Duke MBB is No. 1 in the Polls and on the Pulse
Duke leads national conversation entering the NCAA Tournament; Liberty and St. John’s generate major fan reaction
COLUMBIA, S.C. — In the polls and on social media, the Duke Blue Devils men’s basketball team is No. 1.
The College Sports Social Pulse™ rankings from the University of South Carolina’s Social Media Insights Lab show that Duke leads the national social media conversation as tournament action gets underway this week.
The Pulse tracks online discussions across major social platforms to identify which programs are generating the most attention among fans. Using a proprietary index scaled from 0–100, the rankings measure the relative intensity of discussion surrounding each team entering the tournament.
Duke’s first-place ranking was fueled by the ACC Tournament championship and the ensuing debate over the Blue Devils’ status as the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament. The Blue Devils generated the largest volume of social media conversation by far.
“Duke’s four-point ACC Tournament victory over Virginia and its impressive 32-win season created a massive national conversation on social media,” said Clay Owen, professor of practice in the University of South Carolina’s College of Information and Communications. “Fans were reacting to everything from the championship game itself to the Blue Devils’ path through the tournament bracket.”
The No. 2 spot in the Pulse rankings went to a team that failed to make the NCAA Tournament. Liberty surged to second after the Flames were snuffed in the Conference USA championship game by Missouri State. That loss sparked an enormous wave of interaction across social media as fans debated the result and Liberty’s postseason fate. Much of the reaction carried a critical tone following the upset loss that ultimately sent the 25–7 team to the National Invitation Tournament.
St. John’s placed third, driven by strong fan response to the Red Storm’s placement as a No. 5 seed in the tournament bracket. Much of the conversation centered on debate over the team’s seeding and its challenging regional draw.
Gonzaga finished fourth as the Bulldogs extended their streak to 27 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, continuing one of the most consistent runs in modern college basketball.
Houston rounded out the Top 5 after earning a No. 2 seed in the South Region. Even after a narrow loss to Arizona in the Big 12 Tournament championship game, Cougars fans remained highly optimistic online, generating strong positive momentum around the team’s tournament prospects and potential path through the bracket.
College Sports Social Pulse™ — Men’s Basketball Tournament Rankings
Duke — 100.0
Liberty — 87.8
St. John’s — 82.2
Gonzaga — 80.4
Houston — 79.7
Santa Clara — 76.9
UConn — 73.8
Virginia — 70.0
Utah State — 68.1
UCLA — 67.4
The Pulse measured social media conversations from March 10-16.
Owen said the early rankings illustrate how different types of storylines drive online conversation.
“Championship wins, seeding debates, bracket reactions and even tournament snubs can all shape the social media narrative,” Owen said. “The Pulse helps capture those moments and quantify which teams are capturing the attention of fans nationwide.”
The College Sports Social Pulse will release updated rankings each week throughout the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, tracking how game results, upsets and breakout performances reshape the national conversation.
About the College Sports Social Pulse™
Developed by the University of South Carolina’s Social Media Insights Lab, the College Sports Social Pulse analyzes millions of posts across major social media platforms to measure which teams are driving the national conversation around college athletics. The rankings use a proprietary index to capture the intensity of fan engagement and discussion surrounding teams throughout the season.