ESPN bracket expert Joe Lunardi released an updated 2025 projection on Tuesday, and the Duke Blue Devils remained one of his top four teams for the upcoming season.
Lunardi gave head coach [autotag]Jon Scheyer[/autotag] and his team the No. 1 seed in the East region, taking up the top line along with the Kansas Jayhawks, Houston Cougars, and Alabama Crimson Tide.
With four five-star freshmen, most notably [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag], and two returning starters, the Blue Devils unequivocally have the talent to take one of the four No. 1 seeds up for grabs. ESPN kept the Blue Devils outside of the top five in their preseason rankings, a growing sentiment as analysts question how reliant Scheyer will be on first-year players, but any potential development from South Sudanese 7-footer Khaman Maluach would make Duke one of the most fearsome teams in the country.
Lunardi’s East region, should it come to fruition, would be a very interesting draw for the Blue Devils. Connecticut, who has won the past two national championships, took the No. 2 seed, and Baylor, now led by former Duke captain Jeremy Roach, slid in as the No. 3 seed.
https://twitter.com/ESPNLunardi/status/1838593764949946449
Six other ACC teams ended up in Lunardi’s complete bracket. The North Carolina Tar Heels dropped down to the No. 3 seed in the South region, and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, Clemson Tigers, and Miami Hurricanes all earned a top-nine seed. Louisville and Pittsburgh ended up in the play-in games for the No. 11 seeds.