The Game Haus outlines its 2026 college basketball conference champion forecasts as the season looms, highlighting key picks such as Duke winning the ACC, Arizona taking the Big 12, UConn the Big East, Illinois the Big Ten, and Gonzaga the Pac‑12. The list spans every Division I league, from Vermont in America East to Santa Clara in the West Coast, offering a quick reference for fans tracking which teams must win their tournaments to secure NCAA bids.
The Game Haus releases its preseason 2027 NCAA Tournament bracketology, outlining key dates and seed predictions. The Opening Round kicks off March 16‑17, with the Final Four set for April 3 and the championship on April 5, 2027. No. 1 seeds are Duke, Florida, Illinois and UConn, while the First Four Out include Georgia, Oklahoma State, Providence and Creighton. The list details seeds from 1 through 16, highlighting potential early exits and match‑ups for fans planning their March Madness brackets.
The Game Haus releases its projected 2026‑27 preseason All‑ACC basketball teams, listing three guards and two forwards per squad. Duke leads with John Blackwell (G) on First Team and two forwards, Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje and Patrick Ngongba, on Second Team. Louisville also features heavily, with Jackson Shelstead and Flory Bidunga on First Team and Seth Trimble on Second. Other notable picks include North Carolina’s Neoklis Avdalas, Virginia’s Shelton Henderson and Chance Mallory, and Miami’s Malik Reneau. The rollout previews the top talent expected to shape the ACC this season.
ESPN analyst Jay Bilas previews the 2026‑27 college basketball season, praising Duke as the nation’s most talented squad and noting their depth, size and versatile guards after impressive exhibition wins over Kansas and Tennessee. He ranks Florida No. 1 in the preseason AP and Coaches polls, highlighting their elite frontcourt and veteran core, and points to the Miami‑Florida opener as a key Week 1 matchup. Bilas also stresses the importance of a strong start for Kentucky, lauds freshmen like Caleb Holt (Arizona) and Tyran Stokes (Kansas), and offers insights on Arizona’s roster outlook. The interview, edited for clarity, airs as Bilas calls Duke’s season on Monday against Army.
Indiana guard Darren Harris, a former Duke transfer and 4‑star 2024 recruit, steps into the Hoosiers’ starting shooting‑guard role as the team’s primary 3‑point threat for the 2026‑27 season. After limited minutes at Duke, Harris aims to prove his deep‑range accuracy and expand his game beyond shooting, including rebounding and playmaking, under coach Darian DeVries. The Hoosiers, fresh off a 96‑68 preseason win over Butler, rely on Harris to fill the void left by last year’s prolific scorer Lamar Wilkerson.
Duke Caps Regular Season with Top-10 Tilt Versus North Carolina
After capturing the 2025 national title, the Florida Gators enter the 2026 season as the SEC's top contender under coach Todd Golden. Despite a rocky start—four losses in nine games, including defeats to Arizona, Duke, UConn, and TCU—the Gators rebounded, stringing together a 5‑game win streak, a brief loss to Auburn, then an 11‑game run that earned them a No. 1 seed before a second‑round exit to Iowa. Returning roughly 80% of their production, key players like Thomas Hazzard, Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu remain, while Golden’s analytics‑driven recruiting continues to impress. The preview predicts Florida to finish first in the SEC and second overall nationally.
The Duke Basketball Report breaks down how ACC schools craft their 2026‑27 non‑conference slates, balancing tournament bids, TV exposure, rivalries and coach security. Duke tops the conference with eight power‑conference matchups, hosting Illinois, playing UConn in Las Vegas, meeting Georgia and Texas Tech at Madison Square Garden, and traveling to face Gonzaga in Detroit and Michigan State in Chicago. Clemson, Louisville, Pitt and others schedule seven such tests. The piece also highlights multi‑team events like the Players Era 8 Tournament and the Southwest Maui Invitational, showing how ACC teams weigh prestige and revenue when building their schedules.
Duke men's basketball lands 6‑foot‑7, 5‑star small forward Asa Montgomery for the 2027 class, marking a major recruiting win. The Georgia native, a FIBA U17 World Cup gold‑medalist, praised Coach Jon Scheyer and called Duke his “dream school” since age eight. Montgomery, compared to Dame Sarr, joins fellow freshmen Kager Knueppel and Luke Paul as Scheyer builds a deep, top‑10 recruiting class.
Five-star forward Asa Montgomery made his decision, confirming Wednesday to Rivals' Joe Tipton he committed to Duke.
Will Duke, North Carolina, Virginia, or Louisville be able to pull ahead of the competition this season?
Cooper Flagg leads the Dallas Mavericks to a 113-109 win over the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center on October 26, 2026. The 19‑year‑old, now listed at 6‑10½, posts a near‑triple‑double with 29 points, 6 rebounds, 11 assists, plus 5 steals and 3 blocks, showcasing guard‑like agility and stifling defense. Comparisons to Toni Kukoč highlight his versatile skill set, while his growth since his Duke days underscores his rising star status.
The Duke Basketball Report examines why Florida State’s three-point shooting has remained persistently poor in the ACC. After a .331 three-point percentage in 2026—third-worst in the league and a decline from a 2021 peak of .376—the Seminoles have struggled to break even for five straight seasons, despite decent individual marks from players like Chauncey Wiggins (.387) and Robert McCray V (.355) who have now departed. Coaching changes, roster turnover, and recruiting limitations are cited as possible factors. The article also compares Louisville’s similar shooting woes, noting both teams must improve from long range to boost their ACC standing.
Duke’s recent trip to Kansas sees Patrick Ngongba explode into a dominant force, contributing 28 points – 31.1% of the team’s total – alongside John Blackwell’s 23. At 6‑11, 250 lb, Ngongba has added muscle and athleticism, showcasing a new three‑point range and the ability to finish through five defenders in the lane. His transformation from a smart, non‑athletic player last season to a powerhouse this year is the headline of Duke’s performance.
Duke finally breaks a 38‑year drought in Lawrence, edging Kansas in a high‑scoring 84‑point exhibition. While the Blue Devils dazzled with an 81.8% shooting night (27‑33), defensive lapses gave up 84 points, prompting coach Jon Scheyer to focus on cleanup work. Freshmen JoJo Boumtje Boumtje and Deron Rippey shot 3‑for‑12, all from three, and struggled with the intense crowd. Key contributors Pat Ngongba, John Blackwell, and newcomer Sebastian Wilkins dominated inside, but the team still needs a steady, pass‑first point guard—Cayden Boozer is a strong candidate. Upcoming games against Army, Coastal Carolina, Michigan State and others will test the freshmen’s progress and the impact of returning players like Drew Scharnowski and Caleb Foster.
Duke defeated Kansas 90-84 in an exhibition at Allen Fieldhouse as Patrick Ngongba II scored 28 points. The game revisited a memorable chapter of college basketball history.
The Daily Mauling recaps Kansas' 78-71 exhibition loss to Duke, highlighting Bill Self's small‑ball lineups and Keanu Dawes' dunk at Allen Fieldhouse. It also notes UNLV coach Josh Pastner's complaints about playing Trey Kaufman‑Renn, Dave Aranda's firing after KU's sloppy win over Baylor, and Oregon football's OC dismissal after a 0‑3 start. Additional links cover early‑season result reliability, a Guardian piece on policing, and a quirky fast‑food poll.
In the 1991 Elite Eight, Duke avenged its 1990 UNLV loss by dismantling #4 St. John’s 84-67. Freshman Grant Hill, Bobby Hurley (20 points, 7 rebounds) and Christian Laettner (19) led the Blue Devils, who forced 26 turnovers and built a 40-27 halftime lead. St. John’s, fresh from a 91-74 Sweet Sixteen win over Ohio State, couldn’t recover as Duke’s “buzzsaw” defense dominated the game.
Duke storms into Allen Fieldhouse and beats No. 17 Kansas 90‑84 in an exhibition on Oct. 25, 2026. Junior forward Patrick Ngongba dominates with 28 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists, while Jon Blackwell adds 23 points and Dame Sarr converts 8 of 11 free throws. Freshmen JoJo Boumtje Boumtje and Deron Rippey struggle, but depth from Caleb Foster, Cayden Boozer and bench spark Sebastian Wilkins keep the Blue Devils ahead. Kansas briefly leads 68‑64 before a decisive 9‑0 run. Coach Bill Self cites Ngongba’s pivot as the key difference, and Duke coach Jon Scheyer praises the team’s road toughness.
No. 2 Duke pushed past No. 17 Kansas, 90-84, in a road exhibition game at Allen Fieldhouse on Sunday, Oct. 25.
On Sunday, Duke freshman JoJo Boumtje Boumtje (7‑2, 250 lb) will face Kansas rookie Tyran Stokes (6‑7, ~230 lb) in a high‑profile exhibition that could showcase two future first‑round NBA draft picks. Both players display rare versatility—Boumtje blends big‑man shooting and passing, while Stokes mixes forward strength with guard‑like vision and passing. The matchup promises intense play and a glimpse of their potential, with additional rookie standouts like Duke’s Deron Rippey and Kansas guard Taylor Kinney also in the mix.
The Duke Basketball Report recaps Louisville’s exhibition win over Kansas on Oct. 21 at Allen Fieldhouse, highlighting freshman Tyran Stokes' impact for KU and Louisville standouts like former Blue Devil Christian Reeves. The piece notes the relevance of the game as Duke prepares to visit Kansas and points out rising prospect JoJo Boumtje Boumtje, who drew limited resistance from Belmont and Tennessee but will face a sterner test against the Jayhawks. Readers get a quick look at the Cardinals' performance and how it stacks up against conference rivals ahead of upcoming matchups.
No. 2 Duke visits No. 17 Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse for the Blue Devils' final preseason game on Sunday, Oct. 25, with tipoff at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Revisit 10 unforgettable regular-season college basketball upsets, including Chaminade over Virginia, Evansville over Kentucky and Stephen F. Austin over Duke.
Duke snaps a 5‑2 start with a 19‑16 comeback win over Virginia in Charlottesville on Oct. 23, 2026. Quarterback Walker Eget throws for 211 yards, including a 35‑yard strike to Jonah Burton and a 31‑yard pass to Jared Richardson that survives video review. The Blue Devils score on a four‑play, 78‑yard drive and later on a trick play where Nate Sheppard tosses a backward pass to Brody Keefe for the decisive touchdown. Duke’s defense forces a fumble, secures a key interception by Patrick Smith‑Young, and finishes the turnover battle 2‑1.