Feb 7, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer reacts in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Despite Loss, Duke Still Holds Perch in ACC

Originally posted on Duke Blue Devils on SI
By Hugh Straine | Last updated Feb 13, 2026 6:09 AM ET

The No. 4-ranked Duke Blue Devils (22-2, 11-1 ACC) are the clear-cut best team out of the ACC and are generally viewed as one of the top threats to win this season's national championship. The Blue Devils are most recently coming off a 70-54 road victory over Pittsburgh (9-16, 2-10 ACC) on Tuesday night.

The ACC as a whole has been fairly mediocre over the last few seasons and only got four of its schools into the 2025 NCAA Tournament. In 2026, however, that number is expected to be much higher.

Five ACC teams are currently ranked in the Associated Press Top 25, and ESPN's most recent Bracketology update for the 2026 NCAA Tournament projects eight ACC teams in the field.

Regardless, Duke has dealt with minimal issues through its first 12 league games. The Blue Devils have achieved eight of their 11 wins by double digits and three by over 20 points.

The Blue Devils had a chance to etch themselves at the top of the ACC standings this Saturday, but another squad has already accomplished that feat for them.

Recent Clemson Loss Puts Duke Solely at Top of ACC Standings

Heading into Wednesday, No. 20 Clemson was the only other ACC team with one loss in league play, with a 20-4 overall record anda 10-1 record in conference play. That is no longer the case.

Brad Brownell's Tigers fell at home to Virginia Tech (17-8, 6-6 ACC) by a score of 76-66 on Wednesday night. This was Clemson's second loss across its last 15 games.

Despite the Tigers boasting one of the best records in the ACC, Duke's home contest against the Tigers didn't become a Quadrant 1 opportunity until this week. After the loss to the Hokies, Clemson is now 10-5 in the first two quadrants and dropped to No. 33 in the NCAA NET Rankings.

The Blue Devils took down Virginia Tech 72-58 on the road earlier in league play.

Is Duke’s Bout With Clemson Still a Quad 1 Opportunity?

A game qualifies as a Quadrant 1 game at home if a team's opponent is ranked inside the top 30 of the NET Rankings. Before its loss to Virginia Tech, Clemson was at No. 30.

Following its defeat, Clemson has now dropped to No. 33, which in turn makes Saturday's contest a Quadrant 2 game for Duke, a designation that is much less meaningful from a resume-building standpoint.

The NET is constantly changing, so there's a chance the Tigers can creep back into the top 30 by Saturday.

Tip-off is scheduled for 12:00 pm ET at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

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