Duke looked like an unstoppable train barreling down the tracks after knocking off Michigan a couple of weeks ago. The Blue Devils weren't just winning from there; they were dominating. Overwhelming opponent after opponent and establishing themselves as the national title favorite heading into March Madness.
But a couple of injuries to key players might force a stunning derailment of one of the statistically best teams of all time.
Both Patrick Ngongba and Caleb Foster will miss the ACC Tournament this week with injuries. Ngongba is expected back for the NCAA Tournament. Foster is unlikely to play again until the Final Four, at the earliest, assuming the Blue Devils can make it that far without him.
While Duke fans might be feeling a little sullen right now, Jon Scheyer isn't sitting around feeling sorry for his team's situation. He's exuding confidence in his team's ability to not only withstand the injuries, but also not skip a beat.
“Our team is determined to come right back on Thursday and to pick up where we left off," Scheyer said. "We're not changing the way we play. We're not changing how we defend and how we guard."
Jon Scheyer says Duke won't change how it plays without Patrick Ngongba and Caleb Foster
The ACC Tournament result is mostly irrelevant. Duke obviously wants to win it. But they've clinched a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament regardless of what happens in Charlotte.
Ngongba should be back for when it matters the most. Until then, both Cameron Boozer and Maliq Brown will shoulder a heavy burden in the frontcourt.
Without Foster, Cayden Boozer will start at point guard, and both Darren Harris and Nikolas Khamenia will have to play a lot of minutes in the Blue Devils' seven-man rotation.
FanDuel still projects Duke as a heavy favorite to capture the ACC Tournament crown. The gap between Duke and the field in the ACC was incredibly large, and likely hasn't been completely closed, even with two starters unavailable in Charlotte.
Duke will face the winner of Florida State and California on Thursday. A win on Thursday would send Duke to face either North Carolina or the winner of Clemson/Wake Forest in Friday's semifinal.