We are speeding towards another March, and that means the NCAA Tournament is around the corner.
With more than half of the conference slate done for all the college basketball teams, things are heating up and resumes are continuing to be built as teams fight and scrap for their chance to win their conference tournament or make the Big Dance as an at-large team.
The selection committee has done something incredible in recent years, as they have started releasing the current top 16 seeds at certain moments in the season. It’s a fun exercise for some of the top teams in the dance who are virtually locked to make the tournament. It helps give them perspective on the prospects of improving their seed and provides some perspective to teams on the bubble, trying to see where they would shake out with the other 52 spots.
Duke’s season has been very good, and as Duke prepares to start a three-game ACC road trip with Florida State on Saturday, they’ll do so knowing they are one of the top 16 seeds in the NCAA Tournament.
3️⃣ SEEDS:
Alabama
Baylor
Iowa State
DukeIf the tournament started today, these teams would earn a 3-seed. #BracketPreview pic.twitter.com/QxqCvcpI0S
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) February 17, 2024
The selection committee has spoken, and as of right now, Duke is the 12th overall seed, currently slated for a No. 3 seed.
Duke’s most notable game as a 3-seed came against the Mercer Bears in 2014 when the Bears took down the Jabari Parker-led Duke team in the opening game. However, no school that’s earned a No. 3 seed has lost to a No. 14 seed more than once. So if that does end up being Duke’s ultimate fate this season, they have that stat on their side.
Duke has a prime opportunity to improve their NCAA Tournament seed. While Duke currently sits second in the ACC, they remain just half a game behind the North Carolina Tarheels for first place. Winning the ACC regular season title and pushing toward an ACC Tournament title could be enough to get Duke to the No. 2 seed line, where the Tar Heels currently sit.
For Duke, it starts with taking care of business for the remainder of the ACC regular season.