GREENVILLE, S.C. — Selection Sunday is here, and for Bon Secours Arena in Greenville, South Carolina, the anticipation is real. The city is set to host eight NCAA Tournament teams across two first-round regionals, with pairings to be officially revealed at 6 p.m. ET on CBS Sunday evening. One thing, however, is already settled before the bracket show begins: Duke is coming to Greenville.
Duke: The Lock at the Top
Duke (32-2) is considered a lock for Greenville as the No. 1 overall seed in the East Region after winning the ACC Tournament championship. The Blue Devils arrive as the nation’s top-ranked program, having posted the best two-year record in Division I basketball at 67-6 — a resume that leaves the selection committee essentially no choice but to plant them at the top of the bracket.
Games at Bon Secours Arena are scheduled for March 19 and 21, with tip times and broadcast assignments to be announced following Sunday evening’s reveal.
What the Bracketologists Are Projecting
Consensus across the major bracket forecasters places Duke in Greenville opposite a No. 16 seed, though the specific opponent varies. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi projects Duke facing NEC Tournament winner Long Island (24-10), with Ohio State (21-12) and No. 9 TCU (22-11) in the accompanying first-round game. USA Today places UMBC opposite Duke, while Jerry Palm projects Lehigh, and On3 has either Siena or Howard completing the pairing.
The variations in Duke’s projected opponent matter far less than the consistency of their seeding. Every major forecaster has the Blue Devils in Greenville as the top line — the only question is who they face first.
The second regional projected for Greenville draws more variation across forecasters. Lunardi places Purdue (26-8) against Troy (22-11) and Tennessee (22-11) against VCU (26-7) as the South opener, with that bracket advancing to Houston. Palm has Louisville and South Florida filling those spots, while On3 projects Illinois and BYU. USA Today goes a different direction entirely with Alabama and Wisconsin in what would be a Midwest bracket bound for Chicago.
Greenville’s March Madness Track Record
The city’s NCAA Tournament history is both storied and — for Duke fans — somewhat complicated. The Blue Devils advanced from Greenville in 2002, reaching the Elite Eight before losing to eventual national champion Maryland. In 2017, however, they were eliminated in the second round by South Carolina, who went on to the Final Four.
Defending champion Gonzaga and UConn made it out of Greenville in 2022, with Gonzaga falling in the Elite Eight and UConn in the Sweet 16.
The history suggests Greenville is not a guarantee for anyone — including the No. 1 overall seed. Duke knows that better than most. The bracket reveal at 6 p.m. Sunday will make everything official. After that, the basketball does the talking.
Bracket Reveal: 6:00 p.m. ET | Sunday, March 15 | CBS
