Duke Jumps in NET After Cal Win

The Duke basketball program improved to 16-1 overall and 5-0 in ACC play on the 2025-26 season following a 71-56 victory on the road over California (13-5, 1-4 ACC) on Wednesday night. This was the first game of a two-game West Coast road trip for the Blue Devils, as they will face Stanford (14-4, 3-2 ACC) next on Jan. 17.

With another Quadrant 1 victory over the Golden Bears, the Blue Devils now sit with a 7-1 record in Quad 1 and a 9-1 record in the first two Quadrants. Only Michigan and Arizona hold at least six Quad 1 wins.

Jan 10, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Isaiah Evans (3) reacts after hitting a three-pointer during the second half against the Southern Methodist Mustangs at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Duke did lose one of its previous Quad 1 victories, as SMU dropped out of the top-30 of the NET. Home wins count as Quad 1 against opponents ranked in the NET top-30.

The Blue Devils have now moved up to No. 3 in the NCAA NET Rankings, one of the most important evaluation tools the selection committee will use come Selection Sunday. The only programs ranked ahead of Duke in the NET are Michigan and Arizona, respectively.

Jan 6, 2026; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer reacts during the second half against the Louisville Cardinals at KFC Yum! Center. Duke defeated Louisville 84-73. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images | Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Duke’s Résumé Continues To Improve

With more Quadrant 1 victories than any other program in the sport, Duke has a legitimate case to hold the best body of work in all of college basketball this season. In addition to the seven Q1 victories, the Blue Devils are 6-1 against ranked opponents, and only two of those wins have come at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils are 5-0 in true road games this year.

Post-games vibes so inspirational

👊 @StephenCurry30 @sdotcurry pic.twitter.com/pnvPRrvIqS
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) January 15, 2026

The ACC has 10 teams, in addition to the Blue Devils, currently ranked in the top-60 of the NET Rankings. As the season progresses, with Duke as the team to beat out of the ACC, there will be plenty of opportunities for Scheyer and Co. to keep stacking marquee wins.

Jan 14, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) celebrates after dunking the basketball against the California Golden Bears during the second half at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images | Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

What Does the Rest of Duke’s Schedule Look Like?

As it currently stands, Duke has nine more Quad 1 opportunities out of its remaining 14 regular season games. Some of those matchups include signature résumé-boosting opportunities, such as a date with No. 4 Michigan on a neutral floor on Feb. 21, both games against No. 14 North Carolina (14-3, 2-2 ACC), and a home matchup against No. 16 Virginia (15-2, 4-1 ACC).

The Blue Devils are now one of three remaining unbeaten ACC teams through league play, along with No. 22 Clemson (15-3, 5-0 ACC) and Miami (15-2, 4-0 ACC).

Scheyer's club will have a chance to earn an eighth Q1 win over Stanford on Saturday. The Cardinal took down UNC 95-90 at home on Wednesday, led by 36 points from freshman star Ebuka Okorie.

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