No. 1 Duke Seeks Outright ACC Title at NC State

Blue Devils can clinch regular-season conference championship with road victory over Wolfpack

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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No. 1 ranked Duke University men's basketball team is seeking to clinch the outright Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) regular-season title when they face NC State on the road on Monday night. The Blue Devils have already secured the top seed for the upcoming ACC tournament, and a win over the Wolfpack would give them the outright conference championship. Duke coach Jon Scheyer emphasized that his team is focused on the task at hand and not taking the opportunity for granted.

Why it matters

Winning the outright ACC regular-season title would be a significant accomplishment for Duke, further cementing their status as one of the top teams in the country this season. The Blue Devils have been dominant in conference play, and clinching the title outright would solidify their position heading into the postseason.

The details

Duke (27-2, 15-1 ACC) needs just one more win - either against NC State on Monday or in their regular-season finale at home against No. 18 North Carolina - to claim the outright ACC title. The Blue Devils are coming off an impressive 77-51 victory over second-place Virginia on Saturday. Meanwhile, NC State (19-10, 10-6) has hit a rough patch, losing four of its last five games, including road losses to Virginia and Notre Dame. Wolfpack coach Will Wade acknowledged his team has given away some recent games that they were in control of, putting their NCAA Tournament hopes in jeopardy.

  • Duke and NC State will face off on Monday, March 2, 2026.
  • Duke's regular-season finale against North Carolina is scheduled for this Saturday.

The players

Jon Scheyer

Head coach of the Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team.

Cameron Boozer

Freshman forward for the Duke Blue Devils.

Will Wade

Head coach of the NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team.

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What they’re saying

“We won't take this for granted. With that said, we don't like shares (of championships). We have more work that we want to do.”

— Jon Scheyer, Head coach (statenews.net)

“We've lost four out of five. We've given away really two of the four losses. We've pretty much had the game, and we were in control of the game almost the entire game (Saturday at Notre Dame) and we just gave it away.”

— Will Wade, Head coach (statenews.net)

“We've done it a couple of times (with the Saturday-to-Monday turnaround), and this is what it's going to be like in March (tournaments). It's a quick turnaround, but it is what it is. We're going to be all right.”

— Cameron Boozer, Freshman forward (statenews.net)

What’s next

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The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.