Duke basketball: Insider drops Blue Devils from No. 1 preseason ranking

A college basketball insider has dropped the Duke basketball team from No. 1. 

Rankings in May do not mean anything but they serve as good talking points and college basketball insider Jeff Goodman has dropped the Duke basketball program from his preseason No. 1 slot.

Goodman slotted the Blue Devils at No. 1 once Kyle Filipowski announced he would be returning to school for his sophomore season, along with Mark Mitchell and Tyrese Proctor, but the stay at the top did not last long for Jon Scheyer’s team.

The Kansas Jayhawks jumped into the top ranking, according to Goodman, once Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson announced his commitment to the blue blood program.

Duke learned on Monday that Jeremy Roach would be returning to the program after the captain announced he would be entering the 2023 NBA Draft but maintaining his eligibility but it has not changed the insider’s mind.

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“I’m sticking with Kansas and [head coach] Bill Self,” Goodman said on The Field of 68.

“When you have Dajuan Harris and Hunter Dickinson, that’s going to be tough to beat.”

Duke basketball battles talent and youth, again

The Blue Devils also bring in a loaded recruiting class headlined by 5-star freshmen Caleb Foster, Jared McCain, Sean Stewart, and TJ Power but saw Mackenzie Mgbako, the highest ranked Duke signee, request his release from his National Letter of Intent after Filipowski announced his return.

Mgbako committed to Indiana over Kansas last weekend.

“Duke’s got some talent back…but they’re still going to be young,” Jeff Goodman added.

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Duke, in Jon Scheyer’s first season, won nine straight games entering the NCAA Tournament but was bounced in the Round of 32 by the Tennessee Volunteers.

Kansas, without Bill Self due to health reasons, was also bounced in the Round of 32 by the Arkansas Razorbacks.

The two teams are not slated to play each other in the 2023-24 season after battling last year in the Champions Classic.