the court next week to open up ACC play just before the New Year. Duke is looking to get off to a good start in the ACC. This season, the ACC is going to be strong, and they are already showing why they are going to be a top conference in College Basketball this season.

Duke will be the favorite going into ACC play, but they know that there are going to be a lot of good teams, and they are all going to go after Duke as they are the returning champions.

Duke will be coming off a tough loss that ends their non-conference schedule. They will have a lot of time to look at what went wrong in that game and see what this team can do better moving forward.

The good thing about this team is that the coaching staff does a great job adjusting what they are doing wrong. They find it and get better at it. That is what they have shown this season after each game. Now they will show it for the first time after a loss. Duke is looking to get back on track.

ACC Shaping Up to Be a Top Conference

kmk — Dec 20, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer talks to Duke Blue Devils forwards Cameron Boozer (12) and Maliq Brown (6) and guard Cayden Boozer (2) during the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

"The three Triangle programs entered the season in completely different places. Duke was reeling from a shocking Final Four loss to Houston, North Carolina barely snuck into the tournament as Hubert Davis’ seat began to feel a little warm, and N.C. State finally parted with Kevin Keatts after seven middling seasons outside of a miraculous Final Four berth in 2024. Now, the trio on the whole seems to be at its most talented in years," said Caleb Dudley of The Chronicle.

"The Blue Devils are right back to where they were last season. Despite having to rely on freshmen to be major contributors right away, No. 6 Duke jumped out to a 11-0 start yet again. The schedule was no slouch either; the Blue Devils tussled with four ranked foes during that win streak."

Dec 20, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) controls the ball against Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Leon Horner (6) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

"The first blemish came this past week after a 17-point lead was blown to Texas Tech, but head coach Jon Scheyer has put together another contender led by a Wooden Award candidate in Cameron Boozer," said Ranjan Jindal of The Chronicle."

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