No. 6 Duke Hosts Georgia Tech to Begin ACC Action

Wednesday, December 31

Durham, N.C.

4 p.m.

Duke University

Georgia Tech

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Maliq Brown - 2025-26 Duke Men's Basketball

Photo by: Duke Athletics

No. 6 Duke Hosts Georgia Tech to Begin ACC Action

12/30/2025 10:39:00 AM | Men's Basketball

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The Opening Tip

No. 6 Duke begins ACC action on Wednesday, Dec. 31, against Georgia Tech in Durham.
Jay Alter and Randolph Childress will call the action on the ACC Network. Chris Edwards and John Roth team up for the broadcast on the Blue Devil Sports Network.
Duke is 53-19 in ACC openers, and 60-12 in ACC home-openers.
The Blue Devils have won 18 consecutive ACC home-openers, dating back to 2006-07.
The Blue Devils are fourth in the nation in field goal percentage defense (.362), seventh in scoring margin (+24.6) and ninth in scoring defense (62.6) - all tops in the ACC.
On the glass, Duke ranks 19th in the country in rebounding (42.2 rpg), 11th in defensive rebounding (30.1) and 17th in rebound margin (+10.5 - best in ACC).
In their first 12 games, the Blue Devils secured four top-25 victories with wins over No. 7 Michigan State, No. 15 Florida, No. 22 Arkansas and No. 25 Kansas.
Duke is third in the NET rankings and is tied for the most Quad 1 wins (4).
Duke is one of only five teams in the country to rank 13th or better in both offensive (124.1, 13th) and defensive (92.5, 5th) efficiency. (KenPom)
Maliq Brown equaled his career high with five steals versus Texas Tech (Dec. 20), while adding seven points, five rebounds and a blocked shot.
Brown, who has played in 99 games during his college career at Syracuse and Duke, is the national leader in 2-point field goal percentage (88.9%, 32-of-36).
Cameron Boozer, the nation's leading scorer (23.3 ppg), is the only Division I player in the last 30 seasons to collect at least 250 points, 100 rebounds and 40 assists through his first 11 career games. (OptaSTATS)
Isaiah Evans has drained three or more 3-pointers in six games this season. Duke is 17-0 the past two seasons when the sophomore sharp-shooter hits three or more triples.
Caleb Foster is the longest tenured Blue Devil with 77 games played and 34 starts.
On Dec. 16, Jon Scheyer broke the ACC record for the fastest coach to 100 wins (122 games), exceeding the standard set by Duke's Vic Bubas in 1964 (128 games).
Duke's 11-0 start was the best open to a season since the 2017-18 campaign.

On This Date - Dec. 31

Duke has a 15-3 record on Dec. 31.
The Blue Devils have won 11 of their last 12 contests on the final day of the calendar year, including three straight victories (2019, 2022, 2024).
Duke last played on Dec. 31 in 2024, an 88-65 conference win over Virginia Tech in Durham.
The Blue Devils are 7-0 in home games played on this date.

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Duke leads the series with Georgia Tech, 80-25, including 19 wins in the last 21 meetings.
The Blue Devils and Yellow Jackets last met in the quarterfinals of the 2025 ACC Tournament in Charlotte, N.C., a 78-70 Duke victory.
Georgia Tech won five of its first six games and has recovered from a three-game losing skid with four straight victories.
The Yellow Jackets rank 40th in the nation in field goal percentage defense (39.5%) and 41st in three-point percentage defense (29.3%).
Georgia Tech is positioned 41st nationally in rebounds per game (40.8) and 26th in defensive rebounds per game (28.8).
Kowacie Reeves Jr. tops five Yellow Jackets with double-digit scoring averages, posting 15.4 points per outing.
Reeves has scored +20 points in four of the last five games.
Baye Ndongo averages 12.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, while Mouhamed Sylla averages 11.2 points and a team-high 8.4 rebounds per outing with five double-doubles.

Last Time Out

Duke dropped its first contest of the season with an 82-81 defeat to No. 19 Texas Tech at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night.
Cameron Boozer led the Blue Devils with 23 points, eight rebounds and a season-best seven assists in the loss. Cayden Boozer also scored in double-figures with 13 points.
Dame Sarr made three triples in the first half, matching his career high for three-pointers in a game.
Maliq Brown swiped five steals, matching his career high and setting a new personal benchmark for the season..
Texas Tech became the first Duke opponent to shoot better than 50 percent from the field this season, finishing the game 32-of-58 (.552).
Texas Tech entered the contest leading the Big 12 in three-pointers made per game (11.0), which ranked 11th nationally. The Blue Devils' defense limited the Red Raiders to seven triples on 22 attempts from distance.
Texas Tech began the game averaging 83.6 points per game, but was held under its season average with 82. The Blue Devils have held each opponent this season under their respective scoring average.
Duke was out-rebounded, 30-29. The Blue Devils have finished with a negative margin on the glass just three times this season.

Blue Devils Efficient at Both Ends of the Floor

Duke is one of just five teams ranked in the top-13 nationally in both offensive efficiency (124.1, 13th) and defensive efficiency (92.5, 5th) ratings, according to KenPom.com.
The Blue Devils are the nation's No. 6 rated team, according to KenPom, with an overall rating of 31.59. (through games played on Dec. 28)
The 2024-25 Blue Devils achieved the best offensive efficiency rating (130.1) in the history of KenPom (since 1996-97 season).
In 2024-25, Duke registered the second-highest overall rating (39.29) in KenPom history, trailing only the 1998-99 Duke Blue Devils (43.01).
Last season, Duke was the only team in the country ranked among the top-five in both offensive (130.1, 1st) and defensive (90.8, 5th) adjusted efficiency (KenPom).

Pace of Play

Duke's offense is playing at a faster pace this season than any prior campaign under head coach Jon Scheyer, according to KenPom.com.
The Blue Devils' average length of possession on offense is 15.2 seconds, which is the 21st quickest use of time nationally.
In comparison, Duke's average length of offensive possession was 17.1 seconds in 2024-25, 17.5 in 2023-24 and 18.7 in 2022-23.
Duke maximizes its 15.2 seconds with an effective field goal percentage (58.6%) that ranks 13th in the country and a two-point field goal percentage (63.5%) that's third nationally.
On the other end of the floor, Duke's defense is forcing opponents to use 18.7 seconds per possession, which is 10th-highest in the country.
The greater use of time has not yielded improved results for Duke opponents, as the Blue Devils' effective field goal percentage defense (42.1%) is fifth-best in the nation.

Tracking Blue Devil Deflections

Through 12 games, the Blue Devils have accumulated 252 deflections, an average of 21.0 per game.
Duke amassed a season-best 32 deflections versus Niagara (Nov. 21), topping the previous high of 30 against Indiana State (Nov. 14).
Maliq Brown, described as a "defensive menace" by head coach Jon Scheyer, tops Duke with 74 deflections (6.2 avg.).
Brown, who was selected to the 2023-24 ACC All-Defensive Team after leading the league with 71 steals as a sophomore at Syracuse, recorded 12 deflections against Niagara (Nov. 21), the most by a Blue Devil this season.

Strength of Schedule

Duke's 2025-26 non-conference lineup features eight opponents that reached the NCAA Tournament a year ago: Texas (Nov. 4; Charlotte, N.C.), Kansas (Nov. 18; New York, N.Y.), Arkansas (Nov. 27; Chicago), Florida (Dec. 2; Durham), Michigan State (Dec. 6; East Lansing, Mich.), Lipscomb (Dec. 16; Durham), Texas Tech (Dec. 20; New York, N.Y.) and Michigan (Feb. 21; Washington, D.C.). Of those teams, five advanced to the Sweet 16, with three reaching the Elite Eight.
The Blue Devils play 10 games against teams ranked in ESPN's preseason top 25 - No. 2 Florida, No. 6 Louisville (twice), No. 8 Michigan, No. 11 Texas Tech, No. 12 Arkansas, No. 22 Kansas, No. 24 NC State and No. 25 North Carolina (twice).
Duke has secured top-25 victories over No. 7 Michigan State, No. 15 Florida, No. 22 Arkansas and No. 25 Kansas.

Cameron Boozer's Historical Start

Cameron Boozer is the first Duke freshman to score 35 points or more twice - amassing 35 points versus Indiana State (Nov. 14) and tallying 35 points again versus Arkansas (Nov. 27).
The freshman forward became the first NCAA Division I or NBA player in the last 30 seasons to have an eight-game span with more than 175 points, 75 rebounds and 25 assists, 10 or fewer turnovers, and an undefeated record - doing so in Duke's first eight games. (OptaSTATS)
Boozer became the first ACC player with at least 100 points, 50 rebounds and 20 assists in a five-game span since Craig Smith of Boston College in March 2006. The freshman forward accomplished that standard in his first five college contests. (Nov. 19)
Boozer is the only Division I player in the last 30 seasons to collect at least 250 points, 100 rebounds and 40 assists through his first 11 career games. (Dec. 17; OptaSTATS)
Boozer amassed 35 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, three steals and three blocks, connecting on 13-of-16 field goals in a win over Indiana State on Nov. 14, becoming the first major conference freshman to reach 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists with no more than one turnover since Syracuse's Carmelo Anthony in 2003 (ESPN), and joined Zion Williamson (2019) and Christian Laettner (1990) as the third Duke player in the past 45 years to score at least 35 points in a double-double performance.
The Miami native has amassed 25 points or more in six out of 12 games, including 35 points against No. 22 Arkansas and 29 points versus No. 15 Florida.
Boozer has been voted ACC Player of the Week three times (Nov. 17, Dec. 1, Dec. 8) and ACC Rookie of the Week four times (Nov. 17, Nov. 24, Dec. 1, Dec. 8).
The freshman forward currently leads the nation in scoring with 23.3 points per game, ranks 17th nationally with 10.0 rebounds per contest and sits 14th with six double-doubles.

The Blue Devils Have Won 85% of Games at Cameron Indoor Stadium

Duke has posted an all-time record of 984-174 (.850) at Cameron Indoor Stadium, including a 54-3 (.947) record under head coach Jon Scheyer with unblemished home records in 2022-23 (16-0) and 2024-25 (17-0).
The Blue Devils have won 23 consecutive home games.
Duke has won more games at its current home venue than any team in college basketball.
Now in its 87th season as the home of the Blue Devils, Duke has averaged 11.1 wins since the venue opened Jan. 6, 1940 -- a 36-27 win over Princeton.

Sellout Streak Still Staying Strong

Duke has sold out 547 consecutive games at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The last time Duke did not have a sellout at home was on Nov. 16, 1990, against Boston College.
The sellout figure is the longest current streak (by time) in either men's college basketball or the NBA.
Duke's record at Cameron during the sellout streak is 498-49 (.910).

Other Notables

Duke has a record of 58-2 (.967) when committing 15 or fewer fouls under head coach Jon Scheyer, compared to 42-21 (.667) when the Blue Devils have 16 or more fouls. (@EvanMiya)
Maliq Brown is the national leader in 2-point field goal percentage (88.9%), having made 32-of-36 shots inside the arc.
The 55-point margin of victory over Army West Point (Nov. 11) was Duke's largest road win in program history.

Scheyer Continues to Make History

Duke men's basketball head coach Jon Scheyer continues to add historic milestones to his résumé.
In his fourth season as a head coach, Scheyer became the fastest head coach to win 100 games in ACC history and the second-fastest Division I head coach to reach 100 victories in the last 45 years.
When Duke defeated Lipscomb, 97-73, on Dec. 16, Scheyer hit the century mark in just 122 games.
Scheyer broke the ACC record for the fastest head coach to reach 100 career victories by exceeding Duke's Vic Bubas, who achieved the mark in 128 games in 1964.
Scheyer compiled an 89-22 record (.802) in his first three seasons at the helm, establishing new benchmarks in conference and national history.
Scheyer's 89 victories surpassed the standard set by Bill Guthridge (80, North Carolina, 1997-2000) for the most wins by an ACC coach in their first three seasons and tied Brad Underwood and Brad Stevens for the most by any Division I men's basketball head coach over that span.
Scheyer also became the first coach in conference history to win two ACC Tournament championships within his first three seasons.
During the 2022-23 campaign, Scheyer became the first coach in the conference's storied history to post an undefeated home record in a debut season and the first to lead a team to an ACC title as both a player (2009, 2010) and as a head coach (2023).
In 2024-25, Scheyer guided the Blue Devils to one of the most dominant seasons in program history and the school's 18th Final Four appearance, becoming the youngest head coach to reach the Final Four since 2011.
Under Scheyer, Duke posted a 35-4 overall record in 2024-25, joining a rare group as only the sixth team in school history to notch at least 35 wins and the first in a decade to do so.
Ranked inside the AP Top 25 throughout the 2024-25 campaign, Duke spent two weeks at No. 1 and finished the season No. 3 in the final poll, marking the 41st top-10 finish in school history. The Blue Devils closed the year by winning 31 of their final 33 games, riding impressive win streaks of 16 and 15 games, and storming through the NCAA Tournament with an 86.80 points-per-game average – the second-highest by a Duke team in tournament history (min. five games), behind only the 2001 national champions.
Scheyer's Blue Devils were a statistical powerhouse, leading the nation in scoring margin (+20.5) and becoming the first team in ACC history to lead the conference in both scoring offense (83.2) and scoring defense (62.8).
Duke also tallied 394 made three-pointers, the second-most in program history, while becoming the only Division I team to both average over 80 points per game (83.2) and allow fewer than 63 (62.8).
The Blue Devils achieved a KenPom net rating of 39.29, the second-highest in the site's history since 1996-97 – trailing only the 1998-99 Duke squad (43.01).
Scheyer, one of four finalists for the 2025 Naismith Coach of the Year award, was honored as the recipient of the 2024-25 John McLendon National Coach of the Year Award (presented by College Insider) and was named NABC South Atlantic District Coach of the Year.
The Northbrook, Illinois, native has been integral in the recruiting and development of several young Duke stars since joining the staff in 2013-14, and as head coach has landed the nation's No. 1-ranked recruiting class three times (2022, 2024, 2025) and a No. 2-ranked recruiting class (2023).
Duke has signed a top-three recruiting class per ESPN in every season since Scheyer joined the staff, including the No. 1 class seven times in 12 seasons (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2024, 2025).

AP Poll Streak Extends

With the release of the Associated Press preseason poll on Oct. 13, Duke was ranked No. 6 -- extending a notable streak.
The Blue Devils have now been ranked in the top 10 at least once in 30 consecutive seasons -- the longest active streak nationally. The next closest program is Kansas, which has held a top-10 ranking at some point in each of the last 20 seasons.
The No. 6 ranking also marked the 18th consecutive season that the Blue Devils made their debut in the top 10.
Duke's current run in the AP top-25 poll is 52 consecutive weeks - the fourth-longest active streak. (as of Dec. 22)

Duke's Three-Point Streak

Duke has connected on at least one 3-pointer in 1,276 straight games, the longest streak nationally.
It has been more than 35 years since Duke was held without a three-point field goal -- Dec. 30, 1989, versus Hawai'i.

All-Access with Coach Jon Scheyer

The weekly television show, "Duke All-Access with Jon Scheyer," is back for its fourth season in 2025-26.
The 30-minute show features Jon Scheyer and his Blue Devils team. Presented in magazine format and produced by John Roth, the show also includes informative player features and behind-the-scenes access to the Duke program.
A production of Blue Devil Sports Properties from LEARFIELD, the show airs locally on ABC-11 WTVD on Sundays at noon ET and is live streamed on ABC11.com Saturdays at 10 a.m. ET. It is also available regionally across the FanDuel Sports Network on Fridays at 12 p.m. ET; and on MASN Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. ET. It can also be viewed via the Duke Athletics YouTube Channel and archived on GoDuke.com.