Cameron Is The Very Definition Of Home-Court Advantage
· Yahoo Sports
We’re long past marveling at Duke’s home court dominance, which ultimately comes down to having superior teams guided by gifted coaches in an extraordinary, tradition-rich setting. But just because a particular attribute is enduringly exceptional doesn’t mean we should take it for granted.
So, get this: Last season was the third in the past four in which the Blue Devil men went undefeated at home, against both ACC and nonconference opponents. Duke’s only loss at Cameron Indoor Stadium in the past four seasons, in fact the sole home defeat suffered by a Jon Scheyer squad to date, came three seasons ago against Arizona, 78-73, on Nov. 10, 2023.
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Commentators speak of teams being tough to beat at home, but Duke’s men at Cameron have taken it to an extreme.
Last year was the 21st in which the Devils had an unblemished home record, about one season in four since debuting with a 9-1 mark at Duke Indoor Stadium in 1940.
To place this in perspective, over the past decade there have been just seven ACC squads that went through their entire home slate without a loss. Just four among that group of happy homemakers did not represent Duke. That’s out of 156 ACC teams that played over the past decade.
Last year North Carolina actually won all its games at the Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center, a first since 2017, when Roy Williams won the third of his three NCAA championships.
Yet, good as UNC teams have been, competing for NCAA and ACC titles with uncommon frequency, since the famed Dean Dome opened in 1986* they’ve managed to mount only six unbeaten home seasons in 41 years, four this century. Last year, when program potency was a key concern in the face of imminent fundraising challenges, even the Heels’ 18-0 home mark wasn’t enough to soothe the pervasive urge to jettison Hubert Davis.
Here’s how scarce undefeated home seasons have been in the contemporary ACC: strong as Virginia’s men have been under Tony Bennett and now Ryan Odom, they’ve never had an unblemished mark at John Paul Jones Arena since it opened in 2007.
Florida State at its zenith under coach Leonard Hamilton did post a pair of undefeated records at the Donald L. Tucker Center within the past decade.
This season Duke’s home court tests prior to ACC action don’t figure to be all that tough, with Illinois’ visit on Nov. 17 the most notable challenge. The Blue Devils play 16 home games, fewest in the conference.
Virginia Tech is the only ACC team that doesn’t face Duke, either home or away.
INHOSPITABLEACC Men’s Teams Undefeated At Home
Over Past Decade, All GamesYearUnbeaten at Home2026Duke (15-0), UNC (18-0)2025Duke (17-0)2023Duke (16-0)2020FSU (16-0)2017FSU (18-0), UNC (16-0)
*UNC’s undefeated home schedule in 1986-67 was compiled at Carmichael Auditorium and Smith Center.
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