The Blue Devils finished the regular season 24-7 after dropping their final game of the season to archrival North Carolina, and they now sit at No. 11 in the latest AP poll. The Blue Zone breaks down movement in the poll around the country:
Duke drops following rivalry loss
With a share of the ACC regular-season title on the line, Duke fell just short of a comeback in front of its fans at Cameron Indoor. The highly-anticipated rivalry matchup featured two top 10 teams — North Carolina entered at No. 7 and the Blue Devils were ninth. Duke came into the matchup coming off a dominant performance against N.C. State, defeating the Wolfpack 79-64. Yet, the Tar Heels proved to be the more prepared team, going on an early run in the first half and never looking back.
Senior guard RJ Davis and graduate center Armando Bacot might be familiar foes to the Blue Devils, but it was none other than Notre Dame transfer Cormac Ryan who led North Carolina to the statement win. Ryan posted a season-high 31 points, shooting 66.7% from the field and 6-for-8 from 3-point range. When Duke applied pressure in the final minutes of the game, it was Ryan who made a clutch three and two free throws to silence the Cameron Crazies
Although much of the Blue Devil squad underperformed throughout the competition, sophomore center Kyle Filipowski kept his team in the game in key moments. The Westtown, N.Y., native led the team with 23 points and scored two crucial threes in the second half. Duke even outscored the Tar Heels 48-44 in the second half, but the late push was not enough to overcome its early deficit. Ultimately, North Carolina emerged victorious, completing the season sweep. Entering the ACC Tournament, the Blue Devils dropped to the No. 11 spot in the AP Poll while North Carolina re-entered the top five at No. 4.
Movement in the SEC
In a week full of intense rivalries, the Wildcats entered Rocky Top with an upset on their mind. And, then-No. 15 Kentucky extended its winning streak to five games by defeating then-No.4 Tennessee Saturday. The Wildcats were led by senior guard Antonio Reeves and freshman guard Reed Sheppard, who both posted 27 points. Reeves — the team’s leading scorer — shot 60% from beyond the arc and 8-of-16 from the field. Likewise, the rookie Sheppard represented his home state well, coming off the bench and going 7-of-10 from 3-point range. On the other end of the court, senior guard Dalton Knecht kept the Volunteers in the competition with a season-high 40 points. The SEC’s leading scorer and Player of the Year couldn't fend off the upset on his own, though, and despite a late push, Kentucky came away with a 85-81 victory. As a result, the Wildcats moved up to the No. 9 in this week’s AP rankings and Tennessee maintained its spot in the top 5, coming in at No. 5.
Houston solidifies its spot at the top
After clinching the Big 12 regular-season title, the Cougars proved themselves as the top team in the country this week. Kansas may have come out victorious the last time the two teams met Feb. 3, but Houston dominated their final matchup, defeating the Jayhawks 76-46. Senior guard Jamal Shead led the Cougars with 13 points and was followed by fellow senior guard Damian Dunn’s 12 points off the bench. In fact, 27 of Houston’s 76 points came off the bench, preventing Kansas from gaining any momentum and helping to maintain a lead for the entirety of the competition. Already trailing 40-21 entering the second half, the Jayhawks’ leading scorer Kevin McCullar did not return to the matchup due to an apparent knee problem. Transfer center Hunter Dickinson — the other dominant contributor for Kansas — was held to just 11 points and also suffered a shoulder injury in the second half. Regardless of injuries, Houston continues to make its place known at the top while the Jayhawks find themselves in the No. 16 spot in this week’s rankings.
Full Rankings
- Houston
- UConn
- Purdue
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Arizona
- Iowa State
- Creighton
- Kentucky
- Marquette
- Duke
- Auburn
- Illinois
- Baylor
- South Carolina
- Kansas
- Gonzaga
- Utah State
- Alabama
- BYU
- Saint Mary’s
- Washington State
- Nevada
- Dayton
- Texas Tech
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.