Why Duke Will Be Motivated Entering ACC Play

The Duke Blue Devils have been sitting on their latest game for a long time now. They have a break because of the holiday season. The last time that the Blue Devils had some time off, they did not have the best games.

One, they were able to come back and win, but the other was not so kind to them. Duke is coming off their first loss of the season to a good Texas Tech team, but Duke knows it should have been a game where they came out on top and still unbeaten.

Duke has moved forward and knows they cannot do anything about that result. The things they can do are learn from that game and take it to the next game. That next game for Duke will come in ACC play. It will be their ACC opener and a chance for them to come back and get a win.

They want to start right in conference play because they know they cannot fall behind. This Duke team wants to come out firing and let the rest of the conference know that they are the team to beat once again.

Dec 16, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer gestures to an official during the second half against the Lipscomb Bisons at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils won 97-73. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Duke will be highly motivated because they are coming off a loss, and one they had to sit around and think about for a long time. Duke will have some help because they will be back at home. That is a great way to open up ACC play.

They want to put on a good show for the home crowd. This Duke team is going to have to show that they can bounce back from a tough loss, and they will be doing that for the first time this season.

Duke dropped to No. 5 in the AP poll after their first loss. They were already getting disrespected because they should have been the No. 1 team many polls ago. Now, they are focused on getting back on track.

kmk — Dec 20, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer coaches against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

5. Duke Blue Devils (11-1)

Previous ranking: 3

"Duke had its first loss of the season this past Saturday, blowing a 17-point second-half lead to Texas Tech," said Jeff Borzello of ESPN. "After the game, Jon Scheyer pointed to his team's rebounding as the biggest concern -- particularly given the Red Raiders' foul trouble and lack of depth up front. "In this game, we missed 24 shots. We only got six of them," Scheyer said.

"With the size they had on the floor, that's very disappointing." It was the Blue Devils' worst offensive rebounding performance of the season; they also allowed five offensive rebounds in the second half, resulting in six points for Tech.

Dec 20, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer coaches against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

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