Report: Duke available for March Madness despite ACC tournament withdrawal

The Duke Blue Devils are, at best, longshots to make the NCAA Tournament, but it turns out they’re ready if called upon.

A source told ESPN’s Rece Davis that the Blue Devils would be ready and available to play in the NCAA Tournament if selected despite withdrawing from the ACC Tournament due to a positive COVID-19 test. At the time of the withdrawal, Duke athletic director Kevin White said the cancellation would “end our 2020-21 season.”

It appears that White’s statement referred to the reality that the Blue Devils are unlikely to be selected for the tournament, not that the health issues would be severe enough to prevent the team from participating.

It’s pretty jarring to hear Duke openly admit that the NCAA Tournament won’t be happening for them this year. That said, it appears to be something the team has known for a while now.