Duke will enter the 2026-27 season as the heavy favorite to win a third consecutive ACC Championship. While Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils have bigger goals than that, it remains a priority on the list of things to accomplish next season.
Duke has captured back-to-back ACC regular-season and tournament titles, but its path to a three-peat will be treacherous. The ACC got better this offseason, and there are legitimate contenders ready to try to dethrone the two-time defending champs.
Here are the three that will give Scheyer's team legitimate concern next year.
The 3 biggest challengers to Jon Scheyer and Duke's ACC supremacy
3. Miami Hurricanes
Former Duke assistant Jai Lucas has something special brewing in Coral Gables. Lucas led Miami to a 26-9 record and a 7-seed in the NCAA Tournament in his first season as the Hurricanes' head coach. Miami knocked off Missouri to advance to the second round of March Madness before falling to Purdue.
Miami projects to take a step forward in 2026-27. They rank No. 17 in ESPN's way-too-early Top 25 for next season, in large part thanks to some impressive work in the Transfer Portal. Lucas landed Villanova guard Acaden Lewis and Georgia rim-protecting big man Somto Cyril to fortify his roster.
The addition of 5-star Caleb Gaskins alongside former 5-star Shelton Henderson shows Lucas' recruiting chops and the influx of talent he has brought to Miami. They won't be easy to deal with.
2. Virginia Cavaliers
Virginia was the runner-up to Duke last season and gave the Blue Devils a real fight in the ACC Tournament title game this past season. It took Ryan Odom no time to get the Cavaliers back in contention, and Virginia was a 3-seed in last year's NCAA Tournament before getting knocked off by Tennessee in the second round of the Big Dance.
Odom's work in building Virginia's roster for next season was led by roster retention. All-ACC big man Thijs De Ridder will lead the charge for ESPN's No. 13 team next season. If UC Irvine transfer Jurian Dixon can solidify the backcourt, the Cavs should be a legitimate contender in the ACC again.
1. Louisville Cardinals
Louisville was one of the biggest spenders this offseason, with Pat Kelsey doing serious work in the Transfer Portal to lift the Cardinals toward legitimate contention on the national stage after a solid season in 2025-26 that culminated in a 6-seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Louisville ranks 12th in ESPN's way-too-early Top 25. Alongside returning guard Adrian Wooley, the Cards project to start four transfers: Jackson Shelstad (Oregon), Karter Knox (Arkansas), Alvaro Folgueiras (Iowa), and Flory Bidunga (Kansas).
Bidunga was a big target for Duke in the portal early on, and it felt like a loss until Patrick Ngongba II made his decision to return to Durham for his junior season.
Louisville appears to be the biggest potential stumbling block for Duke on its path to a three-peat in the ACC. There will be other contenders who emerge, but the Cardinals will be a problem.
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