Thoughts on the AP poll: Duke climbs one spot to No. 6, top five sees movement

After the first week of the season, Duke men’s basketball checks in at No. 6 in the AP poll. The Blue Zone is here to break down movement around the country: 

Freshmen lead the way 

The Blue Devils opened the season with two commanding victories against unranked teams in Maine and Army. In the season opener, Duke defeated Maine 96-62, with the freshmen making notable impacts on the court. Cooper Flagg scored 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists against the Black Bears. Freshman Kon Knueppel led the team in points through both games, scoring 22 in the matchup against Maine and 15 in the 100-58 win against Army. Head coach Jon Scheyer’s squad will have its first real test against a ranked opponent Nov. 12, taking on No. 19 Kentucky in the State Farm Champions Classic in Atlanta. For now, the Blue Devils move up one spot in the polls, giving them the No. 6 spot in the country this week.  

Jayhawks narrowly escape trouble 

The preseason No. 1 team in the country was tested early with an intense ranked matchup. After opening the season with an 87-57 victory against Howard, the Jayhawks welcomed then-No. 9 North Carolina to Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas opened the first half with a commanding presence, at one point leading by a 20-point margin and entering the second half with a 15-point lead. However, the Tar Heels didn’t make it easy for the Jayhawks to maintain their perfect record. Head coach Hubert Davis’s team outscored its opponent 51-39 in the second half of play, with notable performances by junior Seth Trimble and senior RJ Davis. Ultimately, Kansas was able to fight the comeback with the support of seniors Zeke Mayo and Hunter Dickinson, who scored 21 and 20 points, respectively. With the victory, the Jayhawks maintain their No. 1 spot, but maybe even more impressively, head coach Bill Self earned his 590th career win, matching Phog Allen for most wins in Kansas basketball history.  

Movement in the top five 

The only top-five team to lose a game in the first week of play was Houston, which went up against then-No. 11 Auburn. The Tigers pulled off an impressive 74-69 upset, earning themselves the No. 5 spot this week. As a result, the Cougars drop four spots to No. 8. Another SEC team sitting at the top of the pack this week is Alabama, which retains its No. 2 position after delivering a 110-54 blowout against UNC Asheville and an 88-79 victory against Arkansas State. In other news, the reigning champions continued their displays of dominance, with UConn winning both of its matches by over a 30-point margin. Junior Alex Karaban, who opted to play another year for the Huskies, leads the team with an average of 18.5 points per game. With shifts in the top five, Gonzaga finds itself in the No. 4 spot in the country after putting on a dominant performance in its 101-63 victory against then-No. 8 Baylor. 

Full rankings 

5. Auburn

6. Duke

7. Iowa State

8. Houston

9. Arizona

10. North Carolina 

11. Tennessee

12. Baylor

13. Purdue

14. Creighton 

15. Marquette 

16. Indiana 

17. Cincinnati 

18. Arkansas

19. Kentucky 

20. Florida 

21. Ohio State 

22. St. John’s 

23. Texas A&M 

24. Rutgers 

25. Ole Miss