2. Duke Blue Devils - 19-2 (11-0 ACC)
The last ACC team to beat Duke was NC State, which was in the Elite 8 of last season’s NCAA Tournament. In fact, they defeated the Blue Devils in the ACC Tournament to even get autobid. And with the Wolfpack game right before the big rivalry matchup with UNC, it ended up being another slugfest for Duke.
NC State was up on the road at the half, and while Duke made a couple of runs, the game went down to the final minutes. In the end, the Blue Devils held on for the 74-64 victory. Freshman star Cooper Flagg led all scorers with 28 points, while Kon Knueppel chipped in with 19. Sion James was the only other player with more than four points, chipping in with 13.
Then came Saturday, taking on a desperate UNC squad. However, the game was over quicker than it started, with Duke up nearly 30 points at one time. Duke took a 22-point halftime lead and ultimately coasted to an 87-70 win. Knueppel had 22 points, while Flagg flooded the stat sheet with 21 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists.
The Blue Devils are back on the road for the next couple of games. They face a Syracuse squad looking to get out of the bottom tier of the ACC before facing Clemson. That weekend's matchup with the Tigers may be the toughest game left in league play, and if they get that win, a 20-0 ACC record is very possible.