2023–24 ACC Previews: Duke
This is a part of a weekly series that will analyze the upcoming season for each ACC Men’s Basketball Team every Thursday leading up to the 2023–24 season.
So far, we have covered Boston College and Clemson.
Now, let’s take a look at Duke.
2022–23 Season Recap
The Blue Devils finished the season strong, won the ACC Tournament, and earned a #4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They handled Oral Roberts but then lost to Tennessee in the second round.
Expectations seemed to go back and forth over the course of the season, but by the time the regular season ended they were the best team in the conference.
Statistically speaking, the biggest red flag areas for the Blue Devils was their lack of forcing turnovers and low 3 point percentage.
2023–24 Roster Outlook
Duke has one of the most talented rosters in the country going into the 2023–24 season.
You have a roster where most of the starting lineup tested the NBA waters paired with a top-3 recruiting class.
Jeremy Roach comes back for his senior year and will be one of the best guards in the ACC/NCAA.
Tyrese Proctor is back for his sophomore campaign and will likely jump into a big-time role for the Blue Devils.
Mark Mitchell was a utility player of sorts last season and will step into a bigger role.
Kyle Filipowski is one of the best bigs in all of college basketball.
Those four will likely be starting for Duke this season, but the fifth spot is likely up for grabs.
If the Blue Devils want to go guard heavy, they’ll likely start top-15 recruit Jared McCain.
If they want to go big, they’ll start senior Ryan Young, freshman TJ Power, or freshman Sean Stewart.
Caleb Foster, another freshman, will likely get some time off the bench as a bigger guard.
Depth and talent will not be an issue for Duke this season.
This team was very young last season and, while they’ll still have some young pieces, the experience of bringing back so many key pieces will make this Duke team the ACC favorite.
2023–24 Schedule Outlook
The Blue Devils didn’t shy away from competition with their schedule this season. Here are some notable matchups:
- 11/10 — home matchup against Arizona
- 11/14 — vs. Michigan State in the State Farm Champions Classic
- 11/29 — at Arkansas for the ACC/SEC Challenge
- 12/20 — vs. Baylor at Madison Square Garden
In ACC play, the Blue Devils’ double-opponents are:
UNC, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Notre Dame, Pitt
- Outside of UNC, this is a pretty favorable double-opponent list for Duke
Their home-only ACC opponents are:
Boston College, Clemson, Syracuse, Louisville
- Outside of Clemson, these are all games that Duke should be pretty highly favored in
Their road-only ACC opponents are:
Florida State, Miami, NC State, Virginia Tech
- These are all tough road-only matchups — this makes up for the fact that their doubles schedule is pretty soft
The goal for Duke this season has to be a Final Four or National Championship.
This team has all the pieces — experience, size, shooting, depth, pro talent — to do so.
Until next time!
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