Longtime ESPN bracket expert Joe Lunardi shared his updated full-field March Madness projections on Friday, and he had the Blue Devils squaring off against Vermont in the opening round.
Duke, Lunardi’s No. 3 seed in the South, would play either Colorado State or South Florida in the second round if they through the first game.
The Blue Devils have won 16 of their last 18 games to move higher and higher in the projected field. A USA TODAY Sports article published on Friday said Duke could move up to the No. 2 seeds if they win the ACC regular-season title.
The top two seeds in Lunardi’s South region are Houston and Tennessee, and fellow ACC programs Clemson (No. 5 seed) and Virginia (No. 10 seed) also slotted into the region.
North Carolina, the only other team from the conference in Lunardi’s projected field, is still a 2-seed despite a recent lack of form. The Tar Heels are in the East region behind defending national champion Connecticut.