Duke Basketball: Blue Devils Have Earned Right to Be No. 1 Seed in March

The NCAA tournament selection committee would be wrong not to include the Duke Blue Devils as one of the four No. 1 seeds once the results are released in March.

As if their improbable victory against North Carolina on Wednesday was not enough, the Blue Devils also have impressive wins against ranked opponents that are sure to make dents in March Madness, such as Michigan, Kansas and Virginia.

Above all, Duke is getting into a stride right now.  Freshman Austin Rivers is performing at a level not many saw coming on the biggest of stages, making many think what he is capable of doing when big shots become the norm in late March.

They do have a few slip-ups, as do many teams this time of year. Most notably, Duke lost at home to impressive Florida State and Miami teams, who outplayed them when the games were on the line. Naturally, the Blue Devils lost, and the team was then questioned as to how good they really were if could not even win at home against ACC rivals.

However, a win at the Dean Smith Center against No. 5 North Carolina cures a lot of ills these days, especially a win in that fashion. How the Tar Hells respond has yet to be seen, but the Blue Devils will be riding that win throughout the rest of this season and all the way to a No. 1 seed in March.

If nothing else, Duke is arguably the most complete team in college basketball. They have the Plumlee brothers and Ryan Kelly inside, shooters like Dawkins, Curry and Thornton on the outside and Rivers hitting big shots and taking the game over when called upon. Oh, and Mike Krzyzewski, as well.

The team is experienced, and although we cannot predict who will be heading to the Final Four this time of year, it would not surprise many to see this team cruise because of just that.

Standing in Duke's way toward a No. 1 seed are Ohio State, Syracuse and Kentucky, but the selection committee would be hard-pressed not put the Blue Devils ahead of teams like Missouri, Baylor and North Carolina, who will no doubt be challenging Duke for a No. 1 seed.

Big wins in big games in big venues stand out in college basketball, and Duke will be riding their high from North Carolina all the way to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.