February 24, 2026; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) drives in while Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Cole Serta (5) defends during the second half at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Image As we approach the second to final weekend of the regular season, first-place Duke’s matchup percentage is not decreasing.
The Blue Devils will face No. 11 Virginia in the Atlantic Coast Conference Saturday afternoon in Durham, North Carolina.
“Any win we can get in the conference is big,” Duke coach John Scheier said.
A win for Duke (26-2, 14-1 ACC) would clinch the top seed in the ACC tournament. Streak Virginia (25-3, 13-2) could move up the standings with a win.
“I think the biggest key is how we continue to get better,” Scheyer said. “I think that’s a big thing for us, just not staying the same. We call it winning the details. How can we win the details and win on the margins? Can we be better than we are now in two and a half weeks?”
The tune-up in this matchup was impressive for both teams.
Duke went to Notre Dame on Tuesday and beat the Fighting Irish 100-56. At the same time, the Cavaliers extended their winning streak to nine games with a visit to NC State 90-61.
“We’re going to do what we always do, get ready for the next game,” Virginia coach Ryan Odom said. “We know the challenge that lies there. The No. 1 team in the country is very well-coached, very talented, united and strong.”
Duke ranked No. 1 in the national rankings for the first time this season. It’s a nice tag, but the Blue Devils have more important goals right now.
“We’re playing for bigger things and we need to continue to grow,” freshman forward Cameron Boozer said. “Good win (Tuesday), big game Saturday. We’re definitely moving in the right direction.”
Duke scored a season-high 54 points in the first half of the Notre Dame game. Despite Duke reaching 100 points in its last two ACC outings, Scheyer said the Blue Devils need to focus on what they can do defensively.
“We have to continue to dominate on the defensive end,” he said, “and we have to continue to try and fight for good shots against a defense that is going to make it difficult for us.”
Boozer’s 22.7 points and 10.1 rebounds per game are a huge boost for the Blue Devils. Virginia will look to block the lane with 7-footers Johann Grunloh and Ugonna Onyenso, who had 12 blocked shots in Tuesday’s game.
The angle of improvement is one that Virginia players have also embraced.
“I think we’re starting to get better at the right time, which is really important,” Cavaliers guard Dallin Hall said. “We want to continue to improve every day.”
Virginia is more balanced offensively than Duke, with Thijs De Ridder averaging a team-high 16.0 points per game. He’s also grabbing a team-high 6.3 rebounds.
Virginia is 8-1 on the road, but hasn’t won in Durham since 2022. This will be Odom’s first clash with the Blue Devils since taking over the Cavaliers.
“We’re going to have to do our best to have a chance to win,” Odom said.
–Field level media
