Following its win at Georgia Tech, Duke is off to a 3-0 road start for the first time under Scheyer. The Devils won't hit Coach K Court again for a game until welcoming Virginia Tech to Cameron Indoor Stadium on New Year's Eve.
Here's a breakdown of Duke's offense and defense as 2024 comes to a close, along with a breakdown of the Blue Devils' ACC schedule and NCAA Tournament resume.
Duke leads the nation in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.com. If that statistic holds, the Blue Devils would be No. 1 for the first time since the 2001-02 season. The tallest team in the country, Duke has made the most of its length and athleticism to make opponents miserable.
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Through 12 games, Duke is fifth in field-goal percentage defense (35.5%) and eighth in scoring defense (58.5 points per game). Cooper Flagg's versatility, Khaman Maluach's rim protection and Maliq Brown's knack for steals and deflections have been the foundation of a defense that could help Duke cut down the nets in April.
Cooper Flagg has done exactly what folks expected him to do as the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Flagg isn't flashy, but he covers the stat sheet with how he consistently puts his imprint on games. Through 12 games, Flagg leads Duke in scoring (16.3 ppg), rebounding (8.6 rbg), assists (3.5 apg) and blocks (1.2 bpg).
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In the Blue Devils' four biggest games of the season to this point (Kentucky, Arizona, Kansas and Auburn), Flagg has averaged 21.2 points and 8.5 rebounds. Kon Knueppel (12.2 ppg) and Tyrese Proctor (11. 3 ppg) have been the leaders among Duke's secondary scorers, and Isaiah Evans has commanded more attention as a 51.2% shooter from 3-point range. The Blue Devils need that trio to be consistent from deep to help open things up for Flagg and the rest of the team.
Given how the ACC as a whole has started the 2024-25 season, it's not outlandish to think Duke could plow through the league with a perfect record. It's not likely to happen, but the Blue Devils were 16-0 in league play during the 1998-99 season. Still, KenPom predicts this Duke squad will finish with an 18-2 mark, which is fair.
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Looking at possible landmines along the way, the Blue Devils start the new year with a trip to SMU (10-2, 2-0) before returning home to face Pitt (10-2, 1-0). Duke hosts rival North Carolina (7-5, 1-0) on Feb. 1 before traveling to Clemson (10-3, 2-0) on Feb. 8 to round out a stretch against the teams at the top of the league. It's a gettable slate that could have Duke riding a perfect record into the regular-season finale at UNC on March 8.
As it stands before Christmas, Duke is currently projected to be the top No. 2 seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. According to Bracket Matrix, the Blue Devils have a resume that sits behind Auburn, Tennessee, Iowa State and Kentucky. Duke helped itself out with three wins against Quadrant 1 opponents, including a win against the Tigers in Durham. But there are only five Quad 1 opportunities across the final 19 games, which means Duke doesn't have much wiggle room if it wants to move up to a top seed.
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Currently No. 3 in the NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) rankings, the Blue Devils will have one more big-time nonconference opportunity on Feb. 22 against Illinois at Madison Square Garden. The Fighting Illini are 14th in the NET, higher than every ACC opponent except Pitt (11).
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Where Cooper Flagg, Duke basketball stand in the ACC, NCAA entering 2025