Duke has come close to winning its sixth national title in program history over the past two seasons, losing in the Final Four in 2025 before dropping a heartbreaker to UConn this past season, despite being named the top overall seed for the NCAA Tournament.
If Joe Lurandi’s NCAA Bracketology is right, Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils will have the target on their backs again this upcoming March, as he has Duke as the top overall seed for the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Scheyer’s squad has a great mixture of key returnees in Caleb Foster, Caydeon Boozer, Dame Sarr and Patrick Ngongba, while John Blackwell (Wisconsin) and Drew Scharnwski (Belmont) arrived via the transfer portal. Incoming freshmen Cam Williams, Deron Rippey Jr. and Bryson Howard are also expected to produce for the Blue Devils, with Williams projected as a starter and the next top-10 draft pick out of Duke.
Duke will be tested early and often, with preseason games against Tennessee and Kansas dotting the schedule, while the non-conference slate includes Michigan State, Illinois, UConn, Texas Tech, Gonzaga and Florida, which is one of the early favorites to win the national title.
If Duke were to be the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament, the first two rounds would be held in nearby Charlotte before traveling to New York for the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight. The 2026 Final Four is being held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
