After sending three teams to Elite Eight a season ago, the ACC again solidified itself as one of the premier conferences in the nation, making the Blue Devils' quest to win their first regular-season conference title since 2010 a difficult one.
The ACC released the 2015-16 men's basketball conference schedule Wednesday afternoon. After a grueling non-conference schedule that includes 14 games against 2015 NCAA tournament teams, Duke opens up ACC play Jan. 2 at Boston College.
The Blue Devils' toughest stretch will come in mid-February. During a 12-day stretch, head coach Mike Krzyzewski's squad will play Louisville twice, Virginia and North Carolina.
The highlight of Duke's conference slate is a pair of matches against the rival Tar Heels. After knocking off the Tar Heels twice a season ago, the Blue Devils will look to continue their winning ways in the rivalry. But led by senior point guard Marcus Paige, head coach Roy Williams' team is widely expected to open the season as the favorite to win the ACC and ranked in the top three nationally. Duke will travel to Chapel Hill Feb. 17 for the first matchup between the Tobacco Road rivals. The Blue Devils will then host the Tar Heels in the regular season finale March 5, when a conference title could be on the line.
Duke will have a chance to exact a measure of revenge when it hosts Notre Dame Jan. 16. The Fighting Irish defeated the Blue Devils twice a season ago, including a 74-64 victory in the semifinals of the ACC tournament. The January matchup will be the only time the teams face off in the regular season.
One of the other big match-ups on the Blue Devils' schedule is a showdown against Virginia Feb. 13. Duke ended the Cavaliers' 21-game home winning streak a season ago behind a late 16-5 run fueled by the clutch shooting of Tyus Jones.
Fans of showdowns between legendary head coaches will be treated this season as Duke is scheduled to play Louisville—coached by two-time national champion Rick Pitino—twice this season. The Blue Devils avoided a three-game losing streak by winning the first-ever matchup between the teams as conference opponents a year ago. Duke will travel to the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky., Feb. 20, just 12 days after the Cardinals make their first trip to Cameron Indoor Stadium as a member of the ACC for a nationally televised matchup.
Although Blue Devil fans will get to see Pitino in person, there will be no "blazer-out" at Cameron Indoor Stadium when Syracuse comes to town Jan. 18. Jim Boeheim—head coach of the Orange—was suspended nine ACC games for NCAA infractions and will be replaced on the sidelines by Mike Hopkins, who was named the future head coach of the team when Boeheim retires.
Duke's full conference schedule is below.
Jan. 2 at Boston College
Jan. 6 at Wake Forest
Jan. 9 vs. Virginia Tech
Jan. 13 at Clemson
Jan. 16 vs. Notre Dame
Jan. 18 vs. Syracuse
Jan. 23 at N.C. State
Jan. 25 at Miami
Feb. 2 at Georgia Tech
Feb. 6 vs. N.C. State
Feb. 8 vs. Louisville
Feb. 13 vs. Virginia
Feb. 17 at North Carolina
Feb. 20 at Louisville
Feb. 25 vs. Florida State
Feb. 28 at Pittsburgh
March 1 vs. Wake Forest
March 5 vs. North Carolina
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