No. 9 Duke picked up its biggest win of the season on Wednesday and handed No. 2 Auburn its first loss. That was the extent of the good for the ACC.
The Blue Devils won 84-78 at Cameron Indoor Stadium, but their conference exited the ACC-SEC Challenge with a gruesome 14-2 loss in the event’s second year. The conference recorded just one win per game night.
For a while, it looked like Duke was on its way to another loss. The Blue Devils came out flat, falling behind 13-2 to open the game. Their defensive effort improved after a Jon Scheyer timeout, closing the first half on a 41-23 run.
That double-digit lead was cut to just two points at times in the second half, but Auburn was unable to close the distance. Despite facing an Auburn rotation dominated by upperclassmen, the difference was a young Duke team playing cleaner basketball, with only three turnovers the entire game.
Cooper Flagg, projected to be the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, led Duke in scoring with 22 points plus 11 rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks, but just as impressive was freshman Isaiah Evans. Rivals’ No. 14 overall recruit of the Class of 2024 got his first real minutes of the season and made the most of it, scoring 18 points off the bench on 6-for-9 shooting (6-for-8 from 3- point range).
It was a much-needed win for Duke, which suffered losses to No. 4 Kentucky and No. 1 Kansas earlier this season. With the ACC clearly not going to maintain the prestige it has in previous years, getting a big non-conference win will be huge for the Blue Devils who remain among the national elite as conference play ensues.
Now let’s talk about the other games.
The ACC/SEC Challenge was a bloodbath for the ACC
The event was decided at the end of the first night, with the SEC winning 9-1. Oddly enough, the only loss for No. 4 Kentucky was against unranked Clemson. Every other game was a show of power for the SEC, or lack thereof for the ACC. All but two of the SEC wins were by double digits.
The second night didn’t start any better for the ACC. No. 13 Florida blew out Virginia. Boat No. 10 Alabama drove No. 20 UNC. Mississippi, fresh off a 10-point loss to Butler, defeated No. 18 Pittsburgh with 33 points. Two more losses followed, and then Auburn-Duke.
The only positive side of the ACC: the two wins came over the top 5 teams.
Here’s the full scoreboard:
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South Carolina 73, Boston College 51
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Notre Dame 48, Georgia 69
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Arkansas 76, Miami 73
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Cal 93, Missouri 98
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Syracuse 70, No. 3 Tennessee 96
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No. 23 Ole Miss 86, Louisville 63
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State of Florida 75, LSU 85
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Georgia Tech 61, Oklahoma 76
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Wakebos 44, Texas A&M 57
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No. 4Kentucky 66, Clemson 70
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Virginia 69, No. 13Florida 87
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No. 10 Alabama 94, No. 20 UNC 79
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No. 18 Pittsburgh 57, Mississippi State 90
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Vanderbilt 80Virginia Tech 64
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Texel 63NC State 59
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No. 2 Chestnut brown 78, No. 9 Duke 84
That won’t help any ACC team when Selection Sunday comes around.
Over the past year, the ACC has weathered multiple challenges as it tries to keep its conference together and prevent the Big Ten and SEC from taking the Power Four to Power Two after already downsizing the Power Five. The past two days will not help the perception that one of the most historic college athletics conferences is falling behind.
