Why Recent History Favors Duke Basketball in Bout With Gonzaga

The Duke Blue Devils will be as battle-tested as any team in college basketball come 2027 NCAA Tournament seeding time.

Duke head coach Jon Scheyer and his staff have once again scheduled a premier non-conference slate for the Blue Devils, and they will have a plethora of chances to ink signature wins and build an elite resume for the postseason.

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer reacts in the first half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Scheyer and Co. are searching for a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament for a third straight year. Obviously, this grueling non-conference scheduling plays a major role in seeding.

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In 2026, the Blue Devils earned the Big Dance’s No. 1 overall seed after going 19-3 in Quadrant 1 games, tied for the second-most of any team in the sport, and 11-2 against AP Top 25 opponents, tying the single-season record for most wins over ranked teams in the AP Poll era.

In 2025, when a Cooper Flagg-led Duke team earned a 1-seed and made the Final Four, it went 15-3 in Quad 1 games.

Apr 5, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) walks off the court after losing to the Houston Cougars in the semifinals of the men’s Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Heading into 2026-27, it might be the toughest slate yet for the Blue Devils under Scheyer. Duke will take on three of last season’s Final Four participants, including both teams that competed in the National Championship, as well as three other high-major opponents and Gonzaga.

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Obviously, all of these contests will be big needle-movers for Duke once seeding time rolls around. Here’s why recent history favors Duke against Gonzaga.

Mar 26, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Patrick Ngongba (21)…

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Publish date : 2026-06-12 11:00:00

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