After a close loss to Kansas and home victory against Seattle, Duke men’s basketball rose two spots to No. 9 in this week’s AP Poll. The Blue Zone breaks down the changes in the rankings:
Duke climbs poll despite loss
Duke suffered a devastating loss to start the week against No. 1 Kansas on the road. The matchup at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., proved to be a physical battle, with the result coming down to the wire. A buzzer-beater attempt by freshman Kon Knuppel came up short for the Blue Devils, and the Jayhawks came away with the victory 75-72.
Despite the loss, Duke returned to Cameron Indoor Stadium and got back into the rhythm of things with a 70-48 victory against Seattle. Veteran junior Tyrese Proctor led the team in points through the previous two matches, scoring 15 against Kansas and 13 against the Redhawks. Still, it’s freshman Cooper Flagg leading the Blue Devils overall in points, rebounds and assists. With the victory and close battle with the Jayhawks, Duke moves up to the No. 9 spot.
Duke will take on No. 2 Auburn in the men’s SEC/ACC Challenge Wednesday. The Blue Devils are looking for another win against a ranked opponent — especially with Arizona falling out of the poll — and the Tigers will be no simple task after their commanding performance at the Maui Invitational. However, the support of a home crowd at Cameron will be a bonus for Scheyer’s squad.
Madness at Maui Invitational
Feast Week saw a range of emotions and performances by contenders in the top 25. Auburn claimed the title at the Maui Invitational with wins against then-No. 5 Iowa State, then-No. 12 North Carolina and Memphis. The Tigers were led by senior forward Johni Broome, who put up 21 points and 16 rebounds in the 90-76 championship victory against Memphis. The Plant City, Fla., native scored 23 points against the Tar Heels and leads his team in points per game with 20.7. As a result, Auburn climbs to the No. 2 spot in the country.
Things were not so successful for the previous No. 2 team, with UConn dropping all three games at the Maui Invitational. With losses to unranked opponents in Colorado, Dayton and Memphis, the Huskies dropped 23 spots. Entering this week as No. 25, head coach Dan Hurley and his squad have much to work on to mirror their previous success. North Carolina also drops eight spots to No. 20 due to poor performance at the Maui Invitational, while Memphis jumps in at the No. 16 spot.
Big 10 contenders find success
Leading the charge was the newest addition to the Big 10, Oregon, which put up an impressive 83-81 victory against then-No. 9 Alabama to claim the Players Era Festival championship. During the tournament, the Ducks collected strong wins against then-No. 20 Texas A&M and San Diego State. Oregon enters the poll in the No. 12 position, but its undefeated record and notable tournament performance make it a real competitor to watch. Wisconsin moves up four spots to No. 11 and also remains undefeated after eight games. Senior John Tanje has been crucial to the success of the Badgers, leading the team with 22.9 points per game and posting a field goal percentage of 52.7%. Another Big 10 contender finding success this week was Purdue, putting up an impressive 80-78 victory against No. 23 Ole Miss. With their two wins of the week, the Boilermakers climb to the No. 8 spot in the poll.
Full rankings
1. Kansas
2. Auburn
3. Tennessee
4. Kentucky
5. Marquette
6. Iowa State
7. Gonzaga
8. Purdue
9. Duke
10. Alabama
11. Wisconsin
12. Oregon
13. Florida
14. Cincinnati
15. Baylor
16. Memphis
17. Houston
18. Pittsburgh
19. Illinois
20. North Carolina
21. Oklahoma
22. Texas A&M
23. Ole Miss
24. San Diego State
25. UConn
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