With Countdown to Craziness less than a week away, Duke men’s basketball is right around the corner. The Blue Devils sit at second in the year’s first AP poll, and the Blue Zone breaks down standings around the country:
Near the top
In the second year of head coach Jon Scheyer’s tenure at Duke, expectations are sky high. After unexpectedly bowing out in the second round of last year’s NCAA tournament, the Blue Devils will aim to advance further this season. Scheyer’s squad comes in at No. 2 in the inaugural poll, a sign that Duke is regarded as a contender to cut down the nets in April. A large driver of these lofty hopes is the immense returning talent level in Durham, as Scheyer brings back four returning starters in Kyle Filipowski, Tyrese Proctor, Jeremy Roach and Mark Mitchell. Add in an impressive recruiting class that features four highly touted freshmen, and this year’s Blue Devils could be elite.
Year of the big
College basketball is largely dominated by elite big men, and this year is no different. The top of this year’s poll is headlined by teams who are led by excellent centers. Kansas, who now features Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson, is atop the first poll of the season, and the Jayhawks seem primed to make another deep tournament run. Purdue enters the year just behind Duke at No. 3, and it has just as impressive of a starting five as anyone, with last year’s Wooden Award winner Zach Edey returning to avenge the Boilermaker’s first round upset. Edey and Dickinson, along with Filipowski, should all be top contenders for this year’s Wooden Award, while also being the top dog on three of the nation’s best teams.
Big East, big presence
In the eyes of the AP voters, the Big East should be one of, if not the best conference in the country. The league is headlined by the reigning champion UConn Huskies, who have reloaded after losing several key players to the draft, as they come in at No. 6 in the poll. However, Marquette comes in just ahead of UConn at No. 5, as head coach Shaka Smart returns almost an entire roster, led by All-American guard Tyler Kolek, that was excellent last season. Creighton is the third Big East team in the top ten of the poll, landing at No. 8. The Bluejays bring back several returning starters and should be able to challenge the Huskies and Golden Eagles for the top spot in the conference. The league also has perennial powerhouse Villanova in the top 25, as the Wildcats check in at No. 22.
Full rankings
1. Kansas
2. Duke
3. Purdue
4. Michigan State
5. Marquette
6. UConn
7. Houston
8. Creighton
9. Tennessee
10. Florida Atlantic
11. Gonzaga
12. Arizona
13. Miami
14. Arkansas
15. Texas A&M
16. Kentucky
17. San Diego State
18. Texas
19. North Carolina
20. Baylor
21. USC
22. Villanova
23. Saint Mary's
24. Alabama
25. Illinois
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