Duke basketball #7 in preseason Associated Press Poll

The Associated Press recently released its preseason top 25 poll for the 2024-25 college basketball season, and the Blue Devils slotted in at #7. #1 through #6 in order are Kansas, Alabama, UConn, Houston, Iowa State, and Gonzaga.

It was expected that Duke would enter the season as a top ten level team and this ranking feels just right. The one thing that could potentially have knocked Duke from being even higher up is the reliance the Blue Devils will have on freshmen this season, with likely three in the starting five.

Despite bringing in high-level transfers such as Sion James, Maliq Brown, and Mason Gillis, the rotation will still feature several top freshmen like Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Khaman Maluach.

Duke will enter the season as complete of a basketball team as any in the country, however. Shooting, great guard play, size, and all the potential in the world to be the best defensive team in the country shapes this year's team.

It is still unclear who the starting lineup will be on opening night where the Blue Devils will host Maine on November 4th, but ESPN released projected starting fives for each top 25 squad. Tyrese Proctor, Caleb Foster, Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Khaman Maluach made that list.

The Blue Devils will enter the season as the highest ranked team in the ACC as North Carolina is the only other ACC team that was ranked in the preseason poll at #9. The SEC has the most ranked teams in the poll with nine followed by the Big 12 with five.

It is now known Duke will face off against four ranked teams through its non-conference slate: #23 Kentucky on November 12th, #10 Arizona on November 22nd, #1 Kansas on November 26th, and #11 Auburn on December 4th.

Head coach Jon Scheyer has never shied away from collecting a slew of tough matchups in his non-conference slate, and that is no different this season.