1. Duke (1-seed)
You’ll find it very difficult to argue with results and cold hard facts and the fact is that nobody else is playing quite like Duke right now. The Blue Devils blitzed their way to success in the ACC, led by future NBA star Cooper Flagg, but are far from realizing the end of their road, especially if they keep playing the way they’ve been in recent weeks.
Duke has lost just once since the end of November, dropping a tough game at Clemson early in February. Aside from that, they made a mockery of an unusually weak ACC with a 19-1 record and a conference tournament crown. It’s not just been Flagg making headlines, as junior guard Tyrese Proctor has really come into his own this season. Fellow freshmen Khaman Maluach and Kon Knueppel are also major playmakers.
The Blue Devils have had the easiest time among the top seeds in this event, beating 16-seed Mount St. Mary’s by 44 points before coasting against 9-seed Baylor on Sunday afternoon. Their 23-point win over the Bears featured an offensive explosion, as Duke shot 64% from the field in another great team win. Duke just keeps rolling and weren’t seriously challenged in their first two Tournament games.
The other three ACC teams in the Big Dance made swift exits, but this weaker conference hasn’t negatively affected the Blue Devils. Jon Scheyer’s crew has immense talent and potential, sitting near the top in the nation in both offensive and defensive efficiency. These Blue Devils do just about everything well and are still proving why they were the most-picked champion once the bracket was announced.