Duke Sets the Gold Standard as Men’s and Women’s Basketball Dominate the ACC

Doubling Up: Duke Sets the Gold Standard as Men’s and Women’s Basketball Dominate the ACC

In the world of college basketball, statistics can measure just about everything  shooting percentages, rebounding efficiency, even player usage rates. But here’s a metric you won’t find plastered across highlight reels, and yet it might just reveal the truest measure of a program’s strength: the combined success of men’s and women’s teams in the same season.

By that measure, nobody in the ACC did it better in 2025 than Duke University, where Cameron Indoor Stadium became a fortress for both squads.

The Blue Devils posted a staggering 33-5 combined league record, the best in the ACC. Jon Scheyer’s men finished 19-1 in conference play, dropping only a single game all season. Kara Lawson’s women weren’t far behind at 14-4, their only stumble at home coming in a close battle with Louisville.

For visiting teams, Cameron was simply unforgiving. The men were perfect at home, while the women only gave the crowd one reason to leave disappointed all season.

Two Champions, One Roof

The dominance didn’t stop in the regular season. Both programs capped their league campaigns in the most emphatic way possible  by cutting down the nets.

• Duke Men: Scheyer delivered his second ACC Tournament title in just three seasons, solidifying Duke’s spot as the standard-bearer in the league.
• Duke Women: Lawson’s team broke through to win their first ACC Tournament crown since 2013, ending a 12-year drought and stamping their return among the elite.

That kind of dual success hasn’t been seen in years, and it has cemented Duke’s status not just as a basketball school, but as the basketball school in the ACC.

Kara Lawson’s Rising Legacy

Lawson’s career arc is every bit as impressive as the players she coaches. Already a gold medalist herself, she has built Duke women’s basketball into a national force while simultaneously leading U.S. national teams to glory.

• 2024: Coached the USA 3×3 women’s team to Olympic gold.
• 2025: Directed Team USA to an undefeated run in the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup.
• 2028: Will coach the U.S. women’s team at the Los Angeles Olympics.

If she succeeds in leading Team USA to a ninth straight Olympic gold, her legacy could rival Mike Krzyzewski’s famed Olympic tenure. Some have even suggested Duke should honor her with an Olympic emblem at Cameron Indoor as a reminder: enter here, and you’re facing a program steeped in gold-standard excellence.

ACC Depth Still Shines

While Duke led the way, the broader ACC showcased the kind of depth that has defined it for decades.

• Louisville finished just behind with a 31-7 combined record, powered by an 18-2 men’s run and a top-tier women’s squad.
• North Carolina balanced evenly with 26-12 across both programs, keeping the rivalry fires burning.
• Notre Dame and NC State proved their women’s programs remain national powers, both finishing 16-2 in league play.

On the women’s side, the ACC placed eight teams in the NCAA Tournament for the seventh consecutive season, the longest streak ever by any league.

Excellence in Numbers

Top Combined League Records, Men and Women (2025)

• Duke: 33-5 (Men 19-1, Women 14-4)
• Louisville: 31-7 (Men 18-2, Women 13-5)
• North Carolina: 26-12 (Men 13-7, Women 13-5)
• Notre Dame: 24-14 (Men 8-12, Women 16-2)
• Clemson: 24-14 (Men 18-2, Women 6-12)
• Florida State: 21-17 (Men 8-12, Women 13-5)
• NC State: 21-17 (Men 5-15, Women 16-2)

The Blueprint for the Future

If there’s one takeaway from Duke’s dominance, it’s that basketball excellence doesn’t have to be confined to one side of the program. Under Scheyer and Lawson, Duke has created a model where both men’s and women’s teams thrive in tandem  and that synergy has elevated the entire university.

With NCAA Tournament success, Olympic connections, and ACC banners flying in both directions, the Blue Devils have written a new chapter in the program’s history  one where “rocking Cameron” means everyone wins.