Why ESPN Disrespected Duke in Latest Tier Rankings

The Duke basketball program (19-1, 8-0 ACC) is generally viewed as one of the top five best teams in college basketball right now and a perennial national title contender. The Blue Devils went through a brutal non-conference slate and left nearly unscathed, and have been dominant through ACC action so far.

Duke currently sits at No. 2 in the NCAA NET Rankings, which is possibly the most important evaluation tool the selection committee uses when determining seeding for the NCAA Tournament.

The Blue Devils currently sit with an 8-1 record in Quadrant 1 and a 12-1 record across the first two Quadrants. Arizona is the only program ranked ahead of Duke in the NET, which is currently 21-0 overall and 9-0 in Quadrant 1.

Jon Scheyer's club is also 7-1 against ranked opponents this season, has won five of its last six games by double figures, and has won its last three games by over 20 points. It feels like Duke has done enough to be considered a top national championship contender, but ESPN doesn't think so.

Jan 24, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer (right) talks to forward Isaiah Evans (3) during the second half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

ESPN Leaves Duke out of Top Tier of National Title Contenders

ESPN's Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf released a tier ranking of 47 teams, filing each into one of six tiers. In somewhat confusing fashion, Duke was left out of Tier I, which includes the favorites to win the big dance.

Arizona, UConn, and Michigan were the teams put ahead of Duke and into that first tier. They are ranked No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 in the Associated Press Top 25, respectively. Duke is ranked No. 4.

Jan 17, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd in the first half against the Central Florida Knights at Addition Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russell Lansford-Imagn Images | Russell Lansford-Imagn Images

Duke was included in Tier II titled "Final Four contenders." Along with the Blue Devils, this group features Houston, Purdue, Iowa State, Gonzaga, BYU, Illinois, Nebraska, and Texas Tech.

All of those teams, including Duke, have legitimate potential to make the Final Four. However, given the Blue Devils' overall body of work, it feels like they should be in the same tier as the favorites.

https://t.co/zLlPdKNcue pic.twitter.com/OWYykujr7c
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) January 28, 2026

Only Arizona has more Quadrant 1 wins than Duke, and only UConn and Duke have at least six true road wins and no losses.

It's not as if Duke was completely disrespected here, higher than every other squad in the NET besides Arizona, and its body of work suggests that the blue blood program can take down any team in the country.

I've watched this play 14 times pic.twitter.com/3hbfTADmZK
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) January 28, 2026

The one knock on Duke's resume is that it doesn't have a marquee win over a concrete national title contender. Of its seven ranked victories, the highest-rated NET team Duke has beaten is Michigan State at No. 10.

Jan 26, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Mikel Brown Jr. (0) 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

What’s Next for Duke?

Duke will face Virginia Tech (16-6, 5-4 ACC) on the road next on Jan. 31. Tip-off is scheduled for 12:00 pm ET.

Stay tuned to Duke Blue Devils On SI for more Duke basketball news.

As always, make sure you stay up to date with all Duke content by following us on Facebook, by clicking HERE, and following us on X (formerly Twitter) HERE.