Thoughts on the AP poll: Duke rises to No. 7, Feast Week tournaments cause movement in rankings

Duke moved up to No. 7 in the AP poll after an undefeated week. The Blue Zone is here to recap the action across the country:

Duke stays steady 

While Duke didn’t participate much in the thrilling Feast Week activities, the Blue Devils put up two wins against its opponents in La Salle and Southern Indiana. The Screaming Eagles certainly made noise in Cameron Indoor during the first half, leading Duke 35-31 at the break. The threat of a loss to a one-win Southern Indiana team proved to be a wake up call for the Blue Devils. Duke began the second half with an 11-0 run, including two 3-pointers by freshman guard Jared McCain. Head coach Jon Scheyer’s team continued to build on the momentum throughout the half, earning them a 80-62 victory. Despite an injury scare last week against Bucknell, sophomore center Kyle Filipowski asserted his dominance against the Eagles, putting up 21 points and 14 rebounds. Duke enters the week in the No. 7 spot and will take on a solid Arkansas team in the ACC/SEC challenge. 

Full steam ahead 

Purdue made its dominance known at the Maui Invitational this week, putting up impressive wins against three top 25 teams, including then-No. 7 Tennessee and then-No. 4 Marquette. The Boilermakers were led by none other than 7-foot-4 senior center Zach Edey who averaged 25.3 points and 13 rebounds per game at the invitational. When the Golden Eagles gave Purdue a run for its money in the last minute, it was Edey who gave his team the breathing room to preserve its undefeated season and earn its first Maui Invitational title.   

Following an unfathomable first round exit in last year’s NCAA tournament, Purdue has silenced any doubt of its ability to compete against top teams. The Boilermakers put on a historic performance during Feast Week, becoming the first team to defeat three top-11 teams in consecutive days. Purdue jumped to No. 1 in the new poll, knocking off Kansas' position at the top after a depleting defeat at the hands of Marquette. As a result, the Jayhawks drop down to the No. 5 spot while the Boilermakers will look to protect its No. 1 spot for the first time this season.

Florida Atlantic gets its rhythm back 

After an exhausting defeat against an unranked Bryant, it seemed as though Florida Atlantic may have run out of magic. However, the Owls bounced right back, winning the ESPN Events Invitational in a blowout 84-50 victory against Virginia Tech. The team’s most impressive performance of Feast Week came against then-No.12 ranked Texas A&M. Junior Johnell Davis led his team to the statement win, going 6-for-9 from 3-point range and putting up 26 points.