Insider Poses Burning Question Around Duke’s Success

The No. 4-ranked Duke Blue Devils improved to 20-1 overall and 9-0 in ACC action following a 72-58 victory on the road over Virginia Tech (16-7, 5-5 ACC) on Saturday afternoon. The Blue Devils are now 9-1 in Quadrant 1, 13-1 across the first two quadrants, and 7-0 in true road games.

Duke has continued to mow through the rest of a much-improved ACC from a season ago. The Blue Devils have won six of their last seven games by double-digit points and three of their last four by over 20 points.

Jon Scheyer's club remained at No. 2 in the NCAA NET Rankings, proving the blue blood program boasts one of the most impressive overall bodies of work in the entire sport this season. Only No. 1 Arizona, which is 22-0 this year, owns nine Quad 1 victories along with the Blue Devils.

However, it feels like Duke has seemingly flown under the radar in terms of national title favorites. The consensus "favorites" appear to be Arizona, Michigan, and UConn. Despite the Blue Devils' elite resume and fantastic computer numbers, they don't get the attention of the other presumed favorites to cut down the nets in early April.

Look at Cam Boozer in the post.

Tells Maliq to shoot instead of forcing a pass. Bullies Lawal for the offensive rebound then finds Maliq for a dunk.

Winner. pic.twitter.com/pAdKtmzGjo
— Zion O. (@DukeNBA) January 31, 2026

Even though the ACC is in a much better place from a depth standpoint than it was a season ago, there are still concerns about whether it is good enough to prepare the Blue Devils for March.

Bruce Pearl Wonders if ACC Is Good Enough To Prepare Duke for Late March

Duke has dealt with minimal issues through conference play thus far, especially through its last few games. In 2024-25, the Blue Devils went 19-1 in league play, and it looks like a similar record could be the case this time around.

Jan 31, 2026; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Maliq Brown (6) shoots a shot during the first half at Cassell Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images | Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

Former Auburn head coach and current analyst Bruce Pearl wonders if the ACC is good enough to prepare the Blue Devils for the NCAA Tournament.

"I think the thing that we don't recognize about Duke is how good they are defensively," Pearl said. "They are so solid, they're so physical. The question, in my mind, is going to be, 'Is the ACC strong enough to get them ready to make that Final Four run?' Because they weren't last year."

Jan 24, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons guard Sebastian Akins (10) drives to the basket as Duke Blue Devils guard Caleb Foster (1) defends during the first half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Duke Will Be Challenged in the ACC

The ACC only got four teams in the NCAA Tournament a season ago, but that number will definitely be higher in 2026. The conference currently has five teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 and eight teams inside the top 50 of the NET.

Although it hasn't happened yet, the Blue Devils will eventually face a challenge against one of the conference's top squads.

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