Gameday Preview: ACC Championship – Duke vs Louisville – Sat March 15th 2025

Charlotte NC: The ACC Tournament Championship is set: The #1 seed Duke Blue Devils take on the #2 see Louisville Cardinals. The two hottest teams rightfully meet up at a chance for the title of ACC Champion. The Blue Devils have won 10 in a row and the Cardinals have won 11. The Blue Devils will be without ACC Player and Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg who will miss his second consecutive game after spraining his ankle in the quarterfinals. Duke forward Maliq Brown will also miss his second consecutive game after re-dislocating his shoulder against Georgia Tech. 

How they got here:

Duke

The Blue Devils went 19-1 in the ACC regular season, winning the regular season title and securing the #1 seed in the tourney. The Blue Devils started the tournament off ice cold, needing a double-digit comeback to beat the #8 seed Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the quarterfinals, 78-70. The Blue Devils then took on the North Carolina Tar Heels in semifinals amassing a 24 point lead that was whittled down to a 74-71 victory after a lane violation on the Tar Heels Jae’lyn Withers negated Ven-Allen Lubin’s game tying free throw make.

Louisville

The Louisville Cardinals went 18-2 in the ACC regular season after two straight abysmal years at the bottom of the league. The Cardinals first game in the ACC quarterfinals came against the Stanford Cardinal and came down to the wire. Louisville erased a 15 point second half deficit as Chucky Hepburn drained a 15-footer at the buzzer to advance to the semifinals. Next up for the Cardinals was #3 Clemson who also went 18-2 during the ACC regular season. A 12-point second half lead was diminished down to 2 as the Cardinals escaped with a win despite a controversial no-call in the final seconds. 

Key Points:

Duke

• Can they stay consistent? The Blue Devils have been streaky so far in Charlotte, starting off cold against the Yellow Jackets and hot against the Tar Heels. In a Goldilocks-type tale, the Blue Devils need to put together a consistent game on both ends of the floor. 
• Make the 3. The Blue Devils have had struggles from the arc starting 0-13 against Georgia Tech. The Blue Devils are 12-52 in Charlotte for a 23% clip. The conference’s best 3 point shooting team needs to find their stroke to win a title.
• Who will step up tonight? Kon Knueppel has carried the Blue Devils since the Flagg injury. 3 games in 3 nights will take a toll on the freshman who will need help. Patrick Ngonga and Khaman Maluach stepped up against the Tar Heels. Looks for Isisah Evans to have a big night coupled by a bench threat of either Mason Gillis or Caleb Foster to help shoulder the load. 

Louisville:

• Attack the lane. The Blue Devils showed a weakness in their top ranked defense against the Tar Heels. With no Cooper Flagg or Maliq Brown to offer weak side help, a drive and dump to a big was open most of the night. Exploit this from the tip to get the Devils on their heels. 
• Speed the game up. The Devil’s rotation is down two key players and fatigue will be an issue in the tournament’s third game. Pressure the ball, force turnovers, and run the break efficiently.
• Build on momentum. The Cardinals have won two straight emotional games, and 11 in a row. Their core is still on the floor as the Blue Devils try to find a new chemistry.