Latest Bracketology Hands Duke Premium Cut

The Duke basketball program (22-2, 11-1 ACC) seems to be somewhat falling under the radar in terms of true national title favorite conversations despite the Blue Devils owning one of the best resumes in the entire sport. For the better part of the regular season, Duke has found itself on the 1-seed line in NCAA Tournament projections.

Duke successfully navigated a gauntlet of a non-conference schedule, going 4-1 against five ranked opponents over that stretch of the regular season. What's also helped the Blue Devils build an elite resume is the fact that the ACC is in a much better place than it has been in recent years.

scheye — Jan 26, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer directs his team during the first half against the Louisville Cardinals at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

There may not be another team in the conference quite at the level Duke is at, but there are several squads that have a realistic chance of making a deep run in March.

Duke will have a chance to earn its eighth ranked win of the season against No. 20 Clemson (20-5, 10-2 ACC) on Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium, although it will count as a Quadrant 2 game for the Blue Devils.

booze — Feb 10, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers guard Barry Dunning Jr. (22) shoots against Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) during the first half at Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Duke Remains on 1-Seed Line in Latest ESPN Bracketology Update

Even after its crushing loss to No. 11 North Carolina (19-5, 7-4 ACC) last Saturday night, Duke remained at No. 4 in the AP Top 25 and at No. 3 in the NCAA NET Rankings.

As they have sat for the last several weeks, ESPN still projects the Blue Devils as a 1-seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The other 1-seeds remained the same as well, which include Michigan, Arizona, and UConn.

sar — Feb 10, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Dame Sarr (7) dribbles the ball as Pittsburgh Panthers guard Damarco Minor (left) defends during the first half at Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Duke is currently 10-2 in Quadrant 1, 14-2 across the first two quadrants, 11-0 at home, and 8-1 in true road games. Only Michigan has as many Quad 1 victories as the Blue Devils, and only UConn has as many true road wins.

foste — Feb 10, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Caleb Foster (1) dribbles the ball against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the first half at Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

ACC Remains Well Represented in ESPN Bracket Projections

The ACC only got four of its teams into the big dance a year ago, but there's a good chance that number could double this time around.

In ESPN's latest update, the ACC has a projected eight teams in the field. Only the SEC (11) and the Big 10 (10) have more projected tournament teams.

Feb 7, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Nikolas Khamenia (14) with the ball as North Carolina Tar Heels guard Kyan Evans (0) defends in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Those ACC schools include: Virginia (5-seed), Louisville (5-seed), North Carolina (6-seed), Clemson (6-seed), NC State (7-seed), SMU (9-seed), and Miami (10-seed).

Duke is the only top-four seed out of the conference, and probably the only realistic title contender, but the ACC is well represented in the 68-team field.

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