Cooper Flagg and the Duke Blue Devils had a legitimate argument after capturing the ACC Tournament crown to be the No. 1 overall seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Instead, that distinction went to Auburn and Duke ultimately had to settle for the second No. 1 seed and sitting atop of the East Region.
Without question, Duke came into March Madness as one of the favorites to cut down the nets as national champions in San Antonio, TX in a little over two weeks but, as college basketball fans know, it takes six wins to get there. On Friday, they picked up their first.
Playing against No. 16 seed Mount St. Mary's, Cooper Flagg made his return to action but played only 22 minutes as he recovers from an ankle injury suffered in the ACC quarterfinal matchup with Georgia Tech. However, no starter played more than 24 minutes either because Duke flat-out dominated the action throughout, holding the Mountaineers to 30.2% shooting from the floor and rolling to a 93-49 victory and into the Second Round.
The Blue Devils had a much tougher matchup in the following Round of 32 and a date with Baylor. Not only was it a revenge game for former Duke guard Jeremy Roach, but the Bears were a highly talented team that simply underperformed in the regular season. They were, however, absolutely no match for Flagg and Co. Despite Baylor putting forth a spirited effort for about the first 15 minutes of action, Duke started to pull away before halftime and then continued that in the second half for a 20-plus-point victory and a Sweet 16 berth.
But when does Duke play next? We have everything you need to know to be ready to watch the Blue Devils in the Sweet 16.
When does Duke play next?
Duke will play next in the Sweet 16 against either the No. 4 seed Arizona Wildcats or the No. 5 seed Oregon Ducks depending on who wins their Round of 32 matchup late on Sunday night. That game will be played on either Thursday, March 27 or Friday, March 28 in Newark, NJ.
Oregon has been a perplexing team for much of the 2024-25 season, sitting among the teams with the most Quad 1 wins in the country but also with some brutal and head-scratching losses. Dana Altman's team has looked good enough to challenge Duke, but also poor enough to not belong in the same building. As for Arizona, an unfriendly familiar face in Caleb Love is among the stars for Tommy Lloyd's team and the Wildcats started to come on strong again near the end of the year. That could be a tight matchup given the history of the Blue Devils with both Love and UofA.
Full Duke Blue Devils 2025 March Madness schedule
Opponent (Round) | Date and Time | TV Channel |
|---|---|---|
vs. 16 Mount St. Mary's (First Round) | W, 93-49 | CBS |
vs. 9 Baylor (Second Round) | W, 89-66 | CBS |
4 Arizona/5 Oregon Winner (Sweet 16) | Thursday-Friday, March 27-28 - TBD | TBD |
TBD (Elite Eight) | Saturday-Sunday, March 29-30 - TBD | TBD |
TBD (Final Four) | Saturday, April 5 - TBD | CBS |
TBD (National Championship) | Monday, April 7 - TBD | CBS |
Playing Mount St. Mary's on Friday in a game in which Duke is heavily favored means that the next game thereafter for Scheyer's Blue Devils will be a Round of 32 showdown on Sunday with either Mississippi State or Duke. That game will also be played in Raleigh, which should be a big advantage for the ACC champs. Having said that, Mississippi State has been dangerous as any team in the SEC throughout the season and could be a tough matchup. Baylor, meanwhile, is talented, but has underperformed in the eyes of many college basketball fans this season.
Who are the likeliest Sweet 16, Elite Eight and Final Four matchups for Duke?
As mentioned and as Duke fans know, the Blue Devils are one of the national title favorites. As such, it's hard not to go into March Madness without thinking about what they could see even further down the line. Matchups against Caleb Love and Arizona or a feisty Oregon team loom in the Sweet 16 potentially while fast-paced Alabama or rock-steady Wisconsin could be waiting in the Elite Eight.
Even further down the line with more at stake in the Final Four, Duke, should they advance out of the East Region, would face the winner of the Midwest Region in San Antonio for the Final Four. The Houston Cougars are the favorites and the top seed in that region, which would ostenisbly make them the likeliest Final Four matchup for the Blue Devils. However, there are other potential threats such as the Tennessee Volunteers, blue blood Kentucky, Purdue, or even Clemson, the one team in the ACC to beat Duke this season, that could all be possible.