Duke Cementing Case as One of College Basketball’s Best Ever

The No. 1-ranked Duke Blue Devils (29-2, 17-1 ACC) cemented themselves as arguably the best team in college basketball on Saturday night after capping off the regular season with a 76-61 victory at Cameron Indoor Stadium over No. 17 North Carolina (24-7, 12-6 ACC).

For the last few weeks, the Blue Devils have remained the No. 1 team in the Associated Press Top 25, the NCAA NET Rankings, and at KenPom. Led by National Player of the Year frontrunner Cameron Boozer, Duke is hot heading into the postseason.

Feb 24, 2026; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer claps against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second half at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Jon Scheyer's club ended the regular season on an eight-game win streak, winning those games by an average margin of 23.1 points. The only contest that did not result in a double-digit victory for the Blue Devils over that span was the one game that took place out of conference. Duke took down then-No. 1 Michigan 68-63 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.

Each season, Scheyer gives his guys one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the nation to prepare them for league play and the latter weekends of the NCAA Tournament. What was different this year was that the ACC is in a much better place than it has been in any of the past few seasons, giving the Blue Devils more marquee opportunities in the postseason.

Mar 7, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) controls the ball during the second half against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Duke Blue Devils won 76-61. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Duke Cements One of the Best Resumes in the History of College Basketball

Duke is on the fast track to earn the No. 1 overall seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, and much of that has to do with the team's stellar overall body of work. Heading into the ACC Tournament, the Blue Devils are 15-2 in Quadrant 1 games, 20-2 across the first two quadrants, 15-0 at home, and 10-1 on the road.

Only Arizona owns more Quad 1 victories than Duke. However, what separates the Blue Devils' resume from the rest of the pack is its elite record against ranked opponents.

Feb 28, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Caleb Foster (1) gestures to head coach Jon Scheyer during the second half against the Virginia Cavaliers at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke won 77-51. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

The blue blood program ended the regular season with an 11-2 record against AP Top 25 teams. This is more ranked wins than any other team in the nation and ties the record for the most in the history of the AP Poll.

Mar 7, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA;Duke Blue Devils forward Dame Sarr (7) reacts during a timeout in the second half against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Duke Blue Devils won 76-61. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Duke Is Battle Tested Heading Into March

The Blue Devils played one of the toughest overall schedules in the country, and that will bode well for a late postseason run. Duke controls its own destiny to earn the No. 1 overall seed in this year's big dance, with a chance to be the favorite to cut down the nets in early April.