Duke basketball finding momentum at the right time in the season

The Duke basketball team will finish January with a 7-1 record, it's best record in a single month since February 2022.

Back in November after Duke defeated Michigan State, this was expressed to Blue Devil fans in an article, "While Duke fans are looking for consistency from each player, the expectations must be for just a couple of players to have great nights while those who you expected to perform have a slower type of night."

That has been on display throughout the season thus far.

Duke has seen six different players lead them in single-game scoring, and it makes the Blue Devils dangerous on any given night.

In recent games, there has been consistency across the 6-man rotation that currently plays the most minutes and Jon Scheyer now has five players averaging double-digits and six players shooting at least 37-percent from 3-point territory.

Duke is coming off of an impressive 2-0 stretch after an incredibly close game at home against Clemson which saw Tyrese Proctor make two of the most clutch free throws from a Blue Devil in recent memory to seal the win, which was followed by its victory against Virginia Tech on Monday night.

The most important takeaways from the last few weeks for No. 7 Duke (16-4, 7-2 ACC) is that they seemingly have found its identity. The Blue Devils do not turn the ball over, only averaging 9.2 giveaways per game, which is 9th best in the country.

It's defense is also much improved, while they leave a lot to be desired in their pick and roll defense, Duke is averaging 6.8 steals per game and that single handily helped them defeat Clemson.

The good news is that Duke is certainly hitting it's stride at the right time of year, but the tough news is its biggest test in ACC play is coming this Saturday (6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) against No. 3 North Carolina (17-3, 9-0 ACC).

Carolina has not lost since December 16 and point guard RJ Davis is playing the best basketball of his career and Armando Bacot continues to remain a force on the boards. Duke will have to be at its best to sneak one out on the road against its rival.