Duke basketball versus Baylor — Photo credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

Duke Basketball Now on Same Line as Rival UNC in Latest Bracketology

The Duke basketball squad's impressive win over Baylor didn't improve the Blue Devils' projected seed on ESPN.

Author:
Matt Giles
Dec 26, 2023 9:23 PM EST

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At this time last week, Duke basketball sat outside the top 20 in the AP Top 25 Poll, and some NCAA Tournament projections pegged the Blue Devils as a No. 6 seed or lower.

But even before the now-16th-ranked Blue Devils (8-3, 0-1 ACC) displayed their undeniable potential for greatness via their 78-70 victory over then-No. 10 Baylor in New York City's Madison Square Garden last Wednesday night, Duke was a No. 4 seed in the eyes of ESPN's Joe Lunardi.

And that is where the team remains in the latest Bracketology that Lunardi released on Tuesday morning.

Joining Jon Scheyer's second batch of Blue Devils on Lunardi's four-line are Memphis and two fellow bluebloods in Kentucky and archrival UNC. The Tar Heels (8-3, 0-1 ACC) jumped one spot in light of their 81-69 win over then-No. 7 Oklahoma, a previously unbeaten team, at last week's Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte.

Although No. 18 Clemson (10-1, 1-0 ACC) ranks below Duke and No. 9 UNC, the Tigers stayed put as a projected No. 3 seed on ESPN, still the best among the six ACC teams that made the cut this go-round.

As for the other three, unranked Virginia (9-2, 1-0 ACC), Miami (9-2, 1-0 ACC), and Virginia Tech (9-3, 1-0 ACC) are now a No. 8, No. 10, and No. 11 seed, respectively.

Duke basketball's next outing, its last non-conference game of the regular season and a chance to enter ACC play next week riding a four-game winning streak, is against unranked Queens in Cameron Indoor Stadium at 2 p.m. ET Saturday (The CW).