Duke Takes Over No. 1 Overall NCAA Tournament Seed

Blue Devils move to top spot after win over Michigan, as St. John's surges in Big East

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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Duke has taken over the No. 1 overall seed for the upcoming NCAA Tournament, according to ESPN's Joe Lunardi, after the Blue Devils defeated previously top-ranked Michigan 68-63 in a non-conference matchup. The win gives Duke a strong case to be the new No. 1 team in the country when the next AP poll is released. Meanwhile, St. John's has won 13 straight games and could move up to a protected 4-seed if they can sweep the season series against UConn.

Why it matters

Duke's rise to the No. 1 overall seed shows they have reloaded quickly in the post-Mike Krzyzewski era under new head coach Jon Scheyer. The Blue Devils are once again a national title contender, while St. John's emergence as a potential 4-seed would give the Big East multiple teams with a chance to make deep tournament runs.

The details

Duke, ranked No. 3 in the AP poll, topped No. 1 Michigan 68-63 in a neutral-site game that had the feel of a Final Four matchup. The win gives the Blue Devils the No. 1 overall seed, according to ESPN's Joe Lunardi. Duke freshman Cameron Boozer, the favorite for National Player of the Year, had 18 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists in the victory. Meanwhile, St. John's extended its winning streak to 13 games with an 81-52 blowout of Creighton at Madison Square Garden. The No. 17 Red Storm (22-5, 15-1) have a half-game lead over UConn atop the Big East standings heading into their rematch on Wednesday.

  • Duke defeated Michigan on February 22, 2026.
  • St. John's won its 13th straight game on February 22, 2026.

The players

Jon Scheyer

The head coach of the Duke Blue Devils, taking over the program after the retirement of Mike Krzyzewski.

Cameron Boozer

The Duke freshman and favorite for National Player of the Year, averaging a double-double of 22.6 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.

Rick Pitino

The head coach of the St. John's Red Storm, who have won 13 straight games and are in contention for a top-4 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

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What they’re saying

“We've been in some big-time neutral-site games, some big-time environments, these guys are showing up every game. We'll stay humble, we can still be better and we're playing for something really special down the stretch.”

— Jon Scheyer, Duke Head Coach (ESPN)

“Many other games will be played before then, but I would say it's very likely they would move to a 4 seed with that type of road win.”

— Brad Wachtel, Bracketologist (NJ Advance Media)

What’s next

Duke will look to solidify its status as the No. 1 overall seed as the regular season winds down, while St. John's will try to complete the season sweep of UConn on Wednesday to boost its seeding position.

The takeaway

Duke's return to the No. 1 overall seed shows the program's ability to quickly reload and remain a national title contender, even in the post-Krzyzewski era. Meanwhile, St. John's emergence as a potential top-4 seed highlights the depth and competitiveness of the Big East conference this season.