Duke Makes NCAA Tournament History After Awful March Madness Start

Jon Scheyer and the Duke Blue Devils enter March Madness as one of the college basketball favorites to win the 2026 NCAA Tournament, but the ACC giants haven’t played the opening game they would’ve expected.

The ACC Tournament champions tipped off their NCAA Tournament campaign Thursday against Siena. However, the 16-seed has given the Blue Devils everything they can handle, including an unforgettable first-half showing.

MORE: Updated March Madness bracket entering Round of 64 of 2026 NCAA Tournament

In fact, ESPN Research has revealed that Duke is making history in the Round of 64 after trailing Siena at halftime. Duke becomes the first-ever top seed to go down double-digits against a 16-seed at the half.

Eye-opening stat: Duke is the FIRST-EVER 1-seed to trail a 16-seed by double-digits at halftime in NCAA tournament history, per ESPN Research.

— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) March 19, 2026

Scheyer and the Blue Devils came into March Madness as the number one overall seed in the entire tournament. However, Siena has proven to be a dangerous foe in the opening round of action.

Meanwhile, college basketball fans are locked in on the game with special attention on the outcome because many brackets will be busted with a Duke loss. Nearly 25 percent of brackets on ESPN’s Tournament Challenge selected Duke to win the national championship.

MORE: Ex-ESPN analyst, coach slams Jay Bilas immediately before March Madness

Only two number one seeds have ever lost in the opening game of the NCAA Tournament. Virginia became the first to do so in 2018, while Purdue followed that historic feat up in 2023 after falling to Fairleigh Dickinson.

Duke Blue Devils guard Dame Sarr against Siena Saints forward Brendan Coyle during the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Blue Devils will face TCU in the Round of 32 if they can pull out a victory against the feisty Siena squad.