Duke Still Drawing Curious Questions Despite Signature Win

College basketball is in a fantastic place right now, as it feels like there are anywhere between five and ten teams that have a legitimate chance to win this season's national championship. As No. 1 Duke (25-2, 13-1 ACC) showed this past Saturday with a monumental win over No. 3 Michigan, it is one of those teams.

The Blue Devils have been somewhat quiet this season in terms of hype around the team being a favorite to win the national title. It felt like much of the discussion put Michigan and Arizona in a tier of their own at the top, understandably so, but Duke has forced itself into the discussion with the signature win.

Michigan entered the heavyweight bout winners of its last 11 games, and recently coming off a 91-80 victory at Mackey Arena over No. 8 Purdue.

Feb 10, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer reacts on the court against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the first half at Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Nonetheless, Duke still boasts one of the best overall resumes in college basketball and has taken Michigan over as both the No. 1 team in the AP Poll and the top projected overall seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

But despite a signature victory for the Blue Devils over a Michigan club that has looked unbeatable at times this year, some still aren't sold on Duke as the best team in the country.

Feb 14, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) is greeted by forward Dame Sarr (7) after scoring a basket during the first half against the Clemson Tigers at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Matt Norlander Not Sold on Duke As Nation’s Top Squad

There are so many elite teams at the top of the sport this season, making it impossible to confirm a "best team." No club has really separated itself from the rest of the elites, which bodes well for a fantastic NCAA Tournament.

Despite Duke's signature victory over the Wolverines, CBS Sports college basketball insider Matt Norlander still isn't sold on the Blue Devils as the best team in college basketball.

"I still favor Michigan," Norlander said. "I know Duke just won the game on the neutral floor, I get that. It was a one-off. If they played a seven-game series, which thankfully they don't in college basketball, I would favor Michigan to win a seven-game series against Duke."

"We're still a little under three weeks away from Selection Sunday, and my opinion can change, but right now I would still vote Michigan as the best overall team in the country."

Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer yells in the first half as his team fell behind by 10 points in the first half. The Duke Blue Devils rallied from being down nine points at the half to beat Louisville 84-73 Tuesday night at KFC Yum Center January 6, 2026. | Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Computer Numbers Still Favor Michigan Over Duke

Interestingly, despite a head-to-head win at a neutral site, Michigan is still ahead of Duke in both the NCAA NET Rankings and at KenPom. The Wolverines and Blue Devils are rated No. 1 and No. 2 in both metrics, respectively.

Michigan has defeated 10 teams by 30 points or more this season and has looked utterly dominant most of the time. Maybe the Wolverines are more complete than Duke, but when both teams are operating at their best, the Blue Devils seem to be the better squad.

Feb 16, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) brings the ball to the basket against Syracuse Orange forward Donnie Freeman (1) during the during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

The argument of which team is the best in the sport is essentially meaningless at the end of the day, as the resume will decide which clubs earn the top seeds in the NCAA Tournament. But the constant debate over the teams at the top of the sport right now is a great thing for college basketball.

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