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Friday, March 14
Charlotte, N.C.
7 p.m.
Duke University
vs
North Carolina
Photo by: ACC/Andy Hancock
Duke Confronts North Carolina in ACC Tournament Semifinals
3/14/2025 1:54:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Opening Tip
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- No. 1 Duke confronts North Carolina in the ACC Tournament semifinals on Friday, March 14, at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte. The Blue Devils (29-3, 19-1 ACC) and Tar Heels (22-12, 13-7 ACC) tip off at 7 p.m., on ESPN.
- Dave O'Brien, Cory Alexander and Angel Gray will call the action on ESPN. David Shumate and John Roth team up for the broadcast on the Blue Devil Sports Network.
- Duke owns the second-highest net rating (38.84) in the history of KenPom (since 1996-97 season). Only the 1998-99 Duke Blue Devils have achieved a higher net rating (43.01).
- Duke holds a 14-9 advantage in ACC Tournament meetings with North Carolina, including an 8-3 record in semifinal matchups with five wins in six of those semifinals since 1980.
- Duke leads the nation in scoring margin (+21.7) and ranks fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.80), fifth in field goal percentage defense (.384), sixth in effective field goal percentage (.576), sixth in scoring defense (61.6), ninth in rebound margin (+8.6), 12th in turnovers per game (9.5), 13th in scoring offense (83.3), 14th in free throw percentage (.788), 15th in assists per game (17.1), 17th in three-point percentage (.381), 17th in field goal percentage (.489) and 19th in three-pointers per game (10.3) - all top marks in the ACC.
- Duke leads the ACC in scoring offense (83.3) and scoring defense (61.6), and could become the first team in ACC history to lead the conference in both categories.
- Duke is the only team in the country ranked among the top-three in both offensive (1st) and defensive (3rd) raw efficiency, according to KenPom.
- Duke is the only Division I team to score 80 points or more per game (83.3) and hold its opponents to fewer than 62 points per game (61.6).
- Duke's 10 conference wins +25 points are the most by any team in a season in ACC history.
- The 2024-25 Blue Devils are the first Duke team since the 1948-49 season to hold every regular-season opponent to fewer than 80 points.
- Jon Scheyer's 83 career victories surpass Bill Guthridge (80, North Carolina, 1997-2000) for the most wins by an ACC coach in their first three seasons.
- Cooper Flagg, who turned 18 years old on Dec. 21, is the only player to rank among the ACC's top-10 in all five major statistical categories - scoring (3rd), rebounding (8th), assists (8th), blocked shots (9th) and steals (10th).
- With 28 points on Thursday, Kon Knueppel is averaging 18.3 points in the last seven games, connecting on 40-of-72 (.556) from the field and 16-of-33 (.485) from long range.
- Khaman Maluach has 60 dunks this season, fifth-most by a Duke freshman and tied for seventh by any Blue Devil, compared to just 47 combined by Duke foes.
- Duke rallied from a 14-point deficit and defeated Georgia Tech, 78-70, in the ACC Tournament quarterfinal on Thursday, March 13.
- The Blue Devils (29-3) received a career-high 28 points from Kon Knueppel and scored 52 points in the second half to defeat the Yellow Jackets (17-16).
- Knueppel also matched a career high with eight assists, a game high, and secured five boards.
- Khaman Maluach led all players on the glass with nine caroms, and also blocked a career-high four shots, the most by any player in the contest.
- Maluach also reached double-figures, scoring 14 points on 6-of-8 (.750) shooting from the field, and Isaiah Evans was Duke's third double-digit scorer, finishing with 14 points, fueled by a 4-of-8 (.500) performance from beyond the arc.
- Three different Blue Devils swiped two steals, with Knueppel joined by Cooper Flagg and Mason Gillis in the category.
- Duke rallied from a 14-point deficit in the first half, matching its largest comeback of the season. The Blue Devils also trailed by 14 points at Louisville on Dec. 8, 2024, in an eventual 76-65 victory over the Cardinals.
- The Blue Devils missed their first 13 three-point shots in the opening 16 minutes, then connected on 7-of 17 (.412) from behind the arc the rest of the contest.
- Duke closed the first half on a 9-2 run to narrow the deficit to five points, 31-26, at the break, then scored the first 12 points of the second half to take a 38-31 lead.
- During Duke's extended 21-2 run, six different Blue Devils scored.
- The Blue Devils have now trailed by double figures in five games this season, and have rallied to victories in the last four instances (Auburn, Louisville, NC State, Georgia Tech).
- Duke is now 22-8 when playing ACC Tournament games in Charlotte, N.C.
- The Blue Devils swatted seven shots on Thursday, matching a season high for the team. Duke had previously blocked seven shots at SMU on Jan. 4.
- Duke won the rebounding battle, 38-31, and has finished with a positive margin on the glass in all but seven games this season.
- For the 20th time this season, Duke finished with a double-digit advantage for points in the paint, outscoring the Yellow Jackets, 40-26, in the category.
- Duke limited Georgia Tech to just nine fast-break points.
- Duke shot 17-of-19 (.895) from the free throw line, its seventh time in the last eight games to finish above 80 percent from the charity stripe.
- Prior to his one miss from the foul line, Knueppel had made 38 straight free throws.
- The 38 consecutive made free throws ranks fourth in program history, behind JJ Redick (54, 43) and Jon Scheyer (40).
- Evans fired off four made three-pointers, shooting 4-of-8 (.500) from deep, en route to 14 total points. The freshman played 17 minutes off the bench and finished the game 5-of-9 (.556) from the field, while also grabbing two rebounds.
- Maluach also scored 14 points on 6-of-8 (.750) shooting, highlighted by three slams. The freshman led the game with his nine rebounds and blocked a career-high four shots, which matched Flagg for the most swats in a game by a Blue Devil this season, set against North Carolina on March 8.
- Patrick Ngongba II contributed 10 key minutes of the bench, shooting a perfect 3-for-3 from the field, en route to seven total points, while also grabbing two rebounds and blocking one shot.
- Tyrese Proctor played in his 100th game as a Blue Devil on Thursday, collecting six points, five rebounds, three assists and a steal.
- Flagg (ankle) and Maliq Brown (shoulder) both exited the game in the first half.
- Duke head coach Jon Scheyer has achieved a career record of 83-21 after Saturday's victory for a winning percentage of .798.
- Scheyer's 83 victories exceed the standard set by Bill Guthridge (80, North Carolina, 1997-2000) for the most wins by an ACC coach in their first three seasons.
- Duke is once again one of the top defenses in the country.
- KenPom ranks the Blue Devils as the third-best defense in the nation with a raw defense efficiency rating of 92.6. (as of March 13)
- This season, Duke ranks fifth in the nation in field goal percentage defense (.384) and sixth in scoring defense (61.6) - both top marks in the ACC.
- The 2024-25 Blue Devils are the first Duke team since the 1948-49 season to hold every regular-season opponent to fewer than 80 points.
- Based on EvanMiya's Defensive Bayesian Performance Rating, Duke has six of the top 14 defenders in the ACC: Cooper Flagg (1st), Maliq Brown (2nd), Kon Knueppel (4th), Sion James (8th), Khaman Maluach (11th) and Tyrese Proctor (14th). Flagg ranks as the second-best defender in the nation with a rating of 4.60.
- Duke opponents have committed 33 shot clock violations on the season, compared to just six by the Blue Devils.
- Last season, the 2023-24 Blue Devils finished 16th in the nation in defense efficiency (95.2), and ranked 28th in the nation in scoring defense, holding opponents to just 66.3 points per game.
- In 2022-23, Jon Scheyer's first season as head coach, Duke finished the season 16th in the nation in defense efficiency (93.9), and ranked 24th in three-point percentage defense (.305), 27th in field goal percentage defense (.406) and 30th in scoring defense (63.6).
- While Duke established itself as an imposing defensive unit early in the season, the Blue Devils have evolved into one of the top-rated offenses in the country.
- The Blue Devils are No. 1 on KenPom's raw offensive efficiency list (125.1), followed by Auburn (122.3) and High Point (121.3).
- Duke also owns the top-rated offense by EvanMiya with an offensive performance rating of 21.0, ahead of Auburn (19.5) and Alabama (18.7). (as of March 13)
- Duke ranks fifth in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.80), sixth in effective field goal percentage (.576), 15th in assists per game (17.1) and 17th in field goal percentage (.489) - all top marks in the ACC.
- In the last seven regular-season games (wins over Stanford, Virginia, Illinois, Miami, Florida State, Wake Forest and North Carolina), Duke is averaging 95.4 points per contest, while shooting 240-of-452 (53.1%) from the field, 81-of-188 (43.1%) from three-point land and 107-of-128 (83.6%) from the free-throw line.
- Against Stanford, Duke averaged 1.68 points per possession, the fourth-highest efficiency against a high-major opponent in the KenPom database (since 1996-97), then 1.31 PPP at Virginia and 1.51 PPP versus Illinois. The offensive rating of 147 during those three games is the best three-game stretch against high-major opponents in KenPom history, topping the previous high of 140 by North Carolina in 2016. (The Athletic)
- The Blue Devils distributed 67 assists with just 17 turnovers during that three-game stretch, for an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.94.
- Duke freshman Cooper Flagg was announced as the ACC Player of the Year and ACC Rookie of the Year, while being named to the All-ACC First Team, ACC All-Defensive Team and ACC All-Rookie Team.
- Flagg collected 18 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals in the season-opener against Maine to become the first freshman in Duke history to have at least 10 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals in their debut.
- Flagg was the first Duke player in the last 40 years to amass 50+ points, 25+ rebounds and 10+ assists in his first three career games, per ESPN.
- Flagg was voted as the ACC Men's Basketball Player and Rookie of the Week on Nov. 25, becoming the first player to earn both honors in the same week since Feb. 3, 2020, when Duke's Vernon Carey, Jr., accomplished the same feat.
- Flagg became the only 17-year-old in NCAA history to register multiple 20-point double-doubles, according to Real Sports.
- In Duke's four top-25 matchups, Flagg averaged 21.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.3 steals per game.
- After registering a pair of 20-point double-doubles without committing a turnover against No. 2 Auburn and at Louisville, Flagg was declared the Associated Press and Lute Olson National Player of the Week and the ACC Rookie of the Week (Dec. 9).
- Flagg broke the Duke and ACC freshman single-game scoring records with 42 points versus Notre Dame (Jan. 11), becoming the youngest player in NCAA history to have a 40-point game, according to Real Sports.
- On Jan. 13, Flagg became the first player in ACC history to sweep the conference weekly awards (player and rookie of the week) three times. He is the fifth player in the history of the league to sweep the conference's weekly awards multiple times in a season, joining four former Blue Devils - Vernon Carey Jr. (2019-20), Zion Williamson (2018-19), Marvin Bagley III (2017-18) and Jabari Parker (2013-14), who each did so twice.
- The freshman achieved a perfect 4.0 grade point average during the fall 2024 semester.
- Flagg has posted seven double-doubles this season, including four with 20 points or more and two of those against ranked opponents, collecting 26 points and 11 rebounds versus No. 19 Kentucky and 22 points and 11 caroms against No. 2 Auburn.
- Flagg was voted as the ACC Rookie of the Week a record 12 times (Nov. 18, Nov. 25, Dec. 9, Dec. 23, Jan. 6, Jan. 13, Jan. 20, Jan. 27, Feb. 3, Feb. 17, Feb. 24, March 10) and the ACC Player of the Week five times (Nov. 25, Jan. 6, Jan. 13, Feb. 3, Feb. 24).
- Flagg's 12 ACC Rookie of the Week awards are the conference record, passing the standard of 10 honors by Kenny Anderson of Georgia Tech (1990), Tyler Hansbrough of UNC (2006) and Jabari Parker of Duke (2014).
- Flagg became the first ACC player to amass 500 points, 100 assists and 30 blocks in the regular season in the last 25 years, reaching those numbers in 26 games (at Virginia).
- Flagg, who turned 18 years old on Dec. 21, currently leads Duke in points (604), rebounds (239), assists (131), steals (49) and blocked shots (40).
- Flagg is the only player to rank among the ACC's top-10 in all five major statistical categories - scoring (3rd), rebounding (8th), assists (8th), blocked shots (9th) and steals (10th).
- Flagg is the second-highest rated player in the history of the KenPom Player of the Year Standings (since 2011) with a rating of 2.786, trailing Frank Kaminsky of Wisconsin in 2015 (2.794).
- Flagg currently leads the KenPom Player of the Year Standings with a 2.786 rating, ahead of Auburn's Johni Broome (2.337) and Hunter Dickinson of Kansas (1.545).
- Flagg is the top-rated player by EvanMiya with a combined offensive and defensive rating of 10.86, compared to Johni Broome of Auburn, who is second with a 9.83 rating.
- Flagg is rated as the No. 1 defender in the ACC and second nationally by EvanMiya with a defensive performance rating of 4.60, which is more than a point ahead of the conference's second-highest rated defender.
- Flagg has distributed 36 assists with just seven turnovers in the last eight games – a 5.1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
- Duke moved to the top of both the Associated Press and USA TODAY Coaches top-25 polls on Monday, March 10.
- The No. 1 ranking is the first time the Blue Devils have been positioned atop the Associated Press poll since Nov. 29, 2021.
- Duke has now been ranked as the No. 1 team in the nation for 146 weeks, more than any other program in the country.
- Duke has a record of 14-4 on March 14, including a 7-2 mark in the ACC Tournament.
- The Blue Devils have won all five games played on this date in Charlotte, N.C., the last in 2019, an 84-72 win over Syracuse.
- Duke has won five of its last six contests on March 14.
- Last season on March 14, the Blue Devils lost to NC State, 74-69, in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament in Washington, D.C.
- Friday will be the first meeting between Duke and UNC on March 14.
- The weekly television show, "Duke All-Access with Jon Scheyer," is back for its third season in 2024-25.
- 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 5:30 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.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils men's basketball, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeMBB".
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#GoDuke
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