Duke Basketball: Why Blue Devils could go undefeated in 2019-20 ACC play

With ACC play now underway, is it possible for Duke Basketball to go undefeated against ACC opponents? Yes, it is and here’s why:

Duke Basketball currently holds a record of 13-1 and had they made an extra basket in regulation of some game in November, they would be one of three undefeated teams in the nation.

Unfortunately (or fortunately for most) that is not the case, but it is possible they end the season with a 24 game win streak since that loss to Stephen F. Austin, going undefeated in conference play.

The ACC is weaker than it has potentially ever been and the Blue Devils will take advantage of that. Including Duke, there are only four ranked teams in the ACC, Duke, Louisville, Florida State, and Virginia and only two of those (likely one after Monday’s AP poll comes out) are in the top-10.

Duke has won its 13 games by an average of 23.54 points so far this season, including a 12 point win in East Lansing against Michigan State and also a win against the Kansas Jayhawks.

The biggest question when it comes to ACC play is, who would beat them? Every ranked opponent so far in the ACC has a large hole and so far the only one for Duke is a loss against Stephen F. Austin, leading many to question if Duke is capable of winning close games down the stretch.

The answer to this is yes, Duke is capable of winning close games down the stretch, the game against SFA was simply an outlier. Duke beat Kansas by two points, a close game against the current number three team in the nation.

It is because of this that I think the loss to Stephen F. Austin was an anomaly, it was Duke’s first non-conference loss at home since 2000, that was a one in a million thing and I wouldn’t take too much from it.

Nonetheless, here is why Duke could go undefeated in ACC play: