Duke outlasts Virginia for ACC Tournament title, poised to enter 2026 NCAA Tournament as No. 1 overall seed

Duke will need a big NCAA Tournament from freshman guard Cayden Boozer, who is playing a bigger role amid what could be a season-ending injury to Caleb Foster. If Boozer's ACC Tournament performance was any indication, the Blue Devils are in capable hands. Cayden Boozer followed up his career-high 16-point performance in the semifinals with another 16-point showing against Virginia. After averaging just 21.2 minutes per game over the course of the season, Cayden Boozer played all 40 against the Cavaliers. His long night came less than 24 hours after he played 37 minutes in a semifinal win over Clemson. 

Duke will remain the No. 1 overall seed in CBS Sports Bracketology because of the win and is expected to stay in that spot regardless of what Michigan does in the Big Ten Tournament title game on Sunday. The Blue Devils have been locked in a tight race with Arizona and Michigan for weeks. If Michigan wins the Big Ten Tournament title game on Sunday over Purdue, all three teams will arrive at the Selection Show with just two losses.

One distinction in Duke's favor is a Feb. 21 neutral-site win over Michigan. In this situation, where the margins between teams are so tight, that could be enough to make a difference. Ultimately, Duke (East), Michigan (Midwest) and Arizona (West) are likely destined to play in the same regions regardless of where they end in the hierarchy. But being the No. 1 overall seed would be a nice distinction for the Blue Devils, who missed out on that honor last season.

Even in a losing effort, Virginia showed its competitive mettle. After losing by 26 at Duke on Feb. 28, the Cavaliers looked like a totally different team in the rematch. First-year coach Ryan Odom has a club that can be dangerous in the NCAA Tournament for a couple of important stylistic reasons. It's a great 3-point shooting team with several capable perimeter bombers. The Cavaliers also possess elite rim protection. Ugonna Onyenso is the chief paint eraser, but Johann Grunloh also averages more than two blocks per game. Do not sleep on the Cavaliers.

4:57 2H: Duke 63, Virginia 63

Cam Boozer is just 3 of 15 from the floor and looks a little gassed. But he's got seven assists and six rebounds and is doing everything he can to will the Blue Devils to a win here. The Blue Devils are down to just 38% shooting but are hanging around thanks to 18 offensive rebounds that helped them get 12 more shots up than Virginia.

7:45 2H: Duke 58, Virginia 58

Sam Lewis is leaving his mark on this game. The Toledo transfer has a game-high 17 points on 7 of 10 shooting, including three 3-pointers in the second half. Duke is trying to keep pace, but nothing is coming easy on the offensive side for the Blue Devils as Ugonna Onyenso continue to dominate on the inside. Duke's best offense might involve Cam Boozer playing away from the basket and drawing Onyenso away from the paint.

11:51 2H: Duke 53, Virginia 51

A heavyweight bout is transpiring in Charlotte, as Duke and Virginia are going back and forth, blow for blow. One name to know: Ugonna Onyenso. Virginia's towering center has set a new ACC Championship record with seven blocks in just 14 minutes. He's making life miserable in the paint for Duke. Fatigue might become a factor down the stretch for the Blue Devils, who are playing at breakneck pace with just a 7-man rotation against a Virginia team going nine deep.

15:41 2H: Virginia 49, Duke 45

Virginia has raked up 13 points in the first 4+ minutes of the second half as Sam Lewis continues making an impact on this game. He's got a pair of triples early in the second. He and Malik Thomas are both in double figures for Virginia. Duke has been a little shaky with the ball but has been bailed out in the second half thus far by a pair of Isaiah Evans 3-pointers.

Can Duke stay attached defensively to Virginia's 3-point shooters? The Cavaliers are a combustible team from the outside. Sam Lewis, Malik Thomas, Jacari White and Dallin Hall can all get going from deep. Can Virginia continue to bottle up Cam Boozer? He's still impacting the game as a passer, but he's been a non-factor offensively. Part of that is due to Virginia's strong rim protection.

HALF: Duke 38, Virginia 36

After a mini-run from Duke to surge ahead by seven, Virginia clapped back with a quick 5-0 spurt of its own. Dallin Hall is up to seven points after drilling his first triple of the game. It was an entertaining first half of basketball on all fronts. Duke should feel great about the fact that it leads given that Cam Boozer is just 1 of 5 from the floor. Cayden Boozer is leading the way with 14 points. It should be noted that Cam Boozer has four assists. That was a little bit of a role reversal from the twins.

3:58 1H: Duke 29, Virginia 27

Things have gotten a bit sloppy over the last couple of minutes. Both teams are shooting better than 40%, but action is teetering on the chaotic side. Something to watch over the next four minutes is that Duke is now in the bonus. But the Cavaliers have a while to go before they get there. Will the Blue Devils try and slow it down and pound it inside to Cam Boozer? Could be a way to seize control of a game that's been a little disjointed.

6:48 1H: Duke 24, Virginia 23

The ACC title game is off to a fun start as the teams are swapping baskets and flying around defensively. Third game in three days? No problem — at least not yet. Duke has just a 7-man rotation with Caleb Foster and Patrick Ngongba II out. Cayden Boozer is up to 12 points for Duke. Ugonna Onyenso has a couple of blocks for Virginia, and Jacari White is off to a 2 for 2 start from deep.

11:53 1H: Virginia 14, Duke 13

Freshman point guard Cayden Boozer is asserting himself again for Duke. The Blue Devils need a lot from him with Caleb Foster out due to injury, and he's delivering. After a bit of a rocky start for Duke, Cayden Boozer will be a the line with a chance to put the Blue Devils ahead coming back from the u12 media timeout. He's got seven points already.

15:56 1H: Virginia 9, Duke 6

Virginia is off to an early 9-6 lead at the first media timeout behind a couple of early buckets from Sam Lewis. The Blue Devils have been active on the glass, but they are 0 for 4 from beyond the arc. Malik Thomas hit the game's first 3-pointer at the 16:57 mark to put the Cavaliers ahead. Something to note for UVa: Lewis picked up two quick fouls and is on the bench.

No. 1 seed Duke and No. 2 seed Virginia will square off for the ACC Tournament title on Saturday in a battle that could have NCAA Tournament seeding implications for both. The Blue Devils are seeking to remain the No. 1 overall seed in CBS Sports Bracketology ahead of Selection Sunday by adding a league tournament title on top of their regular-season crown.

Virginia is seeking its first major piece of hardware under first-year coach Ryan Odom and trying to make a final impression on the selection committee. The Cavaliers are clinging to a No. 3 seed in CBS Sports Bracketology but could make a last-ditch effort to reach the No. 2 seed line with a neutral-site win over the Blue Devils.

The postseason outlook for No. 1 Duke took a hit before the ACC Tournament when coach Jon Scheyer confirmed that starting point guard Caleb Foster suffered a fracture in his right foot in the Blue Devils' 76-61 rivalry win against North Carolina last week. Foster had surgery and is out for the "foreseeable" future, Scheyer told reporters. He has not played in the ACC Tournament.

Duke is also managing another foot issue in its frontcourt. Center Patrick Ngongba II is missing the ACC Tournament with lingering foot soreness, but Scheyer is hopeful he will be available for the NCAA Tournament.

Caleb Foster injury: Duke guard out for 'foreseeable' future after surgery as NCAA Tournament looms

Cody Nagel

Virginia turned in a dominant all-around performance in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament on Friday while knocking out No. 3 seed Miami 84-62. The No. 2 seed Cavaliers closed the first half on a 13-2 run and never looked back while building their lead to 26 points in the second half. Five players reached double figures for Virginia, which was led by Ugonna Onyenso's 17 points, five rebounds and four blocks.

One day after getting pushed to the brink by No. 8 seed Florida State in the quarterfinals, No. 1 seed Duke handled its semifinal assignment against No. 5 seed Clemson with less drama on Friday. The Blue Devils opened up a 20-point lead in the second half and cruised to a 73-61 win behind stifling defense and a double-double from Cam Boozer. Cayden Boozer also set a new season-high with 16 points as the Blue Devils won their 10th straight game.

No one in the mix for the No. 1 overall seed or the fourth No. 1 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament has flinched during conference tournament action, which sets up a high-stakes Saturday for the Bracketology picture. But their order will be determined by the final results that transpire before Sunday's selection show on CBS. If Duke beats Virginia in the ACC Tournament title game, it will be well-positioned to claim the No. 1 overall seed. 

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