Duke Reaches Top of NET Rankings After Road Victory

The Duke basketball program is now 20-1 overall on the season and 9-0 in ACC play after taking down Virginia Tech (16-7, 5-5 ACC) over the weekend. The victory over the Hokies marked the ninth Quadrant 1 victory of the season for the Blue Devils.

In an ACC that is vastly improved from where it was a year ago in terms of depth, Duke has been given many more opportunities to stack quality wins and bolster its case to earn a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Jon Scheyer] — Jan 24, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer gestures during the second half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Duke has now won six of its last seven games by double-digit points and has dealt with few issues through league play thus far. The conference will certainly get more bids to this year's big dance compared to its four a season ago, but the Blue Devils are far and away the best squad in the conference.

As the NCAA NET Rankings currently stand, the Blue Devils have five Quadrant 1 games remaining on their regular season schedule. Duke's nine already boasts the highest clip in college basketball, but it still has chances to further boost its resume.

Jan 10, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Dame Sarr (7) reacts during a stoppage in the first half against the Southern Methodist Mustangs at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Duke Moves to No. 1 in NET Rankings After Win Over Virginia Tech

Following the 72-58 victory over the Hokies this past Saturday, Duke has now moved to No. 1 in the NET Rankings, proving it owns the best body of work in the entire sport.

The Blue Devils are now 9-1 in Quadrant 1, 13-1 across the first two Quadrants, 10-0 at home, and 7-0 in true road games.

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Only Arizona, which is the unanimous No. 1 in the Associated Press top 25 with a 22-0 record, owns nine victories in Quadrant 1 along with the Blue Devils. Michigan is the only other club that owns at least eight.

UConn is the only other team in the land with at least seven true road wins with no losses.

Jan 17, 2026; Stanford, California, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Caleb Foster (1) shoots against Stanford Cardinal forward AJ Rohosy (4) in the first half at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Duke is 7-1 on the campaign against ranked opponents, but the one critique about its resume is that it doesn't have a victory over a perennial national title contender. The team's best win according to the NET is at Michigan State, which is ranked No. 11.

The Blue Devils will have a chance to earn that premier win in late February, as they will take on Dusty May's Wolverines at Capital One Arena on Feb. 21.

oJan 24, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) controls the ball in front of Wake Forest Demon Deacons guard Juke Harris (2) during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

What’s Next for Duke?

Next up, Duke returns to Cameron Indoor Stadium to face Boston College (9-12, 2-6 ACC) on Feb. 3. Tip-off is slated for 7:00 pm ET.

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