As Duke prepares to open the college basketball season, the Blue Devils are carrying a label that even plenty of North Carolina fans would have a hard time arguing with: they’re the best program in the state.
That’s the latest national nod for Jon Scheyer’s team, which is already being talked about as a national title contender. And with Duke’s nonconference schedule set to reveal a lot early, the Blue Devils won’t have to wait long to show where they stand against the country’s other elite teams.
There’s a clear path here. If Duke handles business against at least some of those high-level opponents, it should put itself in strong position for a top seed in the NCAA Tournament by March. Beyond that, the buzz around this roster is even bigger - there’s real belief this could be the best team in America.
CBS recently ranked Duke as the top program in North Carolina, and the reasoning was hard to poke holes in.
“Jon Scheyer has soared past the expectation bar since taking over for Mike Krzyzewski in 2022. The only thing left to do is get to Monday night in April. Duke is comfortably, again, a preseason top-five team, while North Carolina starts anew with Michael Malone taking over and, presumably, being a notch or two below their Tobacco Road rivals in 2026-27.
“I've got NC State slightly ahead of Wake Forest in the Tar Heel State hierarchy, followed by UNC Wilmington,” CBS wrote of the best team in North Carolina.
That puts Duke ahead of a state field that still includes North Carolina, Wake Forest, NC State and a few other programs that can make life interesting. But when it comes to the biggest stage and the biggest brand, Duke remains the standard.
Scheyer hasn’t delivered a national championship yet, but he has kept the Blue Devils in the hunt every year since taking over in 2022. And with one of the strongest rosters in the country heading into this season, that expectation isn’t going anywhere.
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Nate Sheppard Just Pushed Duke Into A Much Bigger Conversation
Nate Sheppard turned a routine late-season game into a statement performance against Boston College, and in the process pushed Duke into a much bigger conversation. The sophomore running back set multiple school records in the win, including five rushing touchdowns in a single game and 18 total touchdowns on the season, giving the Blue Devils a centerpiece who has been as productive as any player in the country.
For Duke, the timing matters as much as the numbers. Sheppards surge helped secure bowl eligibility and reinforced his standing among the FBS leaders in all-purpose yards and total touchdowns, the kind of production that changes how opponents prepare and how the rest of the schedule looks from here. [Read more 🡒]
Nate Sheppard Just Gave Duke Fans A Real Reason To Believe
A lopsided win over Boston College gave Duke football more than another mark in the victory column. The Blue Devils rolled to a 47-2 finish, moved to 6-2 and clinched bowl eligibility, with the defense controlling the game from start to finish and keeping the Eagles out of the end zone.
Nate Sheppard was the centerpiece of it all, setting Duke records with five rushing touchdowns in one game and pushing his season total to 14 on the ground. Boston Colleges only points came on a botched hold on a PAT that was returned for a safety, a fittingly strange footnote to a night when Duke looked as complete as it has all season. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Just Got A Statement Win Fans Will Want To Relive
Duke didnt just beat Boston College, it put together one of those afternoons that fans will be replaying in their heads for a while. The Blue Devils rolled to a 47-2 win behind a dominant all-around showing, with Nate Sheppard powering the offense and the defense controlling the game from start to finish. Jeremiah Hasley also chipped in with key receptions as Duke kept finding ways to move the ball and stay in command.
The most striking part was how complete it looked on both sides. Sheppards five rushing touchdowns set the tone, while Dukes defense made sure Boston College never found much of a foothold, with the Eagles only points coming on a blocked PAT return. For a team looking to stack strong performances, this was the kind of statement win that can linger well beyond the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]