Duke — And Only Duke — Extends
ACC’s Sweet 16 Streak To 46 Years
By David Glenn
North Carolina Sports Network
When Duke defeated Baylor on Sunday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the Blue Devils extended the Atlantic Coast Conference’s incredible Sweet 16 streak to 46 years.
Since the 1970s, when the NCAA eliminated its restrictions (first one team, later two) on the number of teams from any single conference that could play in the Big Dance, the ACC has never failed to advance at least one team to the event’s second week.
This year, Duke was the ACC’s last team standing, and the #1 seed Blue Devils not only defeated #9 seed Baylor, they absolutely dominated the undersized and depth-shy Bears.
Junior guard Tyrese Proctor scored a career-high 25 points and converted a career-high seven 3-pointers, and superstar freshman swingman Cooper Flagg added 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists, as Duke annihilated Baylor 89-66.
“For us to win by this margin, I think speaks to the level of killer instinct that our guys have, the competitiveness, and the connectivity,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “I thought guys did a great job last two games. If my math is right, we have 38-to-8 assists-to-turnovers. That’s a big deal.
“Cooper back these last couple games, he’s had a great way about him. Tyrese, look, it’s obviously the shots, big-time shot-making, but I think he’s just been competitive and a great leader, setting the tone every day with what we’re doing. So really proud of this win.”
While the Duke coach wasn’t asked about, nor likely thinking about, the ACC’s 46-year streak, he said his team is excited about its trip this week to Newark, N.J., where the Blue Devils will face #4 seed Arizona — led by former UNC guard Caleb Love — on Thursday (9:39 p.m., CBS) in the Sweet 16.
“Sweet 16 sounds great,” Scheyer said. “We know it’s a quick turnaround, but we’re going to enjoy this one tonight and get back to it.”
The ACC’s high-water mark in Sweet 16 representation came in 2016.
Then in just its third season with 15 members, the league gobbled up six of those 16 spots by itself, with Duke, Miami, UNC, Notre Dame, Syracuse and Virginia all still standing.
Although the Tar Heels and the Orange both advanced to the Final Four that year, the league’s stunning depth didn’t translate into another title, as Villanova edged the Heels with a buzzer-beater in the championship game.
At the other end of the spectrum, since the elimination of NCAA Tournament bids-per-conference restrictions in the 1970s, there have been only seven years in which the ACC had only one representative in the Sweet 16: 2007 (UNC), 2008 (UNC), 2010 (Duke), 2014 (Virginia), 2017 (UNC), 2023 (Miami) and 2025 (Duke).
The 2010 Blue Devils and 2017 Tar Heels, of course, squashed any “ACC is down” talk during March Madness in those years by going on to win the NCAA title. Perhaps Duke will do the same this season.
Over these last four and a half decades (please see full list below), the ACC’s average number of Sweet 16 participants has been almost three per year, although that number has trended slightly downward here in the 2020s.
ACC In NCAA Tournament Sweet 16
(Modern Era; 1980-2025)
Year—Teams/Bids/S16—Sweet 16 Participants (With Seed)
2025—18/4/1—Duke-1
2024—15/5/4—UNC-1, Duke-4, Clemson-6, NC State-11
2023—15/5/1—Miami-5
2022—15/5/3—Duke-2, UNC-8, Miami-10
2021—15/7/2—Florida State-4, Syracuse-11
2020—15 (No NCAA Tournament-COVID)
2019—15/7/5—Virginia!!-1, Duke-1, UNC-1, Florida State-4, Virginia Tech-4
2018—15/9/4—Duke-2, Clemson-5, Florida State-9, Syracuse-11
2017—15/9/1—UNC!!-1
2016—15/7/6—UNC-1, Virginia-1, Miami-3, Duke-4, Notre Dame-6, Syracuse-10
2015—15/6/5—Duke!!-1, Notre Dame-3, Louisville-4, UNC-4, NC State-8
2014—15/6/1—Virginia-1
2013—12/4/2—Duke-2, Miami-2
2012—12/5/2—UNC-1, NC State-11
2011—12/4/3—Duke-1, UNC-2, Florida State-10
2010—12/6/1—Duke!!-1
2009—12/7/2—UNC!!-1, Duke-2
2008—12/4/1—UNC-1
2007—12/7/1—UNC-1
2006—12/4/2—Duke-1, Boston College-4
2005—11/5/3—UNC!!-1, Duke-1, NC State-10
2004—9/6/3—Duke-1, Georgia Tech-3, Wake Forest-4
2003—9/4/2—Duke-3, Maryland-6
2002—9/4/2—Maryland!!-1, Duke-1
2001—9/6/2—Duke!!-1, Maryland-3
2000—9/3/2—Duke-1, UNC-8
1999—9/3/2—Duke-1, Maryland-2
1998—9/5/3—UNC-1, Duke-1, Maryland-4
1997—9/6/2—UNC-1, Clemson-4
1996—9/6/2—Wake Forest-2, Georgia Tech-3
1995—9/4/4—Wake Forest-1, UNC-2, Maryland-3, Virginia-4
1994—9/5/2—Duke-2, Maryland-10
1993—9/6/4—UNC!!-1, Florida State-3, Wake Forest-5, Virginia-6
1992—9/5/4—Duke!!-1, Florida State-3, UNC-4, Georgia Tech-7
1991—8/6/2—UNC-1, Duke!!-2
1990—8/5/4—Duke-3, Georgia Tech-4, Clemson-5, UNC-8
1989—8/6/4—Duke-2, UNC-2, NC State-5, Virginia-5
1988—8/5/2—Duke-2, UNC-2
1987—8/6/2—UNC-1, Duke-5
1986—8/6/4—Duke-1, Georgia Tech-2, UNC-3, NC State-6
1985—8/5/4—Georgia Tech-2, UNC-2, NC State-3, Maryland-5
1984—8/5/4—UNC-1, Maryland-3, Wake Forest-4, Virginia-7
1983—8/4/3—Virginia-1, UNC-2, NC State!!-6
1982—8/4/2—UNC!!-1, Virginia-1
1981—8/4/2—Virginia-1, UNC-2
1980—8/5/3—Maryland-2, Duke-4, Clemson-6
NOTE1: Bolded teams went on to Final Four; !! = NCAA champion.
NOTE2: Prior to 1980, the NCAA restricted the number of teams from a single conference that could play in the NCAA Tournament.
