NC State vs. Duke: Historic ACC rivalry renewed in Elite Eight
Posted March 31, 2024 5:00 a.m. EDT
 North Carolina State Wolfpack |
76 |
 13Duke Blue Devils |
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| Final | |
NC State and Duke are gearing up for a rubber match in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
It will mark the third time the two schools have played this season.
Sunday will mark the first time NC State and Duke have played in the NCAA Tournament.
Duke is 99-73 against NC State in the all-time series.
Here's a brief look at the history between the two schools.
The previous two times NC State and Duke played in 2024
Duke beat NC State 79-64 on March 4 at PNC Arena during the regular season. Guard Jeremy Roach had 21 points and freshman Jared McCain scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half. Big man DJ Burns scored a season-high 27 points in the loss.
The ACC Tournament was a different story. The Wolfpack beat the Blue Devils 74-69 in the quarterfinals of the tournament on March 14. DJ Horne scored 18 points and made two clutch free throws with 15 seconds to seal the win.
Sunday will mark the third time the teams have faced off in 27 days.
NC State, Duke split series in 2023
Duke defeated NC State 71-67 on Feb. 28 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Jeremy Roach led Duke in scoring with 20 points. It completed a 16-0 home schedule in Jon Scheyer’s first year coaching the team after Mike Krzyzewski’s retirement.
The Wolfpack beat No. 16 Duke 84-60 on Jan. 4 at PNC Arena, thanks to a game-high 24 points from Terquavion Smith.
Coach K wins last game coaching against NC State
Duke beat NC State 88-73 on Jan. 15, 2022, in what was the last time Krzyzewski was on the sideline against the Wolfpack.
Big man Mark Williams had 19 points, 11 rebounds and eight blocks.
It marked Coach K’s return from missing a game due to illness.
Krzyzewski had a 59-27 career record against NC State.
Duke dominates series in the 21st century
In the 21st century, the Blue Devils have a 34-11 record against the Wolfpack.
Duke has dominated the rivalry in the post-Jim Valvano era. Valvano had a 13-9 head-to-head record against Krzyzewski.
Krzyzewski won ACC titles in 1986 and 1988. The Blue Devils played in the Final Four in four of the last five years that Valvano was at State. However, "Jimmy V" won a second ACC title in 1987 and reached the Elite Eight in 1985 and 1986.
Norm Sloan era
NC State coach Norm Sloan turned the Wolfpack into a formidable program in the 1970s, winning ACC titles in 1970, 1973 and 1974.
The Wolfpack also won the 1974 national championship with ACC legend David Thompson.
Early days of the rivalry
The first time Duke and NC State played on Feb. 9, 1912, they had different names. Duke was then known as the Trinity Methodists and they defeated the North Carolina A&M Farmers (NC State).
Trinity/Duke dominated the early days of the rivalry, but NC State college (as A&M became to be known) won the first significant postseason matchup between the two schools.
Duke made its first trip to the Southern Conference Tournament in 1929 in Atlanta. Duke’s website states the team was recently nicknamed the Blue Devils. They beat Alabama, North Carolina and Georgia to reach the championship game.
The 1928-29 Duke team featured future major league baseball star Bill Werber, Duke's first basketball All-American, along with Harry Councilor and big man Joe Croson. That group had split two games with NC State in the regular season, but the Farmers won the rubber match – and their first conference championship – 43-35.
