Skip to main content
Join Now
Team Avatar
Duke

Dick Vitale emphatically picks Duke to win the national title, anticipates backlash

IMG_0985by:Griffin McVeigh•03/15/25•

griffin_mcveigh

Jon Scheyer at the Champions Classic - Dale Zanine, Imagn Images
Jon Scheyer at the Champions Classic - Dale Zanine, Imagn Images

Dick Vitale was on Saturday night’s ACC Championship call for ESPN, watching Duke face off against Louisville. A bigger-picture discussion broke out on the broadcast, talking about who is capable of winning the national championship. Multiple teams were named but Vitale went with a team he was watching — the Blue Devils.

“When you got a team that ranks as the only team in America — only team by KenPom — offensively and defensively in the top four in the nation,” Vitale said. “You combine it with having the greatest team in the country by a coach who just handles his players so beautifully. I know they’re going to yell ‘He’s Dukie Vitale.’ Well you know what? I can even spell it. D-U-K-E.”

Duke went on to take down Louisville, earning another ACC Tournament title. Most of their time in Charlotte was spent without Vitale’s best player in the country, Cooper Flagg, due to an ankle injury. He did not play in the final three games of the weekend but thankfully Flagg is expected to be healthy in time for the NCAA Tournament.

Vitale is correct about KenPom thinking highly of Duke this season. They entered Saturday as the No. 1 team in the rankings ahead of Florida. Offensively, the Blue Devils at No. 2 and No. 4 when you look at the defense. While the ACC may have not provided too much of a challenge, Jon Scheyer did schedule tough in the nonconference portion of the schedule.

Usually, publicly supporting Duke does bring some pushback from other fanbases out there. Especially a guy like Vitale who has been one of college basketball’s biggest voices throughout the years. Vitale knows people will call him a homer but he is still riding with the Blue Devils.

Sunday will provide a little more clarity on the national championship picture. Making an official prediction is nearly impossible until seeing the bracket. Duke will be a one-seed and likely will play potential Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight games in Newark, a favorable location for them.

Vitale is already ready to rock and roll with the Blue Devils, though. Metrics favor them, Vitale is a huge fan of Scheyer and likes what Flagg brings to the table when healthy. San Antonio is the site of this year’s Final Four and when nets are being cut down on Monday night, Vitale is picking Duke to be the ones holding scissors.