Duke wins second straight ACC tournament title 

MATT LACZKO | THE CHARLOTTE POST

North Mecklenburg High alumnus Isaiah Evans holds aloft the ACC basketball championship trophy after Duke beat Virginia 74-70 in the tournament final March 14, 2026 at Spectrum Center. Evans led Duke (32-2) with 20 points.

Winning the ACC basketball tournament is becoming an annual rite for Duke coach Jon Scheyer.

The Blue Devils won it for the second straight year and third in four by beating Virginia in the title game 74-70. Since taking over for Hall-of-Famer Mike Krzyzewski after the 2021-22 season, Scheyer has emerged as the dominant coach of the conference’s top program. The Blue Devils (32-2) conquest of Virginia (29-5) was achieved despite missing a pair of starters due to injury.

“I think the first year or two, you're just trying to survive,” Scheyer said. “Just straight up, you’re just trying to survive, right? I think I’ve tried to really explore these last two years and what my purpose is with this. The wins are incredible, but to share these moments with our players is the best. But, if you can’t develop relationships, I think that's most important.”

One of Scheyer’s best relationships is with sophomore Isaiah Evans, who was a five-star recruit at North Mecklenburg High. As a freshman, he was a role player on a roster where every starter was taken in the 2025 NBA Draft.

As a sophomore, Evans stuck with Duke, moved into the starting lineup and became a major contributor.

MATT LACZKO | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Cameron Boozer (12) and his brother Cayden (2) combined for 29 points in Duke's 74-70 win against Virginia in the ACC title game at Spectrum Center on March 14, 2026.

“For Isaiah, it was probably uncommon at the end of the year,” Scheyer said. “You got a McDonald’s All-American who doesn’t play as much. We had a really talented team. He could have transferred easily, could have gone pro, but to be able to double down on each other going through this whole year, to be to share these moments with Isaiah; we’ve been through so much together. So, for me, that’s what’s most important.”

Evans, who scored a game-high 20 points, didn’t score his first basket until late in the first half. 

“I really felt like I had to just let the game come to me,” he said. “I feel like I do more harm than good when I’m trying to force myself to heat up. So, again, it just happened naturally. I got two layups, then I got a three and then things just naturally came into place.”

Cayden Boozer led the Blue Devils in the absence of starting point guard Caleb Foster with 16 points, four assists and five rebounds in a team-high 40 minutes against Virginia. 

“We had complete confidence Cayden was ready to do this and to take this to the next level,” Scheyer said, “but to answer it in this moment, against the teams we've played in the ACC tournament, I just think that’s something inherently that he has where he’s he was born with that. He was born with that confidence and in that competitiveness.”

Cayden’s brother Cameron, the ACC player of the year, had an uncharacteristic night for the tournament MVP with 13 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. For a player who can “put up 20 and 10 in his sleep,” as teammate

Nik Khamenia described him, it was a tough night. The assignment of guarding Cameron’s was Virginia’s Ugonna Onyenso, who set a tournament record for blocked shots in a game with nine. 

“Well, I definitely got frustrated,” Boozer said. “First of all, I have to give props to [Onyenso]. He is a great defender and a great shot blocker. I think there is a lot to learn from this game. I just want to keep attacking, figure it out and find other ways to win. Obviously, my shot wasn’t falling, and I wasn’t getting in a rhythm but just had to find a way.”

Duke — ranked No. 1 in the nation — will likely be the NCAA tournament’s No. 1 overall seed when the brackets are revealed. Scheyer is optimistic about the possibility of Foster returning. Center Patrick Ngongba is making progress with his foot injury, but Scheyer didn’t indicate a timetable for return. 

“Caleb’s gonna be a little while still,” Scheyer said, “he's progressing. As far as Pat goes, he's been doing his therapy, working with the medical team, and there’s just benchmarks. He just has to continue to take it day by day to see how he can handle the next step and when that soreness goes away. I can tell you he’s improving.”

Another ACC trophy in hand, Scheyer and the Blue Devils have more business – and goals – to pursue.

“We’re not done yet,” he said. “Just so everyone knows, we’re not done yet.”

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