Duke basketball deservedly stumbles in the rankings
By Matt Giles
Duke basketball took a bit of a hit in the latest AP Poll.
At No. 9 as of Monday, the Duke basketball team has matched its season-low ranking, falling back to where it began the 2021-22 campaign in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll.
Last week, the Duke Blue Devils jumped two spots to No. 6 in the country following wins at the Wake Forest Demon Deacons then at home against the NC State Wolfpack. But an overtime loss at the Florida State Seminoles on Tuesday night ultimately led to the squad stumbling three spots this week despite its convincing victory over the Syracuse Orange in Durham on Saturday.
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After defeating the then-No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs in Las Vegas on Nov. 26, the Blue Devils reached No. 1 in the AP Poll. They then remained among the top three until a loss at the Miami Hurricanes on Jan. 8 dropped them to No. 8 in the country at the time.
Auburn, Gonzaga, Arizona, Baylor, and Kansas comprise the current top five, respectively.
Duke basketball keeping the ACC relevant in the rankings, singlehandedly
Although the Duke Blue Devils sit behind two schools in the conference’s win column, they are once again the only member of the ACC with a number by their name. That’s been the case dating back to late November, marking 10 straight weeks with Duke as the only representative from the typically power-packed league.
In fairness, though, Florida State, Wake Forest, and Miami received votes this go-round.
Next up for the Duke Blue Devils (15-3, 5-2 ACC) is a home game against the unranked Clemson Tigers (11-8, 3-5 ACC) at 7 p.m. ET Tuesday.
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Stay tuned to Ball Durham for more on the Blue Devils’ AP ranking this season, plus other Duke basketball news and views.