Bracketology Reveals Potential Revenge Game for Duke

The No. 5-ranked Duke basketball program (17-1, 6-0 ACC) is back on the 1-seed line in the latest 2026 NCAA Tournament projections after the team earned its eighth Quadrant 1 victory over Stanford (14-5, 3-3 ACC) in dominant fashion on Jan. 17, winning 80-50 on the road.

Duke now boasts one of the best overall bodies of work in all of college basketball so far this season. The Blue Devils are 8-1 in Quadrant 1 games and 6-0 in true road games. Only No. 1 Arizona has seven Quad 1 victories, and the only squad with at least six road victories and no losses is No. 2 UConn.

Dec 16, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Dame Sarr (7) dribbles up court during the first half against the Lipscomb Bisons at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

ESPN's latest Bracketology update put the Blue Devils back on the 1-seed line, along with Arizona, Michigan, and UConn. Duke is currently ranked No. 2 in the NCAA NET Rankings, one of the most important evaluation tools that the committee uses for seeding purposes.

Along with Duke's 1-seed projection, other predictions around the 68-team field could call for a revenge game for the Blue Devils.

Jan 6, 2026; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer reacts during the second half against the Louisville Cardinals at KFC Yum! Center. Duke defeated Louisville 84-73. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images | Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Bracketology Reveals Potential Rematch Between Duke and Texas Tech

In the latest ESPN NCAA Tournament projections, Duke is the 1-seed out of the East Region. The 4-seed out of that region is projected to be Texas Tech, which handed the Blue Devils their only loss of the season on Dec. 20 at Madison Square Garden.

Duke was up as many as 17 points on the Red Raiders in the second half, but an abysmal performance from the charity stripe down the stretch led to an 82-81 loss.

handled business in the bay 👿 pic.twitter.com/ChsNUiPyig
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) January 18, 2026

Jon Scheyer's club shot 17-of-29 (59%) from the line en route to a one-point loss.

Duke has taken down six ranked opponents this season, but the one it couldn't get past was Grant McCasland's Red Raiders. If these projections stand, which is miles away from being determined, Duke would face Texas Tech in a Sweet Sixteen rematch if both schools won their respective games in the Round of 64 and the Round of 32.

Texas Tech boasts one of the most productive trios in the entire nation, as the combination of JT Toppin, Christian Anderson, and LeJuan Watts combines for a wild 54.8 points per game.

With so much time to go in the regular season, these projections will change dramatically as time goes on. However, a second-weekend revenge opportunity for the Blue Devils would be must-see TV for the fans.

Jan 6, 2026; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) drives to the basket against Louisville Cardinals forward Sananda Fru (13) during the first half at KFC Yum! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images | Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

What's Next For Duke?

Duke's next contest comes at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Jan. 24 against Wake Forest (11-7, 2-3 ACC).

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