They’ve got the talent. They’ve got the schedule. They’ve got the fire. But somehow, Duke Basketball — fresh off reloading with the nation’s top freshmen — didn’t crack the 1-seed line in CBS Sports’ first 2026 bracketology update. Instead, the Blue Devils sit as the highest-seeded ACC team at a No. 2, sparking debate across college hoops. Is it fair? Or are Jon Scheyer’s boys being seriously overlooked heading into one of the toughest non-conference slates in the country? With Cameron Boozer calling it out and Florida coming to Cameron Indoor, the fire’s already lit in Durham — and Duke may just burn through every doubt.
The road to March Madness 2026 has already begun — and Duke basketball is firmly in the national spotlight. In CBS Sports’ first bracketology projection for the upcoming season, analyst David Cobb placed the Blue Devils as a No. 2 seed, the highest of any program out of the Atlantic Coast Conference. While that might sound like a compliment, many around college basketball are already wondering: why not a No. 1?
Despite returning to power with a loaded roster and one of the best recruiting classes in the country, Jon Scheyer’s squad is still being treated like a team with something to prove. Only five ACC teams made the initial 68-team bracket, and Duke stands alone as the league’s best seed. Louisville trails behind as a projected 3-seed, while North Carolina sits at No. 7, NC State at No. 9, and SMU sneaks in as an 11-seed.
It’s no secret that the ACC hasn’t been the same juggernaut it once was. After a few down years, national experts remain cautious about how much weight to give the conference as a whole. Programs like Virginia and Miami are currently left out, but they could sneak into the mix if things go their way during the season.
Meanwhile, Duke’s resume is about to be stress-tested in a big way. The Blue Devils are facing what might be the toughest non-conference schedule in all of college basketball. According to ESPN’s early rankings, Duke is set to take on five teams in the top 25, including three currently ranked in the top ten.
Most of those high-stakes games will be played on neutral courts, but one can’t-miss showdown is headed for Cameron Indoor Stadium in December — a massive home clash against Florida, ranked No. 2 in ESPN’s preseason poll. That game, part of the ACC/SEC Challenge, could be Duke’s golden ticket to making an early statement.
And the players already feel the narrative. Cameron Boozer, the program’s incoming freshman star and son of former Blue Devil Carlos Boozer, didn’t hold back in an interview with ESPN. “We’re being very overlooked,” he said bluntly, setting the tone for a team ready to prove its worth.
Duke’s mix of battle-tested upperclassmen and rising freshman phenoms has the potential to make this team dangerous on both ends of the floor. But as always, it’ll be their performance under the brightest lights — against the best competition — that will decide whether they’re simply contenders… or something more.
For now, a 2-seed feels like fuel for a team with Final Four ambitions. With so many chances to dominate on a national stage, don’t be surprised if Duke forces the committee’s hand by the time March rolls around.
