Duke basketball is set to clash with the No. 5 seed Clemson in the semifinals of the 2026 ACC Tournament on Friday, March 13, at the Spectrum Center. This showdown promises to be a thrilling contest, with the top-seeded Blue Devils (30-2) taking on the Tigers (24-9) at 9:30 p.m.
ET. Fans can catch all the action live on ESPN.
Duke's journey to the semifinals was anything but easy. They narrowly edged out Florida State with an 80-79 victory in the quarterfinals, thanks to a standout performance from Isaiah Evans, who notched a career-high 32 points. Clemson, on the other hand, mirrored that nail-biting finish by also securing an 80-79 win over North Carolina, setting the stage for an exciting matchup.
The Blue Devils will be facing Clemson without two key starters. Center Patrick Ngongba II is sidelined with foot soreness, and point guard Caleb Foster is recovering from a broken foot.
While Ngongba II is expected to return for the NCAA Tournament, Foster's timeline is more uncertain. Having undergone surgery on March 8, he is in the early stages of rehab, but there's hope he might rejoin the squad if Duke makes a deep run in March Madness.
Reflecting on their regular-season encounter, Duke emerged victorious against Clemson with a 67-54 win on February 14 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. It was a defensive masterclass where the Blue Devils held the Tigers to a season-low 54 points on 35.1% shooting.
Cameron Boozer led the charge for Duke with 18 points, while Isaiah Evans contributed 17. For Clemson, only Carter Weeling and RJ Godfrey managed to score in double figures.
For those planning to tune in, the Duke vs. Clemson matchup will be broadcast on ESPN and is available for streaming on Fubo, which offers a free trial for new subscribers.
The game tips off at 9:30 p.m. ET at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
As the ACC Tournament unfolds, the bracket has already seen its fair share of drama. Highlights include Pittsburgh's narrow win over Stanford and Wake Forest's overtime victory against Virginia Tech. The semifinals promise to deliver more of the same excitement, with Duke and Clemson ready to leave it all on the court for a spot in the championship game.