Duke is scariest team in men’s college basketball after another blowout win

Duke laid waste to another ACC foe on Monday, looking like a major threat to win a national title with the NCAA Tournament only weeks away.

The Blue Devils vanquished Wake Forest, 93-60, for their fifth win by at least 30 points this season, tying this year’s squad with the 2019-20 Blue Devils for the most 30-point wins in a single season in program history. (h/t Stathead).

Three of those wins have come in the past seven days, including a 97-60 win over Miami on Feb. 25, followed by a 100-65 win on Saturday against Florida State.

Duke also routed Illinois (19-11, 11-8 in Big Ten) in an out-of-conference game on Feb. 22, winning 110-67. Since a six-point loss to Clemson on Feb. 8, the Blue Devils have won seven in a row by an average of 31.9 points per game.

They look like the most dangerous team in the country, even scarier than Associated Press No. 1 Auburn (27-2, 15-1 in SEC) or the rest of the SEC’s elite.

While Duke has certainly benefited from playing in an ACC that’s at its weakest in recent history, its recent win against Illinois suggests it hasn’t simply benefited from playing inferior competition.

No. 2 Duke (27-3, 18-1 in ACC) has one of the nation’s top offenses, averaging 83.5 points per game following Monday’s decisive victory.

Per KenPom, the Blue Devils entered Monday No. 2 in offensive rating and No. 4 in defensive rating. They’re the only team in the top five in both metrics.

Freshman forward Cooper Flagg remains in the Player of the Year race with Auburn senior forward Johni Broome.

Flagg had 28 points on 10-of-16 shooting against the Demon Deacons and added eight rebounds, seven assists, three blocks and two steals.

This season, he’s averaging 19.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per game.

Duke has taken care of its business and has a star capable of putting the team on his back during the upcoming ACC and NCAA tournaments.

No team has been as dominant as the Blue Devils in recent weeks. It might be a precursor to future events.