Michigan Vs Duke: What we learned in michigan vs duke after Duke’s 68-63 win over No. 1 Michigan
The Blue Devils handed No. 1 Michigan a 68-63 loss, an outcome that reshuffles midseason narrative in the wake of the NCAA tournament selection committee's first midseason seeding reveal. The michigan vs duke non-conference meeting featured a late sequence that sealed the game and sharpened questions about seeding and remaining schedules.
Cameron Boozer carried Duke with 18 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists
Freshman Cameron Boozer paced the Blue Devils with 18 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. He played a team-high 34 minutes despite sitting part of the second half after picking up his fourth foul. Boozer finished 6-of-10 from the field, and it was his 19th game in Duke's last 21 with at least a 50% field-goal mark. The context described him as the massive favorite for the Wooden Award, and he said he loves games like this and that the team was celebrating after the win.
Late sequence: Patrick Ngongba miss, Isaiah Evans free throws decided it
Inside 30 seconds to go, Patrick Ngongba missed a shot in the lane that could have tied the game. Duke secured the rebound, moved the ball around the perimeter, and Michigan fouled with 14. 6 seconds remaining. Michigan fouled Isaiah Evans, an 88% free-throw shooter; Evans made his free throws, making it a two-possession game and effectively ending Michigan's chance to rally.
Michigan's first half and Aday Mara's foul trouble undercut the Wolverines
Yaxel Lendeborg got Michigan off to a hot start with 16 first-half points. Michigan’s big man Aday Mara missed much of the early first half after picking up his second foul and was returned to the game by coach Dusty May before halftime. Less than a minute after returning, Mara picked up a third foul and sat for the final eight minutes of the half. Mara played 22 minutes, scored 10 points and had four rebounds. Michigan was +4 with Mara on the court; he posted the best plus-minus of any Michigan player, and only Elliot Cadeau and Will Tschetter were above zero in that category.
Shooting numbers, historical notes and midseason seeding context
Michigan struggled from long range, going 6-of-25 from behind the arc and 22-of-55 from the field overall. The Wolverines entered the game shooting 51% overall and 36% from three-point range. The victory was Duke’s 11th over a team ranked No. 1 in the Top 25 in school history. Saturday’s game came hours after the NCAA tournament selection committee released its first midseason top-16 seeding: Michigan was listed as the No. 1 overall seed and Duke as the No. 2 overall seed. With Duke’s win, it is now easy to see how the teams could flip-flop in seeding.
Location, tournament implications and remaining schedules for both teams
The non-conference matchup was held at Capital One Arena in Washington D. C., the site of the East regional in the 2026 NCAA tournament. Saturday’s win could place the Blue Devils on a path back to the Sweet 16 in Washington D. C.; the top overall seed in the NCAA tournament receives its preferred region. Duke still has games against No. 14 Virginia and No. 16 North Carolina remaining before the ACC tournament. A win over Virginia on Feb. 28 would likely lock up the regular-season conference title for Duke, assuming it takes care of business against both Notre Dame and NC State.
Michigan’s Big Ten position and unfinished context about its remaining tests
Michigan held a two-game lead in the Big Ten over Illinois and a three-game lead over Nebraska and Purdue. The Wolverines have remaining games against the No. 10 Illini and No. 15 Michigan State; the context notes that convincing wins over both t — unclear in the provided context.
