The Duke Blue Devils are the No. 1 team in the nation, and while they have a rocky road ahead, the regular season undeniably prepared this squad for the postseason.
However, a few moments from the rest of the year have defined who this Duke team is heading into the NCAA Tournament, and it will be crucial for Jon Scheyer to lean into their prominence to determine Duke's mindset moving forward.
1. Duke upsetting the then-No. 1 Michigan Wolverines
Not only was this game a possible preview of the National Championship game, but it sent the Blue Devils on their dominant run through the rest of the regular season.
After losing to the UNC Tar Heels, fans and experts alike were questioning if this Duke team was really all that, even though it was only a one-point defeat on the road. When Duke upset the Wolverines, everyone flew to put the Blue Devils as their favorite to win it all.
Scheyer's elite play calling, Cameron Boozer's dominance on the court, and the Blue Devils' solidity as the best team in the country were cemented with this game, and there hasn't been any looking back.
2. Blue Devils demolishing Carolina in rematch
While the first meeting between the two rivals didn't go in Duke's direction, the rematch was as dominant a performance as anyone could have to close out the regular season.
Even with bench players rotated in to give the usual stars some rest, the Blue Devils still produced a 15-point victory over UNC, and it sent Duke flying into the postseason, where they would win yet another ACC title as the Tar Heels suffered an early exit from the conference tournament.
3. Cayden Boozer taking over ACC Tournament as starting PG
The Caleb Foster injury in the rematch with and win over Carolina left a lot of question marks around the Duke starting lineup. Not about who would play, but if the Blue Devils could succeed without Foster in the starting five.
Cayden Boozer stepped into the starting role and looked shaky at first, only putting up nine points against the Florida State Seminoles in the quarterfinal of the ACC Tournament. Then, he took over, and he looked like the blue-chip prospect he was just a year ago.
Boozer took over the conference tournament and dominated, scoring 16 points against both Clemson and Virginia. He looked like the starting point guard that Duke needs in the NCAA Tournament and proved that the Blue Devils will be alright, no matter who is in the starting five.