Duke Emerges Confidently As New Team To Beat in Bracketology

The No. 1-ranked Duke Blue Devils (26-2, 14-1 ACC) soared to the top of the national rankings and near the top of most computer metrics after a signature 68-63 victory over previous No. 1 Michigan last Saturday night. The Wolverines were also the projected top overall seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament heading into the contest with Duke.

Jon Scheyer's club followed up the key win over the Wolverines with a 100-56 demolition of Notre Dame (12-16, 3-12 ACC) on Tuesday night in South Bend. This was the Fighting Irish's worst home loss since 1898, and Scheyer has now become the first head coach in ACC history to win twice on the road in ACC games by 40 points.

Feb 16, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Cayden Boozer (2) reacts during the second half against the Syracuse Orange at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Duke has now won its last five games by an average margin of 23 points. The Blue Devils are firing on all cylinders and look the part of a national champion.

Freshman phenom Cameron Boozer went for a game-high 24 points to go along with 13 rebounds, two assists, and three steals on 5-of-8 (62.5%) shooting from the field, 2-of-2 (100%) shooting from three, and 12-of-14 (85.7%) shooting from the free throw line.

Feb 24, 2026; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Cole Certa (5) dishes out a pass after getting past Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) and guard Sebastian Wilkins (5) during the first half at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

The Blue Devils are red hot heading into a marquee date with No. 11 Virginia (25-3, 13-2 ACC) this Saturday, and as expected, Duke is at the very top of the projections in ESPN's latest Bracketology update.

Feb 24, 2026; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Isaiah Evans (3) works against Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Logan Imes (2) during the first half at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Duke New Top Overall Seed in Latest ESPN Bracketology

As anticipated, Duke jumped Michigan to become the new top overall projected seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament in the last ESPN Bracketology Update. The four 1-seeds, along with the Blue Devils, are Michigan, Arizona, and UConn.

Considering its remaining schedule, Duke has a great chance to remain in that rank up until Selection Sunday. All three of the Blue Devils' remaining regular-season games are Quadrant 1 opportunities, and it's extremely difficult to see any team taking them down in the ACC Tournament.

ACC Remains Strong in Latest Update

In a major bounce-back year for the Atlantic Coast Conference as a whole, it has a great shot to get seven or eight teams into the big dance after only earning four bids a year ago. The ACC currently has eight projected teams in the field, the third-most of any conference, behind the SEC (11) and the Big Ten (9).

The seven other ACC squads projected in the field include: Virginia (4-seed), Louisville (6-seed), North Carolina (6-seed), NC State (7-seed), Miami (8-seed), SMU (8-seed), and Clemson (9-seed).

Stay tuned to Duke Blue Devils On SI for more Duke basketball news.

As always, make sure you stay up to date with all Duke content by following us on Facebook, by clicking HERE, and following us on X (formerly Twitter) HERE.