# 2015–16 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team

The 2015–16 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team represented Duke University during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Blue Devils were led by 36th year head coach and Hall of Fame member Mike Krzyzewski. The team played its home games at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They finished the season 25–11, 11–7 in ACC play to finish in a tie for fifth place. They defeated NC State in the second round of the ACC tournament to advance to the quarterfinals where they lost to Notre Dame. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament where they defeated UNC Wilmington and Yale to advance to the Sweet Sixteen where they lost to Oregon.

## Off season
### Departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Notes |
| Quinn Cook | 2 | SG | 6'2" | 185 | Senior | Bowie, Maryland | Graduated |
| Jahlil Okafor | 15 | C | 6'11" | 270 | Freshman | Chicago, Illinois | Declared for 2015 NBA draft |
| Tyus Jones | 5 | PG | 6'1" | 190 | Freshman | Apple Valley, Minnesota | Declared for 2015 NBA draft |
| Justise Winslow | 12 | SF | 6'6" | 225 | Freshman | Houston, Texas | Declared for 2015 NBA draft |

### Class of 2015 signees

College recruiting information :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Luke Kennard SG | Franklin, OH | Franklin HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 181 lb (82 kg) | Mar 24, 2014 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Chase Jeter C | Las Vegas, NV | Bishop Gorman HS | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | Aug 4, 2014 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Justin Robinson PF | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio Christian | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Dec 16, 2014 |
| Star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN: N/A ||||||
| Antonio Vrankovic C | Fort Lauderdale, FL | Pine Crest School | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 261 lb (118 kg) | Apr 15, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Derryck Thornton PG | Chatsworth, CA | Findlay Prep | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 174 lb (79 kg) | Apr 21, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Brandon Ingram SF | Kinston, NC | Kinston HS | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 191 lb (87 kg) | Apr 27, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: #1 Rivals: #1 ESPN: #1 ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Duke Basketball Commitment List". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 12, 2015. "2015 Duke Basketball Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved May 12, 2015. "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 12, 2015. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved May 12, 2015. "2015 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 12, 2015. ||||||

## Roster
### Depth Chart

| Pos. | Starting 5 | Bench 1 | Bench 2 |
| C | Marshall Plumlee | Chase Jeter | Antonio Vrankovic |
| PF | Amile Jefferson | | Sean Obi |
| SF | Brandon Ingram | Matt Jones | Justin Robinson |
| SG | Luke Kennard | | Brennan Besser |
| PG | Grayson Allen | Derryck Thornton | Nick Pagliuca |

## Future recruits
### 2016 recruiting class

College recruiting information :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Jayson Tatum SF | St. Louis, MO | Chaminade College Prep | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | Jul 12, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 97 ||||||
| Frank Jackson CG | Highland, UT | Lone Peak HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Sep 1, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 96 ||||||
| Javin DeLaurier PF | Charlottesville, VA | St. Anne's-Belfield School | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | Sep 27, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 87 ||||||
| Harry Giles III PF | Winston-Salem, NC | Oak Hill Academy | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Nov 6, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 97 ||||||
| Jack White SF | Canberra, AU | Australian Institute of Sport | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Mar 3, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A ||||||
| Marques Bolden C | DeSoto, TX | DeSoto HS | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) | 240 lb (110 kg) | May 19, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 93 ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: #1 Rivals: #2 247Sports: #1 ESPN: #2 ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: ||||||

## Schedule

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| Oct 30, 2015* 7:00 pm | No. 5 | Florida Southern | W 112–68 | 1–0 | 22 – Thornton | 12 – Jefferson | 6 – Jefferson | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| Nov 4, 2015* 7:00 pm | No. 5 | Livingstone | W 119–54 | 2–0 | 25 – Kennard | 11 – Jeter | 7 – Allen | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| Non-conference regular season |||||||||
| Nov 13, 2015* 7:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 5 | Siena 2K Sports Classic Durham Regional | W 92–74 | 1–0 | 26 – Allen | 12 – Jefferson | 2 – Tied | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| Nov 14, 2015* 8:00 pm, ESPN3 | No. 5 | Bryant 2K Sports Classic Durham Regional | W 113–75 | 2–0 | 28 – Allen | 11 – Jefferson | 6 – Allen | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| Nov 17, 2015* 7:30 pm, ESPN | No. 5 | vs. No. 2 Kentucky Champions Classic | L 63–74 | 2–1 | 16 – Tied | 15 – Jefferson | 3 – Thornton | United Center (21,461) Chicago, IL |
| Nov 20, 2015* 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 5 | vs. VCU 2K Sports Classic Semifinal | W 79–71 | 3–1 | 30 – Allen | 7 – Jefferson | 4 – Thornton | Madison Square Garden (18,238) New York, NY |
| Nov 22, 2015* 1:00 pm, ESPN | No. 5 | vs. Georgetown 2K Sports Classic Championship | W 86–84 | 4–1 | 32 – Allen | 8 – Jefferson | 4 – Allen | Madison Square Garden (17,287) New York, NY |
| Nov 25, 2015* 7:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 6 | Yale | W 80–61 | 5–1 | 17 – Jones | 12 – Jefferson | 5 – Allen | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| Nov 29, 2015* 12:30 pm, ESPNU | No. 6 | Utah State | W 85–52 | 6–1 | 22 – Tied | 9 – Jefferson | 2 – Tied | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| Dec 2, 2015* 9:15 pm, ESPN | No. 7 | Indiana ACC-Big Ten Challenge | W 94–74 | 7–1 | 24 – Ingram | 11 – Jefferson | 8 – Jefferson | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| Dec 5, 2015* 5:15 pm, ESPN2 | No. 7 | Buffalo | W 82–59 | 8–1 | 23 – Ingram | 11 – Allen | 5 – Thornton | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| Dec 15, 2015* 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 7 | Georgia Southern | W 99–65 | 9–1 | 26 – Ingram | 14 – Ingram | 5 – Allen | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| Dec 19, 2015* 12:00 pm, ESPN | No. 7 | vs. Utah Madison Square Garden Showcase | L 75–77 $^{OT}$ | 9–2 | 24 – Kennard | 8 – Kennard | 4 – Thornton | Madison Square Garden (13,174) New York, NY |
| Dec 28, 2015* 8:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 15 | Elon | W 105–66 | 10–2 | 26 – Ingram | 11 – Tied | 5 – Allen | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| Dec 30, 2015* 4:00 pm, RSN | No. 15 | Long Beach State | W 103–81 | 11–2 | 33 – Allen | 6 – Allen | 2 – Allen | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| ACC regular season |||||||||
| Jan 2, 2016 4:30 pm, RSN | No. 15 | at Boston College | W 81–64 | 12–2 (1–0) | 25 – Ingram | 9 – Ingram | 3 – Ingram | Conte Forum (7,963) Chestnut Hill, MA |
| Jan 6, 2016 7:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 14 | at Wake Forest | W 91–75 | 13–2 (2–0) | 24 – Allen | 7 – Plumlee | 3 – Tied | LJVM Coliseum (13,466) Winston-Salem, NC |
| Jan 9, 2016 12:00 pm, ACCN | No. 14 | Virginia Tech | W 82–58 | 14–2 (3–0) | 21 – Plumlee | 10 – Plumlee | 7 – Thornton | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| Jan 13, 2016 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 9 | at Clemson | L 63–68 | 14–3 (3–1) | 17 – Allen | 9 – Plumlee | 4 – Allen | Bon Secours Wellness Arena (12,972) Greenville, NC |
| Jan 16, 2016 2:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 9 | Notre Dame | L 91–95 | 14–4 (3–2) | 30 – Kennard | 9 – Plumlee | 6 – Allen | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| Jan 18, 2016 7:00 pm, ESPN | No. 20 | Syracuse | L 62–64 | 14–5 (3–3) | 19 – Plumlee | 17 – Plumlee | 6 – Jones | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| Jan 23, 2016 12:00 pm, CBS | No. 20 | at NC State | W 88–78 | 15–5 (4–3) | 28 – Allen | 8 – Plumlee | 7 – Allen | PNC Arena (19,500) Raleigh, NC |
| Jan 25, 2016 7:00 pm, ESPN | No. 24 | at No. 15 Miami (FL) | L 69–80 | 15–6 (4–4) | 19 – Ingram | 10 – Ingram | 2 – Tied | BankUnited Center (7,972) Coral Gables, FL |
| Feb 2, 2016 9:00 pm, ESPNU | | at Georgia Tech | W 80–71 | 16–6 (5–4) | 27 – Allen | 12 – Plumlee | 4 – Tied | Hank McCamish Pavilion (8,600) Atlanta, GA |
| Feb 6, 2016 2:00 pm, ESPN | | NC State | W 88–80 | 17–6 (6–4) | 28 – Allen | 12 – Plumlee | 6 – Jones | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| Feb 8, 2016 7:00 pm, ESPN | | No. 13 Louisville | W 72–65 | 18–6 (7–4) | 19 – Allen | 10 – Ingram | 4 – Ingram | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| Feb 13, 2016 4:30 pm, ESPN | | No. 7 Virginia | W 63–62 | 19–6 (8–4) | 25 – Ingram | 10 – Plumlee | 7 – Allen | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| Feb 17, 2016 9:00 pm, ESPN/ACCN | No. 20 | at No. 5 North Carolina Rivalry | W 74–73 | 20–6 (9–4) | 23 – Allen | 10 – Ingram | 4 – Ingram | Dean Smith Center (21,750) Chapel Hill, NC |
| Feb 20, 2016 12:00 pm, ESPN | No. 20 | at No. 18 Louisville | L 64–71 | 20–7 (9–5) | 29 – Allen | 14 – Plumlee | 3 – Tied | KFC Yum! Center (22,785) Louisville, KY |
| Feb 25, 2016 7:00 pm, ESPN | No. 15 | Florida State | W 80–65 | 21–7 (10–5) | 18 – Allen | 10 – Plumlee | 5 – Tied | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| Feb 28, 2016 2:00 pm, CBS | No. 15 | at Pittsburgh | L 62–76 | 21–8 (10–6) | 22 – Allen | 4 – Plumlee | 2 – Tied | Peterson Events Center (12,508) Pittsburgh, PA |
| Mar 1, 2016 8:00 pm, ACCN | No. 17 | Wake Forest | W 79–71 | 22–8 (11–6) | 30 – Allen | 17 – Plumlee | 4 – Thornton | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| Mar 5, 2016 6:30 pm, ESPN | No. 17 | No. 8 North Carolina Rivalry/ESPN College GameDay | L 72–76 | 22–9 (11–7) | 29 – Allen | 9 – Plumlee | 5 – Allen | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| ACC Tournament |||||||||
| Mar 9, 2016 2:30 pm, ESPN | (5) No. 19 | vs. (12) NC State Second Round | W 92–89 | 23–9 | 22 – Tied | 10 – Plumlee | 6 – Allen | Verizon Center (18,561) Washington, D.C. |
| Mar 10, 2016 2:00 pm, ESPN | (5) No. 19 | vs. (4) Notre Dame Quarterfinals | L 79–84 $^{OT}$ | 23–10 | 27 – Allen | 7 – Ingram | 4 – Thornton | Verizon Center (18,561) Washington, D.C |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| Mar 17, 2016* 12:15 pm, CBS | (4 W) No. 19 | vs. (13 W) UNC Wilmington First Round | W 93–85 | 24–10 | 23 – Tied | 10 – Allen | 5 – Allen | Dunkin' Donuts Center (11,656) Providence, RI |
| Mar 19, 2016* 2:40 pm, CBS | (4 W) No. 19 | vs. (12 W) Yale Second Round | W 71–64 | 25–10 | 29 – Allen | 10 – Plumlee | 5 – Thornton | Dunkin' Donuts Center (11,679) Providence, RI |
| Mar 24, 2016* 6:55 pm, TBS | (4 W) No. 19 | vs. (1 W) No. 5 Oregon Sweet Sixteen | L 68–82 | 25–11 | 24 – Ingram | 11 – Kennard | 3 – Tied | Honda Center (17,601) Anaheim, CA |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. W=West Region. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Post | Final |
| AP | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 9 | 20 | 24 | RV | RV | 20 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 19 | N/A* |
| Coaches | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 12 | 20 | RV | RV | 19 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 18 |
*AP does not release post-NCAA tournament rankings