For the first time in over a decade, the Blue Devils will be the No. 1 seed in the ACC tournament.
Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s farewell tour will now feature a historic finish in the regular season thanks to a 86–56 win over Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
For the first time since 2010, the Blue Devils will do no worse than tied for first place in the ACC regular-season standings, with the outcome of the monumental Saturday‘s Tobacco Road rivalry game against North Carolina determining if they take No. 1 outright.
If Duke (26–4, 16–3 ACC) comes out as the better blue and beats the Tar Heels, it will mark the first time since 2006 the program took first place outright. The other team with the potential to tie for first is Notre Dame (21–8, 14–4 ACC). The Blue Devils have already clinched the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament by beating the Fighting Irish in their only matchup this season.
The 11-season drought is the longest during Krzyzewski’s tenure, according to ESPN Stats & Info. In 2010, Duke followed the regular-season title by winning both the conference tournament and NCAA title. Throughout the course of the legend’s time with the program, Duke has finished first in the ACC regular season 13 times.
The Blue Devils’ victory over Pitt marked the last regular-season road game in Krzyzewski's 42 seasons with the program, extending their current win streak to seven consecutive games.
More College Basketball Coverage: