March 13, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Virginia Cavaliers coach Ryan Odom reacts during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images CHARLOTE – No. 10 Virginia will want a different result against No. 1 Duke when the teams meet in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament finals Saturday night.
Two weeks after the teams’ previous meeting, the Cavaliers won’t be seeking an overhaul in how things are done.
“There’s no reason to change anything at this point,” Virginia coach Ryan Odom said. “We have a lot of games in the season and these guys know how we do things, we have a process and we have to stick to it.”
Duke (31 wins, 2 losses), the top seed in this tournament, is aiming for its second consecutive win. The Cavaliers (29-4), the second-seeded team this week, last won the ACC Tournament championship in 2018.
“This is a great opportunity for us to compete for an ACC championship,” Virginia guard Malik Thomas said.
The Blue Devils could become the first ACC team to win back-to-back regular season and tournament titles since Duke did so in 1999 and 2000.
Duke beat Virginia 77-51 at home on Feb. 28 in their only regular season matchup. The Blue Devils will be without Patrick Ngongba II and Caleb Foster for the tournament final due to injuries. They combined for 16 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists in their first meeting with the Cavaliers.
“In some ways it feels like a million years ago,” Duke coach John Sheyer said. “I’ll watch the game again (overnight). Let’s see what they did before. They’ve got a ton of firepower.”
Duke shot 50% (12-for-24) on 3-pointers in the game compared to Virginia’s 20% (7-for-35).
Odom said there are concerns about center Johan Grunlo’s status after suffering a wrist injury Thursday. He didn’t attempt a shot in 11 minutes Friday.
“There’s nothing structurally wrong with it,” Odom said. “He’ll be ready to go another day.”
Virginia and Duke each gained momentum late in the first half of their semifinal games.
The Cavaliers defeated third-seeded Miami 84-62.
Duke dominated fifth-seeded Clemson for most of the game, building a 20-point lead in the second half before winning 73-61.
Playing three days in a row is something Odom said the Cavaliers can handle.
“This isn’t about one person, it’s about our entire roster,” he said. “We’ve definitely lost some nights, but most nights these guys cover for each other. … These guys show the poise it takes to win a basketball game.”
Duke used seven players in the Clemson game and in Thursday night’s 80-79 escape from Florida State. Scheyer said he knows Virginia is heavily involved with its bench.
“One of the strengths of that team is depth,” he said. “I think with the way we can replace and the rotation we have, we will be ready to start fresh. Playing for a championship is a blessing, so fatigue will not be a factor in this.”
Odom will aim to become the fourth coach to do so in his first season in the ACC and lead his team to a conference championship.
These are the same two schools that met for the ACC Football Championship in Charlotte three months ago. Duke won that game in overtime.
–Bob Sutton, Field Level Media
