Another strong week from the Blue Devils saw them rise one spot to No. 8 in the latest AP poll. The Blue Zone breaks down Duke’s new standing and movement across the college basketball landscape:
Eight is great
Duke got it done this week in its two ACC games, defeating Wake Forest at home and Florida State on the road. Monday’s win over the Demon Deacons was made possible by a strong second-half performance by the team and a 23-point game by sophomore forward Mark Mitchell, who matched his career-high point total. The Blue Devils then went down to Tallahassee, Fla., Saturday, and held strong to defeat the Seminoles 76-67. This time, it was the Jared McCain show, as the freshman guard dropped 35 points while shooting 8-of-11 from 3-point land. This performance put his name in the Duke history books, tying former Blue Devil Zion Williamson for most points in a single game by a freshman. With two more conference victories, Duke moved up one spot to No. 8 in this week’s AP Poll.
Three teams drop three spots
A few usually-strong teams suffered setbacks this week, which were reflected in this week’s poll. First was then-No. 4 Marquette, who lost handily to No. 1 UConn, 81-53. Not all is lost for the Golden Eagles, though, who have solidified themselves as a tournament team and as the second-best squad in the Big East behind the Huskies. Then-No. 6 Kansas also fell three spots to No. 9, due in part to a 29-point loss at then-No. 23 Texas Tech. The Jayhawks bounced back with a 10-point victory over Oklahoma, but to remain in contention for a No. 3 seed or better in this year’s NCAA Tournament, head coach Bill Self’s team will need to finish their regular season strong. Finally, in-state rival North Carolina dropped to No. 10 this week after a seven-point loss at Syracuse. After a great start to conference play and a win over the Blue Devils, the Tar Heels have slid ever so slightly, and need to stop the skid to remain a No. 2 seed this year.
Gamecocks humbled
After an improbable rise that brought the Gamecocks up to No. 11 in last week’s AP Poll, South Carolina dropped both of its games this week. First, a massive 101-61 loss at No. 13 Auburn stunned the Gamecocks, and then a seemingly random one-point defeat at home against LSU pushed them down nine spots in this week’s poll. Big games on the slate for the team from Columbia, S.C., include a date with No. 24 Florida and a rematch against No. 5 Tennessee, before an SEC Tournament which will likely determine their final placement in the tournament.
Full rankings
1. UConn
2. Houston
3. Purdue
4. Arizona
5. Tennessee
6. Iowa State
7. Marquette
8. Duke
9. Kansas
10. North Carolina
11. Baylor
12. Illinois
13. Alabama
14. Auburn
15. Creighton
16. Dayton
17. Kentucky
18. Saint Mary's
19. San Diego State
20. South Carolina
21. Washington State
22. Colorado State
23. Texas Tech
24. Florida
25. BYU
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