Will Duke make the NCAA Tournament this year? Looking at their run this season in buildup to March Madness 2023
Few programs are as synonymous with success in college basketball as Duke. The storied program has five NCAA championships and has made the Final Four 17 times, with 13 coming under coach Mike Krzyzewski.
However, it has been a season of change for the Blue Devils since Krzyzewski retired last season. Former Duke All-American player Jon Scheyer has stepped into his massive shoes this season and understandably has had some growing pains.
The Blue Devils (22-8, 13-6 Atlantic Coast Conference), who finished a perfect 16-0 at home, are riding a five-game winning streak as they head into their season finale against rival North Carolina (19-11, 11-8).
While it may not be the elite season Blue Devils fans are accustomed to, the Blue Devils can still be confident they will be punching their tickets to the NCAA Tournament. They have played their best basketball down the stretch and have notched notable wins over No. 16 Miami, No. 19 Xavier and No. 25 Pittsburgh this season.
It will be a more difficult path than usual, but count on the Blue Devils to be locked in for a middle-of-the-pack seed in the tournament, likely in the 7-10 range. With a top-ranked recruiting class that looks to be hitting its stride at the right time, keep an eye on this team as a candidate to outperform its seeding.
A look at Duke's season so far
After coming into the season with the eight-best odds to win the NCAA Tournament, Duke has seen the odds shift. They currently hold the 24th-best odds of hoisting the trophy, which is respectable for a program destined for a middle-of-the-pack seed. They rank 24th in the NCAA’s Net Rating and 32nd according to KenPom rankings.
The Blue Devils are led in scoring and rebounding by freshman Kyle Filipowski. He is averaging 14.8 points and 9.0 rebounds while flashing the ability to step outside and knock down 3-pointers, providing the offense with an interesting new element.
Fellow freshmen Dariq Whitehead and Derek Lively II have also found their stride. While both have been somewhat limited in their minutes throughout the year, they have gotten more comfortable as the season has progressed and provided a necessary spark. Lively has been impactful defensively, averaging 2.3 blocks per game.
Junior Jeremey Roach has grown into a calming presence on the court, often navigating situations in crunchtime and delivering. Averaging 13.2 ppg, 3.3 apg and 2.4 rpg this season, Roach has taken a huge step forward from his 8.6 ppg average last season while emerging as a leader.
Duke has high-level talent and has shown flashes of impressive play at times. If the Blue Devils can put the pieces together and perform well on the biggest stage, they will be a difficult team to take down. They may not be the surefire top seed as usual, but Duke is still in a better position than most college basketball programs.