Stop me if you have heard this before, but the Duke Blue Devils have won the ACC again. Few teams have accomplished what the Blue Devils have in their history. They have won 24 ACC Championships in total. That is the most ever, and head coach Jon Scheyer is the first coach to win the ACC Tournament three times in his first four years at the helm in Durham.
The Blue Devils didn’t need to win the automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament because they were already going to be the overall number 1 team in the tournament. All Duke does is win, so why not add the ACC Tournament title? It is the fifth straight appearance for Duke in the NCAA Tournament and the 49th appearance overall. The Blue Devils are the overall number 1 seed in the event and are going to make a deep run and probably win the NCAA Tournament. In case you have not watched any College Basketball this year, here are three things to know about Duke.
Boozer Twins
It is hard to believe, especially after we all watched Cooper Flagg grace us with college basketball greatness last season, that the Blue Devils could have another player who is just as good or better than the overall number 1 pick in the NBA Draft. Believe it, though, because Cameron Boozer is that player, and he is excellent!
Boozer is the frontrunner for the National Player of the Year, and there is nothing he can’t do on a basketball court. He is a true three-lever scorer and always has the ball in his hands. Running offense through a big man is the new norm, but when that big man is an elite scorer like Cameron is, it makes it impossible to guard. He gets to the rim with ease, is an elite rebounder, and a shooter over 40% from deep. It would be a huge shock if #12 in Blue didn’t go number 1 in the upcoming NBA Draft.
Cameron has a twin brother named Cayden, who is not as dominant but has still had his moments for the Blue Devils. Cayden is the backup point guard, but has been thrust into more minutes with starting Point Guard Caleb Foster out for the foreseeable future with a foot injury. Cayden won Duke the Virginia game to win the ACC Title with his ability to get to the rim. The Boozer boys are the sons of Duke legend Carlos Boozer and are doing their father's name proud.
Injuries
The most impressive part of the Blue Devils winning the ACC Championship this year was that they did it without two of their best players. It just goes to show the type of depth that head coach Jon Scheyer has built in his short time at Duke. Most teams that would lose their starting point guard and starting power forward for a conference championship would likely lose the game or keep it close, but Duke just has so much talent that it really didn't matter.
Caleb Foster is the starting point guard who has a foot injury and will likely be out for at least the first weekend. I expect he will be out for the year, but the Blue Devils have not yet confirmed this. Foster is a big loss, and if he is out for the year, it may be tough for Duke to win the entire thing. Foster is an excellent three-point shooter, the head of the snake on the defensive end; his loss will eventually be felt.Â
Patrick Ngongba is the starting power forward, a great rebounder and finisher at the rim, and can step out and hit a three. The biggest place where Ngongba is missed is on the defensive end of the floor. He is an elite athlete who can block shots from anywhere on the floor, guard 1-5, and rebound. I know the rebounding numbers don’t look great, but they don’t have to when Cameron Boozer is controlling the glass every game. Duke will still make a deep run without these two players, but if they want to win the National Title, they will need both back. This could be a huge storyline later on in the tournament.
Jon Scheyer
The Duke legend as a player is now well on his way to cementing his legacy as a head coach. It was never going to be easy to fill the massive shoes left behind when Coach K retired, but Coach K was allowed to hand-pick his replacement, and he chose Scheyer to lead. Since the move to head coach, there has been no looking back.
Duke has secured the two best players in college in back-to-back seasons and earned back-to-back top seeds in the NCAA Tournament. The program has not lost a step or an iota of status since Coach K retired, and all the credit goes to Coach Scheyer. He absolutely knows what he is doing.Â
The Blue Devils blew a late lead to Houston in last year’s Final Four. This year, the goal for coach Scheyer and the Dukies is a National Championship. They have been the best team all year, they have depth, and the player of the year. Scheyer is the best coach in the game right now, and adding a National Championship to his already fantastic start would cement his legacy at Duke forever and further establish that he is the best coach in the college game.