Duke Slides to 2-Seed in Latest Bracketology, But ACC’s Depth Offers Redemption Path
Duke’s unbeaten run came to a halt in dramatic fashion on Dec. 20, falling 82-81 to No. 15 Texas Tech at Madison Square Garden.
It was a gut-punch of a loss-one that stung not just because of the final score, but because of how close the Blue Devils came to pulling it out. Now, with a bit of time to regroup before ACC play begins on Dec. 31 against Georgia Tech, Duke finds itself in an unfamiliar position: knocked off the No. 1 seed line in the latest NCAA Tournament projections.
The Blue Devils dropped from No. 3 to No. 6 in the AP Poll and slid to a 2-seed in ESPN’s latest Bracketology update. It’s a notable shift, especially considering Duke had held firm as a projected 1-seed all season long. But one narrow loss was enough to shake up the top of the bracket-at least for now.
Still, there’s no reason for panic in Durham. Duke remains the highest-seeded team out of the ACC, a conference that’s quietly stacking up one of its strongest seasons in recent memory. The latest projections have eight ACC programs making the 68-team field, the most since 2021 and a sign that the league’s depth is finally catching up to its reputation.
Here’s how the ACC stacks up in the latest Bracketology:
- Duke: 2-seed
- Louisville: 4-seed
- North Carolina: 5-seed
- Virginia: 6-seed
- Clemson: 8-seed
- NC State: 9-seed
- SMU: 9-seed
- Miami: 10-seed
That’s a healthy spread across the bracket, and it gives Duke something it hasn’t had in recent years-a chance to rack up quality wins inside the conference. The ACC hasn’t sent eight or more teams to the tournament since 2018, and for a while, it looked like the league was trending away from that kind of depth. But this season, the tide seems to be turning.
Louisville, once considered a potential 1-seed alongside Duke, has slipped after taking two early losses to ranked opponents. The Cardinals now sit as a 4-seed, a reminder of how quickly things can shift in a season where the margins are razor-thin.
As for Duke, the résumé still holds strong. Jon Scheyer’s squad went 4-1 against ranked opponents during the toughest stretch of its non-conference schedule.
And only one of those wins came at home-a one-point nail-biter over No. 22 Florida at Cameron Indoor.
That kind of road-tested toughness will matter come March.
There’s still one more marquee non-conference test ahead: a February showdown with No. 2 Michigan in Washington, D.C.
That game could be a tone-setter, but it’s the conference grind that will define Duke’s path from here. With the ACC deeper than it’s been in four or five years, the Blue Devils will have more chances to stack Quadrant 1 wins than they’ve been used to.
That’s a silver lining-and a clear opportunity.
So yes, the loss to Texas Tech stung. But in the bigger picture, Duke is still in a prime position. A 2-seed in December is hardly a bad place to be, especially when the road ahead is lined with chances to climb right back up.