Duke ties history with 31st Sweet 16 appearance

Duke basketball remains a model of consistency in the college basketball world. Saturday’s 81-58 rout of TCU catapults the Blue Devils into the round of 16. Which seals new March Madness history for the program in the process.

It’s now the 31st time the Blue Devils will head to the Sweet 16…tying them with a certain rival.

Survive and advance.

It never gets old @DukeMBB pic.twitter.com/tgU3JvHEKU

— ACC Network (@accnetwork) March 21, 2026

Of course for Duke this tournament is more about national title or bust. Head coach Jon Scheyer took over for the legendary Mike Krzyzewski knowing the expectations of excellence in Durham.

Hitting the Sweet 16 for a 31st time is a strong accomplishment for any program. But Duke needed to shake off some rust again.

Duke still looking vulnerable even after TCU rout?

The upset alert alarm sounded off after Siena nearly upset Duke.

The Devils again looked suspect with a slow first half. The Horned Frogs started attacking the paint and forcing turnovers, even briefly leading by three.

But Duke ignited by Cameron Boozer scoring 19 points with 11 rebounds. Isaiah Evans added 17 points while Dame Sarr scored 14 to help seal the rout.

Duke surged to a 43-24 advantage in the second half to wear down the Big 12 representative. Yet again, Duke presents new concerns for next week.

Scheyer, Boozer, Evans and the Devils must await St. John’s or Kansas after Sunday. Both teams are spearheaded by national champion winning head coaches Rick Pitino and Bill Self, respectively. The Jayhawks also come with potential top overall pick Darryn Peterson, who’s from the same graduating class as Boozer. But St. John’s plays a physical defensive style that could wear down Duke if both teams meet in the East Regional semifinals.

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