The Blue Devils bounced back in a big way with a dominant victory over Notre Dame earlier this week, but according to the latest USA TODAY Sports bracket projections, there’s more work to be done if the Blue Devils want a top-three seed in the big dance.
According to the Friday projection, Duke slotted in as the No. 4 seed in the East region. The seeding reflects Duke’s place in most national rankings, as the Blue Devils are currently 15th in KenPom’s efficiency metric and 13th in ESPN BPI.
The Blue Devils would play automatic qualifier Samford in the opening round with either South Carolina or Louisiana Tech awaiting in the second round.
Defending national champion Connecticut sits atop the East region, with Purdue, Houston, and Tennessee claiming the other three No. 1 seeds.
After spending much of the season as a projected top seed, North Carolina slipped down to the No. 2 seed in the Midwest after losses to Georgia Tech and Clemson.