Duke (15-2) (NET: 2)
5-2 (Q1), 0-0 (Q2), 4-0 (Q3), 6-0 (Q4)
There’s no drama here with the Blue Devils as this Duke team is nowhere close to the bubble as the class of the ACC. This team already boasts five Quad 1 wins, the most notable being at home over Auburn back in early December. That performance might be the win of the season in college basketball this year, even if it came at home. Additionally, Duke has Quad 1 road wins at Arizona, Louisville, and SMU and scored another over Pittsburgh last week.
Duke’s only two losses were not only Quad 1 games but neutral-site action against Blue Blood programs. The Blue Devils fell to Kentucky in Atlanta at the Champions Classic before losing to Kansas two weeks later out in Las Vegas. Those two teams are both performing at a high level and there’s no shame at all here.
The question with Duke is if this team can secure a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament. This young, talented team led by Jon Scheyer has not had any issues in recent weeks, sitting 7-0 in league play while winning every game by double-digits. The Blue Devils have the distinct advantage over the other top teams of playing in the ACC, though obviously a loss can do significantly more harm for the Blue Devils down the line.
Duke just won three games in a row at home and will hit the road several times in the coming weeks, though this team should be favored down the stretch for the remainder of the regular season. They’ll head to Wake Forest next weekend and Clemson a few weeks after, though the game to watch right now is a nonconference showdown with Illinois at Madison Square Garden on February 22nd.