Duke Teams Seek Third Straight ACC Titles

Duke’s men’s team is favored to win a third straight ACC title as Jon Scheyer enters his fifth season, aiming to replace major star production with a deeper roster. The Blue Devils return NBA prospect Patrick Ngongba II and wing Dame Sarr, add transfer guard John Blackwell and a highly ranked recruiting class, and face Virginia and Louisville among their leading challengers. Duke’s women are also preseason favorites after winning the ACC regular-season and tournament crowns and reaching the Elite Eight despite injuries that left them with a seven-player rotation. Kara Lawson’s team returns leading scorer and rebounder Toby Fournier and other key starters, while Louisville—last year’s title-game opponent—is among its primary competitors.