March is here, and the madness is right around the corner. Arguably the best sports month of the year is upon us, the NCAA Tournament is about a week away as the first games get started on March 18th. The NCAA Tournament is a tough one to beat as it is definitely one of the best sporting events of the year, and the excitement of it is almost here. One team that seems poised for a deep run in the tournament is the Duke basketball team. The Blue Devils are always one of the best teams in the country, and that is no different this season as they are the current betting favorite to win it all.

We knew that Duke was going to have a really good team this season, as expectations for them heading into the season were through the roof. It can be hard for a team of college kids to meet lofty expectations like that, but the Blue Devils have met them and then some.

A big reason why expectations were so high for this team was star freshman Cooper Flagg. Flagg is one of the best NBA prospects that the game has ever seen, and he was viewed as the #1 2025 draft pick before he even started his Duke career. He is a special player, and he is having a special season.

Cooper Flagg has lived up to the hype this year, and he has also gotten a lot of help from his teammates to make this season a special one.

Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) reacts in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center.
Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Blue Devils have already accomplished a lot this season as they clinched an outright ACC title over the weekend with a big win on the road against North Carolina. Duke lost just one conference game all season long, and they finished the year with a 28-3 overall record.

Duke finished the season strong with the rivalry win against North Carolina, who was desperate for a victory. The Tar Heels have been able to string together some wins as of late, but they desperately needed that for their NCAA Tournament hopes. They didn't get it, but they did give Duke a good fight for a good portion of the game. That is something that the Blue Devils haven't seen a lot of this season.

The ACC is having a down year as there are only three ranked teams in the conference right now, and those three teams are the only ones that are projected to make the NCAA Tournament. The Duke basketball team has been dominating teams left and right in conference, but will the lack of competition end up dooming the Blue Devils in the NCAA Tournament?

Duke hasn't been battle-tested

The Duke basketball team played some tough teams during their non-conference schedule, but since then? It's been a pretty easy path for the Blue Devils, and they couldn't even handle business during one of their only challenging conference matchups. That is a bit of a concern.

Before ACC play started, the Blue Devils had some tough matchups as they played Kentucky, Arizona, Kansas, and Auburn. Duke was able to get impressive wins over Arizona and Auburn, but they lost to Kentucky and Kansas. In ACC play, Louisville and Clemson are the only teams that have been ranked. The Blue Devils beat the Cardinals, but they lost to Clemson. So, this Duke team has had six really tough games this year, and they are 3-3 in those contests.

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Duke really hasn't been all that impressive against their toughest competition this season, and that could end up being a problem when the tournament comes around. The Blue Devils have had two matchups against NCAA Tournament teams since the calendar changed to 2025. They lost to Clemson, but they did handily beat Illinois in New York. The point is, when the NCAA Tournament rolls around next week, every matchup is going to be tough. The Blue Devils don't have a lot of experience against good teams this year, and that could hurt them.

Some people will argue that the light schedule will actually help Duke in the NCAA Tournament because they aren't as worn out. Teams in the Big Ten have been scratching and clawing through their conference schedule, and Duke has been on cruise control. We'll find out soon which teams are best prepared for a run.

At the end of the day, the Duke basketball team is currently ranked #1 in the country for a reason. They are loaded with talent, and they have had an impressive season. It will be interesting to see how they look once they go up against the top teams in the country.

Looking Ahead

The regular season has come to a close as games wrapped up over the weekend, and conference tournament week is now getting underway. A lot of conference tournaments for one-bid leagues have already begun, but the major conferences will battle it out this week.

Conference tournaments will wrap up at the end of the week, and the bracket will be revealed on Sunday, March 16th. The first four will be played on March 18th and 19th, and the round of 64 will get going on the 20th. The first two rounds will run until March 23rd.

The Sweet 16 and Elite 8 will take place from March 27th-30th, and the Final Four will be played on April 5th with the national championship going down on April 7th. The Final Four will be played in San Antonio, Texas.

We've made it to champ week, and the big dance is about a week way. We're almost there, college basketball fans. Buckle up, because the next month is going to be a lot of fun.