Top-Ranked Duke Visits NC State on ESPN's Big Monday

Monday, March 2

Raleigh, NC

7 p.m.

Duke University

NC State

Buy Tickets

Dame Sarr and Cameron Boozer - Duke Men's Basketball 2025-26

Photo by: Duke Athletics

Top-Ranked Duke Visits NC State on ESPN's Big Monday

3/1/2026 8:43:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Game Notes (PDF)

The Opening Tip

ESPN's Big Monday features a clash of ACC foes Duke and NC State at Lenovo Center.
Dave O'Brien, Cory Alexander and Molly McGrath will call the action on ESPN. David Shumate and John Roth team up for the broadcast on the Blue Devil Sports Network.
Duke leads the series with the Wolfpack, 153-105, including a 49-44 advantage in Raleigh.
Duke has clinched at least a share of the ACC regular-season championship for the 22nd time.
The Blue Devils have finished the regular season with at least a share of the ACC regular-season championship in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2001.
Duke made a record 148th appearance atop the weekly Associated Press top-25 poll. (Feb. 23)
Duke is No. 1 in NET rankings and owns 12 Quad-1 wins, second-most in the country. (Mar. 1)
Duke has secured 10 top-25 victories, the most in the regular season in ACC history.
Duke has won 37 of its last 39 games against conference opponents.
The Blue Devils are the top-rated defense in the nation. (KenPom)
Duke is one of just two teams ranked in the top-six nationally in both offensive efficiency (127.9, 6th) and defensive efficiency (88.3, 1st) ratings. (KenPom)
The Blue Devils lead the ACC and are second nationally in scoring margin (+20.3).
The Blue Devils rank third in the nation and first in the ACC in scoring defense (62.5 ppg).
Duke tops the conference and ranks sixth in the country in rebounding margin (+10.3).
Cameron Boozer is the nation's seventh-leading scorer with 22.5 points per game, and tops the ACC in rebounding (10.0 rpg), is eighth in steals (1.7 spg), 13th in assists (4.0 apg) and fourth in field goal percentage (.577).
Boozer has recorded at least 14 points, five rebounds and two assists in all 29 games this season, the longest such streak by any player (men's or women's) at any point in a Division I career this century. (OptaSTATS)
Isaiah Evans ranks second in the ACC in free-throw percentage (.888), and is the ACC's 13th-leading scorer in conference play, averaging 16.8 points per league game.
Saturday was Jon Scheyer's 600th game representing Duke as a player and coach (476-124).
Duke owns the best record in Division I college basketball over the past two seasons at 62-6.
Since Thanksgiving 2024, the Blue Devils have achieved a record of 58-4 (.935).

About the NC State Wolfpack

Monday night will be 259th hardwood meeting between the Blue Devils and Wolfpack, with Duke leading, 153-105.
Duke holds a 49-44 advantage over NC State in Raleigh, including a 10-8 edge at Lenovo Center.
NC State defeated Duke, 76-64, in the 2024 Elite Eight, the Blue Devils' only double-digit loss in the last three seasons.
In its last five games, NC State defeated North Carolina in Raleigh, suffered a one-point loss at home to Miami and road losses at Louisville, Virginia and Notre Dame (OT).
The Wolfpack lead the ACC and rank ninth nationally in turnover margin (+4.0).
NC State is 13th nationally with an ACC-best 3-point shooting percentage of 38.6%.
The Wolfpack top the conference with 8.4 steals per outing.
Quadir Copeland tops the ACC and ranks 11th in the nation with 198 assists (6.8 apg), and is third in the ACC in steals (53).
NC State boasts four double-figure scorers, led by Darrion Williams (14.3), Ven-Allen Lubin (13.9) and Copeland (13.7).

On This Date - March 2

Duke is 18-11 overall on March 2 and has won five of its last six games on this date.
This will be the second regular-season meeting for the two teams on March 2, and the fourth meeting between the Blue Devils and Wolfpack overall. Duke won the 2020 regular-season game in Durham, and the 1979 meeting in the ACC Tournament.
Duke last played on this date in 2024, a 73-48 victory over Virginia at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Last Time Out

A strong three-point shooting first half helped No. 1 Duke defeat No. 11 Virginia, 77-51, on Saturday, Feb. 28 at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
With the victory, the Blue Devils clinched at least a share of the ACC regular-season title and will be the No. 1-seed in the upcoming ACC Tournament.
Duke's defense held the Cavaliers (25-4, 13-3 ACC) to just 51 points, 31.3 points below their season average of 82.3 points per game and a season-low offensive output.
Isaiah Evans led all scorers with 19 points, fueled by four triples in the first half, including three before the game's first media timeout.
Cameron Boozer joined Evans in double-figures with 18 points, while finishing one rebound off another double-double, grabbing nine boards. Patrick Ngongba II rounded out the double-digit scoring with 11 points. Caleb Foster paced the Blue Devils in assists with a game-high six, while also grabbing six rebounds.
As a team, Duke shot 12-of-24 from deep, including 8-of-13 (.615) in the first half, the team's best three-point percentage in a first half this season.
The victory over Virginia represents the Blue Devils' 10th win over a top-25 foe this season, making Duke the first team in the history of the ACC to win at least 10 regular-season games against ranked opponents.
The Blue Devils have won 31 consecutive home games, including 18 straight against conference opponents, while posting a 62-3 (.954) home record under head coach Jon Scheyer.
Saturday marked Scheyer's 600th game representing Duke between his time as a player and a coach. The Blue Devils are 476-124 in those games.
Duke shot 8-of-13 (.615) from beyond the arc in the first half, setting a new team benchmark for first-half shooting percentage from deep this season.
The Cavaliers entered Saturday's game averaging 82.3 points per game, but were held to just 51, 31.3 below their season average. Duke's defense has held all but two of their 29 opponents below their scoring average. The 51 points scored by Virginia set a new season low for the Cavaliers, which was previously 61 points in a win at Florida State.
The Blue Devils held the Cavaliers to 16-of-55 (.291) overall from the field, Virginia's first game shooting under 30 percent since Nov. 21, 2024.
Entering Saturday, Duke topped the ACC and ranked seventh nationally for rebounding margin (+10.4). The Blue Devils outrebounded Virginia by eight (37-29) and have finished with a positive margin on the glass in 25 games this season.
Duke began the game leading the league, and ranked fifth nationally, for scoring margin (+20.1). The Blue Devils defeated Virginia by 26 points, outpacing their season average for scoring margin.
As a team, Duke shot 13-of-14 (.929) from the free-throw line, its best percentage from the charity stripe this season..

ACC Regular-Season Champions

With Saturday's win, Duke clinched at least a share of the ACC regular-season championship and will be the top seed in the upcoming ACC Tournament.
The 2025-26 campaign is the 22nd time the Blue Devils have earned at least a share of the regular-season title.
The Blue Devils have finished the regular season with at least a share of the ACC regular-season championship in back-to-back seasons for the first time since winning five straight in 1996-2001.

Duke at No. 1 in Top-25 Polls

On Feb. 23, after defeating top-ranked Michigan, Duke jumped two spots to the top of the Associated Press and USA TODAY Coaches top-25 polls.
The Blue Devils have now been ranked as the No. 1 team in the nation (AP poll) for 148 weeks, more than any other program in the country. (prior to March 2 poll)
Monday will be Duke's 295th game played as the No. 1-ranked team, ahead of UCLA's 257 games for the best total all-time (since 1949), with the Blue Devils posting a 252-42 record.
Since 1998, the Blue Devils have played 192 games as the top-ranked team, more than twice as many as the next best tally (84 by North Carolina).
Last season, Duke moved to the top of both the AP and Coaches polls on March 10, 2025, and remained in the top spot on March 17, 2025, after winning three games in Charlotte to capture the ACC Tournament title, right through to the Final Four.
The No. 1 ranking on March 10, 2025, was the first time the Blue Devils were positioned atop the Associated Press poll since Nov. 29, 2021.

Blue Devils Efficient at Both Ends of the Floor

Duke is one of only two teams ranked in the top-six nationally in both offensive efficiency (127.9, 6th) and defensive efficiency (88.3, 1st) ratings, according to KenPom.com.
The Blue Devils are the nation's No. 1-rated team, according to KenPom, with an overall rating of 39.63, the second-highest rating in KenPom history. Michigan, who the Blue Devils defeated, is second at 39.43. (Feb. 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 finished the season with 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).
Duke has boasted a top-20 defense in all four seasons under head coach Jon Scheyer: 16th (93.9) in 2022-23; 16th (95.2) in 2023-24; 5th (90.8) in 2024-25; and currently 1st (88.3) in 2025-26.

Tracking Blue Devil Deflections

Through 29 games, the Blue Devils have accumulated 511 deflections, an average of 17.6 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 153 deflections (5.3 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.
Brown has the best steal percentage (5.25%) in the ACC and ranks second nationally, according to KenPom (percentage of possessions a player records a steal while on the court).
Brown joined teammate Cameron Boozer as one of 15 players selected to the 2025-26 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award watch list, announced Feb. 27.

Cleaning the Glass

Duke tops the conference and ranks sixth in the country in rebounding margin (+10.3), outrebounding its opposition by an average of 39.9 to 29.6 boards per game.
The Blue Devils have outrebounded their opponent in 25 games this season.
Duke has outrebounded seven opponents by 20 or more boards, including a season-best rebound margin of +34 (55-21) against Lipscomb, +22 (49-27) at Notre Dame, and a +21 (47-26) versus Louisville.
Duke has limited three opponents to two points or less in second-chance points, including a pair of shutouts (Lipscomb, Georgia Tech).

Strength of Schedule

Duke has secured 10 top-25 victories - the most by any team this season - with wins over No. 1 Michigan, No. 7 Michigan State, No. 11 Virginia, No. 15 Florida, No. 20 Louisville (twice), No. 20 Clemson, No. 22 Arkansas, No. 24 SMU and No. 25 Kansas.
The 2025-26 Blue Devils are the first team in the history of the ACC to win at least 10 regular-season games against ranked opponents.
Duke has posted five double-digit victories over ranked teams this season, the most by Duke since the 2001-02 campaign. (ESPN Research)
Duke, ranked No. 1 in the NCAA's NET rankings (March 1), has played 14 Quad-1 games with a 12-2 record in those contests. The Blue Devils' 12 Quad-1 wins are the second-most in the country.
Eight ACC teams are among the top 35 of the NCAA's NET rankings (as of March 1). Duke (1), Virginia (14), Louisville (17), North Carolina (26) and NC State (29) rank among the top 30.
Four ACC teams are ranked in the latest Associated Press top-25 poll (Feb. 23): No. 1 Duke, No. 11 Virginia, No. 18 North Carolina and No. 24 Louisville.

Measurable Results

Duke owns the best record in Division I college basketball over the past two seasons at 62-6. (College Basketball Report)
Since Thanksgiving 2024, the Blue Devils have achieved a record of 58-4 (.935).
Duke has won 37 of its last 39 games against conference opponents.
The Blue Devils have confronted double-digit deficits in four outings this season, including their largest deficits at Louisville (12) and versus SMU (11), and have rallied to win all four games.
During the past three seasons under head coach Jon Scheyer, Duke has sustained just one double-digit defeat — in the 2024 NCAA Elite Eight.
In that stretch, the Blue Devils have produced 68 double-figure victories, including 46 wins by 20-plus points, 23 by 30-plus and eight by 40-plus.
Since the start of last season, Duke has won 34 games by at least 20 points. That is the most 20-point wins in Division I over this span and nine more than the next closest major conference team (Iowa State, 25). (Stats Perform)
Duke has taken a double-digit lead in 63 of 68 games since the start of last season. The Blue Devils have a 59-4 record in those contests, including 50 wins by at least 10 points. (Devils Illustrated)

Cameron Boozer's Historic Campaign

Cameron Boozer headlines the KenPom Player of the Year Rankings with the highest mark (3.115) since the current format of the rating system was implemented in 2013. No player has finished a season with a rating above 2.800. Frank Kaminsky of Wisconsin achieved a 2.794 rating at the conclusion of the 2014-15 season.
Boozer also sits atop the EvanMiya Player Performance Rankings at 14.54, leading Yaxel Lendeborg of Michigan at 13.08.
Boozer has recorded at least 14 points, five rebounds and two assists in all 29 games this season, the longest such streak by any player (men's or women's) at any point in a Division I career this century. (OptaSTATS)
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.
Boozer's nine assists against Florida State were the most by a Blue Devil in the past three seasons (10 assists by Tyrese Proctor against Pitt in the 2023 ACC Tournament).
Boozer needed just 16 career games to record 300+ points, 150+ rebounds and 50+ assists. That is the second fewest needed by any player this century, as LSU's Ben Simmons reached those figures in 15 games 10 years ago in 2015-16. (Stats Perform)
Boozer became the first Blue Devil to score 30 points in consecutive games since RJ Barrett in February 2019.
The Miami native has amassed 25 points or more in 10 games, including 35 points against No. 22 Arkansas, 35 points versus Indiana State, 32 points against Wake Forest, 30 points at Stanford and 29 points against No. 15 Florida.
Boozer's 32-point performance versus Wake Forest (Jan. 24) was his 10th game scoring 25 points or more, which ranks third among Duke freshmen all time.
Boozer has led all players in points, rebounds and assists in six games this season, breaking a tie with Tim Duncan (5, 1996-97) for the most by an ACC player in a season over the last 30 seasons.
Boozer has been voted ACC Player of the Week four times (Nov. 17, Dec. 1, Dec. 8, Jan. 19) and ACC Rookie of the Week nine times (Nov. 17, Nov. 24, Dec. 1, Dec. 8, Jan. 5, Jan. 12, Jan. 19, Jan. 26, Feb. 23).
The freshman forward is currently the nation's seventh-leading scorer with 22.5 points per game, ranks 14th nationally with 10.0 rebounds per contest and is tied for eighth with 16 double-doubles, which is tied for the second-most by a Duke freshman.
Among ACC statistical leaders, Boozer leads the league in rebounding (10.0 rpg), and ranks second in scoring (22.5 ppg), eighth in steals (1.7 spg), 13th in assists (4.0 apg) and fourth in field goal percentage (.577).

Other Notables

Duke has a record of 67-3 (.957) when committing 15 or fewer fouls under head coach Jon Scheyer, compared to 49-21 (.700) when the Blue Devils have 16 or more fouls. (@EvanMiya)
Maliq Brown is seventh in the nation and second in the ACC in 2-point field goal percentage (74.0%), having made 57-of-77 shots inside the arc.
Veteran Blue Devil Caleb Foster has proven to be a road warrior this season, establishing new career-highs in points (20 at Louisville), rebounds (8 at Pittsburgh) and assists (8 vs. Arkansas in Chicago) all away from the friendly confines of Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Cameron Boozer and Isaiah Evans are the first Duke teammates to each have 350+ points in the team's first 25 games of a season since Tre Jones and Vernon Carey Jr. in 2019-20.
Evans has notched at least 10 points and a made three in 12 straight home games, the longest such streak by a Blue Devil since Brandon Ingram (14) in 2015-16.
Duke has registered 32 kill shots (scoring run of 10+ points) this season, while surrendering just six by the opposition.
Duke's 11-0 start was the best unbeaten open to a season since the 2017-18 campaign, and its 21-1 record was the best start to a season since 2007-08 (22-1).
The Blue Devils' 17 straight ACC regular-season victories (Feb. 12, 2025-Feb. 3, 2026) is the third-longest ACC winning streak in program history and the longest since 2000.
Duke's eight consecutive ACC road wins (Feb. 12, 2025-Feb. 3, 2026) tied for the third-longest ACC road winning streak in program history.
Duke has won 14 games in conference play for the fifth straight season. That's the longest streak by an ACC team in conference history. (Stats Perform)
The 55-point margin of victory over Army West Point (Nov. 11, 2025) was Duke's largest road win in program history.
The 100-56 win at Notre Dame (Feb. 24) was the Blue Devils' first time scoring 100 points in a regulation ACC road game since 1999, and the 44-point difference marked the largest margin of defeat for Notre Dame at home since 1898.
Duke posted a record of 36-3 (.923) in 2025, to tie the ACC record for most wins in a calendar year, equaling the 1992 Blue Devils (36-2) and North Carolina in 2008 (36-3).