The Duke Blue Devils are rolling-and they’re not showing any signs of slowing down. At 20-1 overall and a perfect 9-0 in ACC play since the calendar flipped to 2026, Duke has been as dominant as any team in the country. This is a group that's found its rhythm, tightened up on both ends of the floor, and is now firmly in the national title conversation.
Right now, the Blue Devils sit at No. 4 in the national rankings, trailing only three juggernauts: the undefeated Arizona Wildcats (22-0), the Big Ten's powerhouse Michigan Wolverines (20-1), and the defending champion UConn Huskies (21-1). That’s elite company, and Duke’s recent play suggests they belong right there with them.
College basketball analyst Andy Katz seems to agree. In his latest March Madness bracket projection, Katz slotted Duke as one of the four No. 1 seeds-alongside Arizona, Michigan, and UConn. It’s a nod to the Blue Devils’ consistency, their strength of schedule, and the way they’ve handled business in one of the toughest conferences in the country.
Here’s how Katz’s top four seed lines shake out:
No. 1 seeds: Arizona, Duke, Michigan, UConn
No. 2 seeds: Houston, Nebraska, Illinois, Iowa State
No. 3 seeds: Gonzaga, Kansas, Michigan State, Purdue
No. 4 seeds: BYU, Florida, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt
One interesting wrinkle? Katz placed Nebraska among the No. 2 seeds-a bit of a surprise considering Gonzaga, currently ranked No. 6 in the AP Top 25, was bumped down to a three-seed. That’s a bold call, but it speaks to how much weight Katz is giving to Nebraska’s recent résumé and quality wins.
As for Duke, the road ahead is anything but smooth. With 10 games left in the regular season, the Blue Devils are about to hit a critical stretch that could define their seeding come March. That includes a high-stakes non-conference showdown with the No. 3-ranked Michigan Wolverines-an opportunity to make a serious statement against another top seed.
Then there’s the ACC gauntlet. Four of Duke’s remaining games are against currently-ranked conference opponents, including a trip to Chapel Hill to face archrival North Carolina. The Tar Heels, ranked No. 14 and projected as a five-seed in Katz’s bracket, will be looking to shake up the ACC race and hand Duke its first conference loss.
But before all that, the Blue Devils have to take care of business tonight at home against Boston College. The Eagles aren’t ranked and didn’t make Katz’s bracket projection, but in-conference games-especially this time of year-are rarely easy.
Every game is a chance to build momentum. Or lose it.
For now, Duke is in a prime position. They’re playing like a team with Final Four aspirations-and the bracketologists are taking notice.