As point guard Sion James brought the ball up, Scheyer seized the opportunity to regroup his players. “Right here, right here,” he indicated, signaling James to call for a timeout at a location near the sideline. While Duke was comfortably ahead by 19 points against a struggling Miami team, this moment served as a clear illustration of an evolving challenge for the Blue Devils amidst their dominant start in the league. The Blue Devils, currently the sole AP Top 25 representative from the ACC, are accomplishing victories with impressive efficiency numbers that exceed those of any other conference squad leading up to their road game against Boston College on Saturday.
Scheyer’s focus remains on ensuring his players do not become complacent. “We’ve discussed that it doesn’t matter whether you start the season winning or losing — none of that guarantees success in this game,” the third-year head coach stated. “Earning a big lead is crucial, and once that’s achieved, maintaining aggressive momentum is key.”
The Blue Devils (15-2, 7-0 ACC) have established themselves as one of the best teams nationally. They currently rank within the top five for both offensive and defensive efficiency metrics on KenPom’s platform. Their analytics positions them high across various ranking systems, with some listings even placing them at number one overall. Duke is seen as a favorite to win the national championship according to BetMGM Sportsbook and recorded an impressive victory over Auburn, marking the Tigers’ only loss in a highly touted matchup featuring Duke’s freshman standout Cooper Flagg and Auburn’s Johni Broome. Their two losses have been narrow, only by a combined total of seven points against top-ten teams Kentucky and Kansas.
The ACC has encountered struggles during the early portion of the season with key nonconference matchups and now faces a difficult league schedule. This reality has led to noticeable disparities between Duke and other teams within the conference. ACC Network analyst Luke Hancock acknowledged Scheyer’s outstanding leadership, remarking on his effective management of the roster.
Duke’s lineup features three freshman starters: Flagg, wing Kon Knueppel, and center Khaman Maluach. The team has also bolstered its ranks through the transfer portal, bringing in James from Tulane, Mason Gillis from Purdue, and a versatile defender Maliq Brown, who is currently sidelined due to injury, from Syracuse to work alongside returning players Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster.
This talent-rich team boasts size, skill in breaking into the paint, and a high conversion rate of 15.4 points off turnovers. Their perimeter shooting has also been impressive, with the team making as many as 17 three-pointers in an outing. Additionally, ball-sharing is a defining feature of their play as they average 20 assists over their last six games. Hancock noted that this comprehensive talent makes it difficult for opponents to find weaknesses when facing Duke.
While ACC standings may remain competitive, with teams like Clemson, Louisville, North Carolina, and Wake Forest only having a single conference defeat, the metrics indicate a stark contrast. Notably, Duke holds the third spot nationwide in adjusted offensive efficiency with 124.5 points per 100 possessions and ranks second defensively at 87.9, creating a strong net efficiency rating. In fact, their net score is considerably higher than that of Clemson, the next nearest ACC competitor.
Duke has dominated conference opponents, winning six of their seven league games by double-digit margins, five of which exceeded 23 points. These victories include contests against other top-50 NET teams as determined by the NCAA Tournament selection committee, such as Louisville and Pittsburgh.
The only bump in the road was a recent 86-78 victory against Notre Dame, where Flagg broke the ACC freshman scoring record with 42 points. Duke began that contest with a quick scoring surge and maintained a sizeable lead until Notre Dame closed the gap significantly late in the game.
In response, the team has emphasized the importance of consistently maintaining intensity throughout the full 40 minutes. “We strive to uphold the same level of intensity in every game,” Knueppel acknowledged. “It’s challenging, but we aim not to play based on the score.”
Only a handful of teams have succeeded in completing an undefeated ACC regular season. Duke’s 1998-99 squad holds the last unblemished record, and this year’s team is notably averaging a margin of victory of 22.7 points thus far in the conference’s 20-game schedule.
Maintaining this high standard of play is just one of Scheyer’s coaching challenges. He must also guide his players through the psychological phases of competition, ensuring they remain focused rather than settling into complacency. The critical timeout called during the Miami game reflected the need for vigilance against lapses in quality of play.
As they advanced with a strong run against Miami and held a commanding lead, maintaining that type of resilience will be essential if Duke is to achieve their ultimate goal of lifting the trophy in April. “It’s imperative that we compete at our highest standard,” James stated following the win over Miami. “We recognized a drop-off in our performance today; we can’t let that happen if we want to achieve our goals.”