The team played its home games in Durham, North Carolina at Cameron Indoor Stadium, celebrating the arena's 75th anniversary.

[23] The pair had long been rumored to be planning on committing to the same college in spite of living hundreds of miles apart and the rarity of package deals coming to fruition.

[27] In the spring, all four players were named to the McDonald's All-America team with Allen winning the dunk contest, Jones capturing the skills competition and Okafor earning co-MVP honors for the game.

The combination of freshman talent and veteran leadership led many to put the Blue Devils on the early short list of Final Four contenders.

After a disappointing early exit in the 2014 NCAA tournament, incoming freshman Tyus Jones sent a text message to Coach Krzyzewski saying "this won’t happen next year" in reference to the defeat.

Cook was quick to dismiss any speculation that Jones was coming in to replace him in the lineup, stating that his willingness to change positions was driven by his desire to win.

Hanging a banner in Cameron Indoor Stadium, something that requires winning an ACC championship or reaching the Final Four, was a major goal for the team.

Cook told the media that "I don’t feel like I’ve accomplished anything," referencing the fact that his previous teams had not raised any banners.

[38][39] Additionally, he was named to the preseason All-American team by most major media outlets, including the AP,[40] USBWA[41] and Sporting News.

[44] Additionally, Okafor and Jones, along with senior Quinn Cook and Freshman Justise Winslow were named to several watch lists for prestigious postseason awards.

[48] Roster Last update: 05/03/2024 On December 14, Duke announced that sophomore forward Semi Ojeleye would leave the program, granting him his full release.

"[49] After a successful high school career, in which he was named the 2013 Parade National Player of the Year,[50] he struggled to find playing time as a freshman, logging only 80 minutes.

[52] He did not spend much time in choosing a program, however, deciding to join SMU and head coach Larry Brown less than two weeks after the initial announcement.

[21] During his sophomore season, the coaching staff took issue with the way Sulaimon had handled adversity, going as far as benching him for an entire game against Michigan in late 2013.

[21] The only official explanation of the dismissal was a quote from Coach Krzyzewski in the press release stating that Sulaimon had failed to "consistently live up to the standards required to be a member of our program".

[54] A month later, on March 2, the dismissal came under new scrutiny as Duke's student newspaper, The Chronicle, published accusations that two women had separately claimed that Sulaimon had sexually assaulted them.

Further accusations were made in the article claiming that the coaching staff, athletics department, and university administration knew of the allegations for a year prior to Sulaimon's dismissal, and had failed to act.

[55] The next day, athletic director Kevin White stated that all accusations of misconduct within the department are referred to the Office of Student Conduct, and that the entire coaching staff has fulfilled their responsibilities.

[70] On November 21 and 22, Duke continued its road trip, visiting the Barclays Center in Brooklyn for the championship rounds of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic.

[72] Quinn Cook scored 18 points to earn tournament MVP honors, while Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow also made the all-tournament team.

With preseason all-Americans Jahlil Okafor and Frank Kaminsky squaring off in the post,[40] the game was billed as the marquee matchup of the challenge and a potential Final Four preview.

[83] Three days later, Duke traveled to New Jersey for a game against the defending National Champion UConn Huskies at the IZOD Center.

[84] Duke closed out the calendar year at home with wins over Toledo and Wofford, finishing December with a 12–0 record and maintaining their #2 ranking in the polls.

[88] Duke's defensive woes would carry over to their next game against Miami, with the Hurricanes shooting 18–27 in the second half in a 90–74 win at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Duke not only had to navigate the prospect of its first 3-game losing streak since 2007,[92] but also a top ten opponent anticipating their first match-up with the Blue Devils as members of the ACC.

After a fast start for the Blue Devils, the Red Storm took control of the game, building a 10-point lead in the second half.

Sparked by a game-high 22 points from Tyus Jones, along with 17 each for Jahlil Okafor and Quinn Cook, Duke was able to comeback and win by a score of 77–68.

[97] The road trip continued to Indiana, where the Blue Devils faced #8 Notre Dame, led by former Duke assistant Mike Brey.

[99] Duke struggled shooting the ball for much of the game, missing on their first 9 3-point attempts to allow Virginia to build an 11-point lead in the middle of the second half.

The Blue Devils were able to flip the result of the previous loss in South Bend, using an early 43–7 run to win in a rout, 90–60.