Why Duke Basketball Built To Sweep UNC Next Season

It’s never too early to start comparing Duke and North Carolina, even if it’s in May.

The Blue Devils are looking for revenge on the Tar Heels after Seth Trimble knocked down a three-pointer at the buzzer in Chapel Hill to hand the Heels a win over Duke last year. Nonetheless, both clubs had vastly different 2025-26 seasons.

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Duke made it to the Elite Eight, albeit a major collapse kept it from going back to the Final Four for a second straight year. As for UNC, it was upset by 11-seed VCU in the Round of 64, which led to the firing of head coach Hubert Davis.

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer reacts in the first half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Since the offseason has begun, Duke and North Carolina have been in pretty different spots. The Blue Devils aren’t just poised for revenge against UNC next season, but have all the makeup to sweep their arch-rival. Here’s why.

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Dame Sarr (7) shoots the ball against the UConn Huskies in the first half during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Continuity

Duke fans aren’t typically used to this much of the rotation coming back for another season, but that’s what happened this time around. The Blue Devils are bringing back four of their top six scorers from last season in Patrick Ngongba, Dame Sarr, Caleb Foster, and Cayden Boozer. Redshirt freshman Sebastian Wilkins is also back.

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This doesn’t even include the plethora of big-time additions that head coach Jon Scheyer and his staff have made this offseason, but North Carolina doesn’t have much coming back.

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Cayden Boozer (2) goes to the basket against…

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Publish date : 2026-05-26 12:00:00

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