Will the Duke Blue Devils make March Madness 2024? Status explored after upset loss vs. NC State Wolfpack in ACC Tournament
The Duke Blue Devils suffered a shocking 74-69 loss to the NC State Wolfpack in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament on Thursday. Despite entering the tournament as the No. 2 seed, the No. 11-ranked were bounced in their first game, marking their first opening-round loss in the conference tournament since 2013.
The Wolfpack were led by a balanced effort that saw five players score in double figures. DJ Horne led the scoring, finishing with 18 points and four rebounds while shooting 7-13 from the field, 2-6 from three-point range, and 2-5 from the free-throw line in 36 minutes off the bench. Mohamed Diarra added 14 points, 16 rebounds, two assists, four blocks, and three steals while shooting 5-9 from the field, 1-4 from three-point range, and 3-7 from the free-throw line.
Meanwhile, Kyle Filipowski led all scorers as he finished with 28 points, 14 rebounds, one assist, and three steals while shooting 13-20 from the field and 2-3 from the free-throw line before fouling out. Mark Mitchell added 18 points, eight rebounds, one assist, one block, and one steal while shooting 8-13 from the field, 2-2 from three-point range, and 0-4 from the free-throw line. Aside from those two, however, Tyrese Proctor was the only other Blue Devil to score in double figures.
Let's find out whether or not the Duke Blue Devils will still reach March Madness.
Will the Duke Blue Devils make March Madness 2024?
While the Duke Blue Devils will not win the ACC Tournament and receive the conference's automatic bid, they remain a lock to reach the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils have remained in the rankings throughout the season and their ACC Tournament loss will not change that.
Although they will slide in the rankings and their postseason seed will likely drop, they are still, easily, among the top 68 programs in the nation. Furthermore, Duke has had a tough schedule, ranking 57th out of 362 teams in the nation in strength of schedule and 11th in the simple rating system, which factors in both point differential and strength of schedule while excluding games against non-Division I opponents.
Finally, the Blue Devils rank among the best teams in the nation on both sides of the ball. They average 80.2 points per game, ranking 44th in scoring offense and 10th in offensive rating. Duke has allowed just 67.2 ppg as they rank 52nd in scoring defense and 68th in defensive rating.