How Duke Earned 2 Quality Wins Despite Only 1 Game

Duke picked up two big wins on the same day this weekend.

Jan 10, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Caleb Foster (1) drives to the basket as Southern Methodist Mustangs guard Jaron Pierre Jr. (5) defends during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

The Duke basketball program (15-1, 4-0 ACC) has gone through one of the toughest schedules in college basketball through the midway point of the 2025-26 season.

Duke has faced seven ranked opponents, owning a 6-1 record in those games, and still has one more marquee non-conference matchup against No. 2 Michigan. But with how its overall body of work currently stands, Duke might have the best résumé in the sport.

Other teams around the nation have faced more perennial national title contenders, but the sheer amount of top competition that the Blue Devils have beaten speaks volumes, especially when factoring in that this Duke team is still so far from its ceiling on both sides of the ball.

no place like Cameron pic.twitter.com/rBg6UHE3Uh

— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) January 11, 2026

The Blue Devils now sit at No. 4 in the NCAA NET Rankings with a 7-1 record in Quadrant 1 through 15 games, with only two of those key victories coming at Cameron Indoor Stadium. No other team in the nation has secured more than five wins in Quad 1. However, Duke actually earned two Quad 1 wins on Saturday despite only playing one game.

Duke’s Win Over Texas Jumps to Quadrant 1 Victory After Longhorns’ Signature SEC Victory

FINAL: Texas 92, No. 13 Alabama 88. In Tuscaloosa.

Looked like Texas hit rock bottom on Tuesday in a loss at Tennessee, but Longhorns go into Coleman Coliseum and hand Crimson Tide their second straight loss.

Jordan Pope, Dailyn Swain big shots late.pic.twitter.com/8fUPO2trRw

— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) January 11, 2026

Texas, which Duke beat 75-60 in its opening game of the season in Charlotte, NC, hasn't had a great start to year one under Sean Miller. Heading into this weekend, the Longhorns were 9-6 overall and 0-2 in SEC play. The win over Texas didn't count as a Quad 1 victory for Duke.

Then, the Longhorns took down No. 13 Alabama on the road, 92-88, over the weekend, subsequently shooting them up the NET Rankings, and turning the Blue Devils' win over them into a Quadrant 1 victory on a neutral floor, which obviously looks vastly better than a win in Quad 2.

Duke Blue Devils guard Isaiah Evans (3) celebrates hitting a three-point shot as the Blue Devils rallied to beat Louisville 84-73 Tuesday night at KFC Yum Center January 6, 2026. | Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

So, even though the Blue Devils only played one game over the weekend, they managed to earn a second Quad 1 win on the same day thanks to Sean Miller's Longhorns.

Texas doesn't look like an NCAA Tournament team at this point in the season, so that win will only mean so much when actually breaking it down, but a team's Quadrant 1 record is one of the most important metrics that the committee uses on Selection Sunday.

With conference play just getting underway, Jon Scheyer's squad will have many more opportunities to earn key wins in league play than it did in 2024-25. The ACC currently has eight squads ranked in the top 50 of the NET and five teams ranked in the AP Top 25.

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.