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

Breaking Down Duke’s Schedule With March Rapidly Approaching

Originally posted on Duke Blue Devils on SI
By Hugh Straine | Last updated Jan 28, 2026 8:00 AM ET

The Duke basketball program (19-1, 8-0 ACC) has clearly established itself as a perennial national title contender and one of the best teams in college basketball. The Blue Devils have done an excellent job through their gauntlet of a non-conference slate into league play, and it will pay dividends come postseason time.

Duke moved up to No. 4 in this week's Associated Press Poll, but the selection committee doesn't factor in those rankings when determining seeding for the NCAA Tournament. What is mainly looked at is the strength of schedule, the quality of wins, and the margin of victory.

The NCAA NET Rankings are one of the most important evaluation tools the committee uses for seeding, because it takes into account all those different metrics and creates a ranking system from them. With the strong body of work Duke currently possesses, it is ranked highly in the NET as a result.

What Does Duke's Résumé Currently Look Like?

The Blue Devils are currently ranked No. 2 in the NET Rankings, but arguably have the best overall body of work in the sport. The only program ranked ahead of Duke is Arizona.

Jon Scheyer's club currently sits with a 9-1 record in Quadrant 1, a 12-1 record across the first two Quadrants, and no losses outside of Quad 1. The Wildcats are the only other school with nine Quad 1 victories.

every bucket from the 27th straight home dub in Cameron pic.twitter.com/s5muLmJ9zU
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) January 27, 2026

Duke's only loss so far this season has come against No. 11 Texas Tech at Madison Square Garden on a neutral floor, which was by just one point.

The Blue Devils are also 6-0 in true road games. The only other program with at least six true road wins and no losses is No. 2 UConn, which ranks eighth in the NET currently.

"I want to thank our fans, the way our student body showed up... That was special. They set the stage for what was a great night for our team." pic.twitter.com/R2Uj9hDQ4N
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) January 27, 2026

The one thing Duke lacks is a victory over a perennial national title contender. Nonetheless, the Blue Devils still have a 7-1 record over ranked opponents, but have yet to seal a victory over one of the five to seven best teams in college basketball.

Its best win according to the NET is at Michigan State, which is ranked ninth in the NET.

What Does the Rest of Duke’s Schedule Look Like?

Duke earned its ninth Quad 1 of the season in dominant fashion, demolishing No. 20 Louisville (14-6, 4-4 ACC) at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Monday night, 83-52. This was the Blue Devils' third straight win by 20 or more points.

The team has 11 regular season games remaining. One of those will be out of the ACC and is potentially the best game of the college basketball season, as Duke will face Michigan at Capital One Arena on Feb. 21.

Overall, the Blue Devils have six remaining Quadrant 1 games as the NET Rankings currently stand.

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