Where Bracketology Places the High-Powered Duke Basketball Squad

This week's NCAA Tournament Bracketology courtesy of ESPN's chief March Madness forecaster, Joe Lunardi, has Jon Scheyer and the unbeaten Duke basketball squad right where they probably want to be as the No. 1 seed in the East Region (Washington, D.C.), facing a Round of 64 bout against the Youngstown State Penguins and potential Round of 32 meeting with the program that the Blue Devils defeated in the 2015 title clash, the Wisconsin Badgers.

ALSO READ: Blue Devil Sophomore Looks Like All-ACC Big Man

But due to the Michigan Wolverines' remarkably lopsided victories versus top-tier competition of late, they are currently Lunardi's top overall seed in the Big Dance.

Of course, as Jim Halpert once commented on The Office about March Madness, "That's in March." And that's months from now.

Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer — Mar 29, 2025; Newark, NJ, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer cuts down the net after the Duke Blue Devils beat the Alabama Crimson Tide in the East Regional final of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Blue Devils, led by freshman forward and ACC Player of the Year frontrunner Cameron Boozer and their "Showtime Slim" sophomore guard in Isaiah Evans, still have a long way to go before securing any spot among the four No. 1 seeds.

On the flip side, they still have many opportunies, including a late February clash against Michigan in Washington, D.C., to emerge as the undisputed selection for the nation's premier status by the time March Madness rolls around.

Lunardi puts Michigan in the Midwest Region (Midwest), with the Iowa State Cyclones and Arizona Wildcats atop the South (Houston) and West (San Jose), respectively.

Seven Other ACC Teams in Latest March Madness Projections

At this juncture, Lundardi foresees no fellow ACC programs alongside Duke in the East. But seven more from the resurgent conference (total of eight is tied with the SEC for the third most, trailing the Big Ten's 11 and Big 12's nine) are spread throughout the other three regions:

Louisville Cardinals as the No. 4 seed in the East

UNC Tar Heels as the No. 4 seed in the West

Virginia Cavaliers as the No. 6 seed in the Midwest

SMU Mustangs as the No. 7 seed in the West

Clemson Tigers as the No. 8 seed in the Midwest

Miami Hurricanes as the No. 9 seed in the West

NC State Wolfpack as the No. 10 seed in the Midwest

Duke basketball guard Isaiah Evans — Feb 12, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Isaiah Evans (3) reacts while warming up before the second half against the California Golden Bears at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Next up for the No. 3-ranked Blue Devils (10-0, 0-0 ACC) is a home contest against one of Lunardi's projected NCAA Tournament teams in the unranked Lipscomb Bison (6-4, 0-0 ASUN, No. 15 seed in Bracketology). Duke and Lipscomb tip off in Cameron Indoor Stadium at 6 p.m. ET Tuesday (ACC Network).

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.