# 2021–22 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team

The 2021–22 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team represented Duke University during the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Blue Devils played their home games at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
On June 2, 2021, the school announced that Coach Mike Krzyzewski would retire following the completion of the 2021–22 season after 42 years as head coach of Duke and 47 years of coaching. Associate head coach Jon Scheyer was named the head coach in waiting to become the team's new head coach after the conclusion of the season.
After losing to longtime rival North Carolina in their final home game, the team made it to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019, as the 2020 tournament was cancelled and Duke did not make the 2021 tournament. Duke reached the Final Four for the 13th time under Krzyzewski, where they again lost to North Carolina 81–77 in their first-ever NCAA tournament meeting.

## Previous season

In a season limited due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Blue Devils finished the 2020–21 season 13–11, 9–9 to finish in 10th place in ACC play. Their season ended with their withdrawal from the ACC tournament due to positive COVID-19 tests within the program. As a result, the Blue Devils failed to receive a bid to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1995 ending the second longest active streak of NCAA appearances.

## Offseason
### Coaching changes

After it became clear Scheyer would be taking over for Coach K in 2022, associate head coach Nate James left the school to become the new head coach at Austin Peay. Nolan Smith, previously the director of basketball operations, was promoted to an assistant coach, joining Jon Scheyer and Chris Carrawell.

### Departures

Duke Departures :
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for Departure |
| Jalen Johnson | 1 | F | 6'9" | 220 | Freshman | Milwaukee, WI | Opted out (mid-season) / 2021 NBA draft |
| D. J. Steward | 2 | G | 6'2" | 163 | Freshman | Chicago, IL | Declared for the 2021 NBA draft |
| Jaemyn Brakefield | 5 | F | 6'8" | 216 | Freshman | Jackson, MS | Transferred to Ole Miss |
| Patrick Tapé | 12 | F | 6'9" | 233 | Graduate Student | Charlotte, NC | Transferred to San Francisco |
| Jordan Goldwire | 14 | G | 6'2" | 184 | Senior | Norcross, GA | Graduated / Transferred to Oklahoma |
| Matthew Hurt | 21 | F | 6'9" | 235 | Sophomore | Rochester, MN | Declared for the 2021 NBA draft |
| Henry Coleman III | 34 | F | 6'7" | 229 | Freshman | Richmond, VA | Transferred to Texas A&M |
| Mike Buckmire | 51 | G | 6'2" | 175 | Senior | Blue Bell, PA | Graduated |
Source

### Incoming transfers

Duke Incoming Transfers :
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous School | Years Remaining | Date Eligible |
| Theo John | 12 | F | 6'9" | 242 | Graduate Student | Minneapolis, MN | Marquette | 1 | October 1, 2021 |
| Bates Jones | 34 | F | 6'8" | 222 | Graduate Student | Charlotte, NC | Davidson | 1 | October 1, 2021 |
Source

### 2021 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Adrian Griffin Jr. SF | Ossining, NY | Archbishop Stepinac | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 203 lb (92 kg) | Nov 4, 2019 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 89 ||||||
| Paolo Banchero PF | Seattle, WA | O'Dea | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 232 lb (105 kg) | Aug 20, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 97 ||||||
| Trevor Keels SG | Clinton, MD | Paul VI Catholic | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Apr 2, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 90 ||||||
| Jaylen Blakes CG | Somerset, NJ | Blair Academy | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Apr 19, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 82 ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 3 247Sports: 3 ||||||
| 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: "2021 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved April 21, 2021. ||||||

### 2022 Recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Dereck Lively II C | Chester, PA | Westtown School | 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | Sep 20, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 94 ||||||
| Dariq Whitehead SF | Newark, NJ | Montverde Academy (FL) | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Aug 1, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 94 ||||||
| Kyle Filipowski PF / C | Westtown, NY | Wilbraham & Monson Academy (MA) | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) | 230 lb (100 kg) | Apr 2, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 93 ||||||
| Tyrese Proctor* SG | Canberra, Australia | NBA Global Academy | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Apr 7, 2022 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 91 ||||||
| Mark Mitchell PF | Shawnee Mission, KS | Sunrise Christian Academy | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | Dec 10, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 89 ||||||
| Jaden Schutt SG | Yorkville, IL | Yorkville High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Sep 2, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 85 ||||||
| Christian Reeves C | Charlotte, NC | Oak Hill Academy (VA) | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Dec 14, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 80 ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 3 247Sports: 3 ||||||
| 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: "2022 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved April 21, 2022. ||||||
*Originally class of 2023, but reclassified to 2022.

## Schedule and results

Duke hosted a multiple-team event in which they played Army and Campbell.
| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| October 30, 2021* 1:30 p.m., ACCNX | No. 9 | Winston-Salem State | W 106–38 | – | 21 – Banchero | 9 – Banchero | 7 – Roach | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| Non-conference regular season |||||||||
| November 9, 2021* 9:30 p.m., ESPN | No. 9 | vs. No. 10 Kentucky Champions Classic | W 79–71 | 1–0 | 25 – Keels | 7 – Tied | 3 – Moore | Madison Square Garden (18,132) New York, NY |
| November 12, 2021* 7:00 p.m., ACCN | No. 9 | Army Duke Veteran's Day Weekend Showcase | W 82–56 | 2–0 | 19 – Moore | 12 – Banchero | 10 – Moore | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| November 13, 2021* 8:00 p.m., ACCNX | No. 9 | Campbell Duke Veteran's Day Weekend Showcase | W 67–56 | 3–0 | 18 – Banchero | 7 – Banchero | 5 – Moore | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| November 16, 2021* 7:00 p.m., ACCRSN | No. 7 | Gardner–Webb | W 92–52 | 4–0 | 18 – Keels | 8 – Banchero | 6 – Roach | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| November 19, 2021* 8:00 p.m., ACCN | No. 7 | Lafayette | W 88–55 | 5–0 | 23 – Moore | 15 – Williams | 5 – Roach | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| November 22, 2021* 9:00 p.m., ACCN | No. 5 | The Citadel | W 107–81 | 6–0 | 28 – Banchero | 8 – Tied | 9 – Moore | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| November 26, 2021* 10:30 p.m., ESPN | No. 5 | vs. No. 1 Gonzaga Continental Tire Challenge | W 84–81 | 7–0 | 21 – Banchero | 9 – Williams | 6 – Tied | T-Mobile Arena (20,389) Paradise, NV |
| November 30, 2021* 9:30 p.m., ESPN | No. 1 | at Ohio State ACC–Big Ten Challenge | L 66–71 | 7–1 | 17 – Moore | 8 – Moore | 5 – Moore | Value City Arena (18,809) Columbus, OH |
| December 14, 2021* 8:00 p.m., ACCN | No. 2 | South Carolina State | W 103–62 | 8–1 | 19 – Griffin | 7 – Banchero | 6 – Banchero | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| December 16, 2021* 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 2 | Appalachian State | W 92–67 | 9–1 | 21 – Moore | 6 – Banchero | 6 – Tied | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| December 18, 2021* 7:00 p.m., ACCN | No. 2 | Elon | W 87–56 | 10–1 | 19 – Keels | 9 – Banchero | 5 – Moore | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| ACC regular season |||||||||
| December 22, 2021 9:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 2 | Virginia Tech | W 76–65 | 11–1 (1–0) | 23 – Banchero | 8 – Banchero | 4 – Moore | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| January 4, 2022 9:00 p.m., ACCN | No. 2 | Georgia Tech | W 69–57 | 12–1 (2–0) | 17 – Banchero | 14 – Williams | 4 – Banchero | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| January 8, 2022 8:00 p.m., ACCN | No. 2 | Miami (FL) | L 74–76 | 12–2 (2–1) | 20 – Banchero | 12 – Moore Jr. | 7 – Moore Jr. | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| January 12, 2022 7:00 p.m., ACCN | No. 8 | at Wake Forest | W 76–64 | 13–2 (3–1) | 24 – Banchero | 7 – Williams | 6 – Moore Jr. | LJVM Coliseum (14,213) Winston-Salem, NC |
| January 15, 2022 2:00 p.m., ABC | No. 8 | NC State | W 88–73 | 14–2 (4–1) | 21 – Banchero | 11 – Williams | 9 – Keels | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| January 18, 2022 9:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 6 | at Florida State | L 78–79 $^{OT}$ | 14–3 (4–2) | 20 – Banchero | 12 – Banchero | 7 – Banchero | Donald L. Tucker Civic Center (11,500) Tallahassee, FL |
| January 22, 2022 12:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 6 | Syracuse | W 79–59 | 15–3 (5–2) | 15 – Tied | 13 – Banchero | 9 – Roach | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| January 25, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 9 | Clemson | W 71–69 | 16–3 (6–2) | 19 – Banchero | 10 – Williams | 9 – Roach | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| January 29, 2022 12:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 9 | at Louisville | W 74–65 | 17–3 (7–2) | 22 – Griffin | 15 – Banchero | 5 – Tied | KFC Yum! Center (18,493) Louisville, KY |
| January 31, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 9 | at Notre Dame Rescheduled from January 1 | W 57–43 | 18–3 (8–2) | 21 – Banchero | 9 – 3 tied | 4 – Keels | Edmund P. Joyce Center (9,149) South Bend, IN |
| February 5, 2022 6:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 9 | at North Carolina Rivalry/College GameDay | W 87–67 | 19–3 (9–2) | 27 – Griffin | 10 – Banchero | 5 – Moore Jr. | Dean Smith Center (21,750) Chapel Hill, NC |
| February 7, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 7 | Virginia | L 68–69 | 19–4 (9–3) | 16 – Williams | 9 – Banchero | 4 – Tied | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| February 10, 2022 8:00 p.m., ACCN | No. 7 | at Clemson Rescheduled from Dec. 29, 2021 | W 82–64 | 20–4 (10–3) | 25 – Keels | 11 – Keels | 8 – Moore | Littlejohn Coliseum (9,000) Clemson, SC |
| February 12, 2022 5:00 p.m., ACCN | No. 7 | at Boston College | W 72–61 | 21–4 (11–3) | 16 – Banchero | 14 – Banchero | 3 – Banchero | Conte Forum (8,606) Chestnut Hill, MA |
| February 15, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 9 | Wake Forest | W 76–74 | 22–4 (12–3) | 16 – Tied | 10 – Williams | 6 – Banchero | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| February 19, 2022 6:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 9 | Florida State | W 88–70 | 23–4 (13–3) | 17 – Banchero | 8 – Banchero | 8 – Keels | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| February 23, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 7 | at Virginia | W 65–61 | 24–4 (14–3) | 15 – Roach | 10 – Williams | 5 – Banchero | John Paul Jones Arena (14,629) Charlottesville, VA |
| February 26, 2022 6:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 7 | at Syracuse | W 97–72 | 25–4 (15–3) | 28 – Williams | 12 – Williams | 9 – Banchero | Carrier Dome (31,803) Syracuse, NY |
| March 1, 2022 8:00 p.m., ACCN | No. 4 | at Pittsburgh | W 86–56 | 26–4 (16–3) | 27 – Keels | 7 – Griffin | 5 – Moore | Petersen Events Center (12,095) Pittsburgh, PA |
| March 5, 2022 6:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 4 | North Carolina Rivalry/College GameDay | L 81–94 | 26–5 (16–4) | 23 – Banchero | 13 – Williams | 7 – Moore Jr. | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| ACC Tournament |||||||||
| March 10, 2022 12:00 p.m., ESPN | (1) No. 7 | vs. (9) Syracuse Quarterfinals | W 88–79 | 27–5 | 26 – Moore | 16 – Williams | 8 – Moore | Barclays Center (11,511) Brooklyn, NY |
| March 11, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPN | (1) No. 7 | vs. (4) Miami Semifinals | W 80–76 | 28–5 | 21 – Griffin | 11 – Banchero | 4 – Banchero | Barclays Center (15,994) Brooklyn, NY |
| March 12, 2022 8:30 p.m., ESPN | (1) No. 7 | vs. (7) Virginia Tech Championship | L 67–82 | 28–6 | 20 – Banchero | 6 – Moore | 4 – Keels | Barclays Center (17,764) Brooklyn, NY |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| March 18, 2022 7:10 p.m., CBS | (2 W) No. 9 | vs. (15 W) Cal State Fullerton First Round | W 78–61 | 29–6 | 17 – Banchero | 10 – Banchero | 6 – Moore Jr. | Bon Secours Wellness Arena (14,295) Greenville, SC |
| March 20, 2022 5:15 p.m., CBS | (2 W) No. 9 | vs. (7 W) Michigan State Second Round | W 85–76 | 30–6 | 19 – Banchero | 8 – Williams | 4 – Tied | Bon Secours Wellness Arena (14,316) Greenville, SC |
| March 24, 2022 9:40 p.m., CBS | (2 W) No. 9 | vs. (3 W) No. 12 Texas Tech Sweet Sixteen | W 78–73 | 31–6 | 22 – Banchero | 8 – Williams | 5 – Roach | Chase Center (17,514) San Francisco, CA |
| March 26, 2022 8:49 p.m., TBS | (2 W) No. 9 | vs. (4 W) No. 17 Arkansas Elite Eight | W 78–69 | 32–6 | 18 – Griffin | 12 – Williams | 3 – Banchero | Chase Center (17,739) San Francisco, CA |
| April 2, 2022 8:49 p.m., TBS | (2 W) No. 9 | vs. (8 E) North Carolina Final Four/Rivalry | L 77–81 | 32–7 | 20 – Banchero | 10 – Banchero | 5 – Roach | Caesars Superdome (70,602) New Orleans, LA |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. W=West. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking ( ) = First-place votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Final |
| AP | 9 | 7 | 5 | 1 (51) | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 4 (11) | 7 | 9 | Not released |
| Coaches | 9 | 9* | 6 | 1 (19) | 3 | 2 (1) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 2 (9) | 7 | 10 | 3 |
*Coaches did not release a week 1 poll.