Duke Gearing Up for Monumental Saturday Matchup

The No. 1-ranked Duke Blue Devils (26-2, 14-1 ACC) are riding high as the new top team in the Associated Press Top 25 and the new top projected overall seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils are currently on a five-game win streak, winning those contests by an average margin of 23 points.

Duke cemented its status as the new team to beat in college basketball after it took down previous No. 1 Michigan 68-63 in Washington, D.C. last Saturday. The Blue Devils followed that up with a 100-56 demolition of Notre Dame (12-16, 3-12 ACC) in South Bend on Tuesday night, handing the Fighting Irish their worst home loss since 1898.

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Jon Scheyer's club is red hot and controls much of its own destiny heading into the latter part of the regular season. Still, the Blue Devils are now gearing up for a huge ACC matchup that could have major implications on Duke's postseason seeding.

On Saturday, Duke will take on No. 11 Virginia (25-3, 13-2 ACC) at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Cavaliers are in second place in the ACC standings and have won their last nine games.

Feb 21, 2026; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Chance Mallory (2) and Dallin Hall (30) talk during the second half at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images | Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images

Virginia Is a Computer Darling

In year one under Ryan Odom, the Cavaliers are emerging as a dark horse Final Four contender after being one of the quieter ranked teams all season long. Despite there not being a ton of buzz around Virginia as a whole, the computer numbers love what the Cavaliers are doing.

Virginia is currently rated No. 14 at KenPom while coming in at 24th nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency and 16th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency. Odom's club might be the deepest team in the ACC behind Duke, and has the makeup to give the Blue Devils a run on the road.

Feb 18, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Ryan Odom calls a play against the Virginia Cavaliers in the first half at McCamish Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Cavaliers are 13th in the NCAA NET Rankings with a 6-2 record in Quadrant 1, a 13-3 record across the first two quadrants, and an 8-1 record on the road. UVA is also ranked 13th in Wins Above Bubble (6.03).

Feb 21, 2026; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers forward Thijs de Ridder (28) celebrates in the second half against the Miami (FL) Hurricanes at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images | Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images

UVA Has Dealt With Some Scares

Virginia has gotten its job done in-conference, but has been in some tight situations with lackluster competition, raising the question of how elite it really is.

Over the Hoos' nine-game win streak, they found themselves in halftime deficits to both Notre Dame and Boston College (10-18, 3-12 ACC) on the road. It also entered the halftime locker room tied with Florida State (14-14, 7-8 ACC) in Tallahassee.

Feb 14, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer (right) directs his team during the second half against the Clemson Tigers at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Virginia looks the part of a contender in March, but some of its tight matchups on the road in league play spark questions. Saturday will give the Cavaliers a chance to cement themselves as a true contender.

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