Although Duke became the national title favorite in Las Vegas immediately after Marvin Bagley III's commitment in August, one major publication thinks the Blue Devils still need to prove themselves before moving to No. 1.
The Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook put Duke at No. 3 in its preseason rankings after Arizona and Michigan State. Senior guard Grayson Allen was named a preseason first-team All-American, and Bagley earned second-team All-American honors. Blue Ribbon's preseason national player of the year is Notre Dame star Bonzie Colson.
The Blue Devils are less than two months away from a Nov. 14 showdown against the Spartans at the Champions Classic in Chicago—a potential matchup of two top-three teams. Other ACC teams in Blue Ribbon's top 25 are Louisville at No. 6, No. 10 North Carolina, Miami at No. 16, the 19th-ranked Fighting Irish and Virginia Tech at No. 25.
Allen was a player of the year favorite prior to last season following an All-American sophomore campaign, but saw a production drop in a tumultuous year that featured a one-game tripping suspension. He is the only senior on a young Blue Devil squad, with Bagley entering as the most highly-touted newcomer.
Bagley decided to reclassify from the Class of 2018 when he committed, becoming the top-ranked 2017 freshman and an early favorite to be the first overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
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