10 Ranked teams back at it with 19 days until Selection Sunday

10 Ranked teams back at it with 19 days until Selection Sunday originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Nineteen days.

That is it. Nineteen days until Selection Sunday and the bracket is for real.  This is the part of the season where fans start refreshing bracketology every night and players start hearing the word resume a lot more often.

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Tuesday’s slate is full of ranked teams, and while some games look comfortable on paper, this time of year is never that simple.

Duke just needs to handle business

No. 1 Duke Blue Devils goes on the road to face Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Duke is 25-2 and has looked like the best team in the country for stretches. Notre Dame is fighting just to stay competitive in the ACC. This is one of those games where Duke does not need to prove anything flashy. Just win. Win clean. Do not let it get weird in the second half.

When you are playing for a No. 1 overall seed, you cannot afford a random February slip up.

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Virginia and NC State with real stakes

No. 11 Virginia Cavaliers hosting NC State Wolfpack might not scream blockbuster, but it matters.

Virginia at 24-3 is playing for positioning near the top of the ACC and possibly a top three seed. NC State at 19-8 is trying to feel safe heading into March. This is the kind of game that can quietly boost a resume or quietly hurt one.

If you are the Wolfpack, this is a chance to walk into a tough building and grab something that the committee will remember.

The Big 12 is not giving anyone a break

No. 2 Arizona Wildcats heads to Baylor. That is never easy, no matter what the records say. Arizona is 25-2 and chasing a top seed. Baylor has had an up-and-down year, but they are more than capable of making this uncomfortable. Scott Drew’s teams are always dangerous.

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This is what the Big 12 does. Every road game feels like a test.

Then you have No. 16 Texas Tech Red Raiders at home against the Cincinnati Bearcats….

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Publish date : 2026-02-24 14:14:00

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