Following Duke’s first ACC loss of the season and more turmoil in the rest of the rankings, The Chronicle has insight on the newest AP poll:
Duke loses first conference matchup, drops in rankings
Clemson fans returned the favor this weekend, storming the court against the Blue Devils and beating them in their own sport. While unranked heading into the game, the Tigers entered the game second in the ACC standings and 10-2 in conference play. The trip to South Carolina — a challenging road environment — proved no simple task for Duke. Head coach Jon Scheyer’s squad played in front of a roaring crowd, wearing bright orange shirts with the word “grit” written across the front.
The Tigers certainly displayed grit when they ended the Blue Devils’ 16-game win streak. The home squad outrebounded Duke 36-23, and a late block by senior Chase Hunter with just under 10 seconds left ended any hopes of a comeback. Although the Blue Devils entered the second half up 41-35, freshman Cooper Flagg showed up too little too late. Flagg scored 14 of Duke’s last 17 points but had only four on the scoresheet after 34 minutes of play. A slip and resulting turnover by the forward with less than 20 seconds left in the game proved to be a crucial turning point. As a result of the 77-17 defeat, the Blue Devils drop to No. 3 in the poll — tied with Florida — while Clemson joins at No. 23.
Scheyer’s team will look to shake off its first ACC loss with a home game against Cal Wednesday.
Auburn retains its spot at the top
Despite Auburn’s loss to then-No. 6 Florida, the team remains in the No. 1 spot for the fifth consecutive week. The Tigers opened the week with a 98-70 win against Oklahoma but couldn’t finish the job at home against the Gators, ending their 14-game win streak. Although Auburn outscored its opponent 43-42 in the second half, a late first-half push by Florida was enough to cement the victory. The Gators were led by senior Walter Clayton Jr. and sophomore Alex Condon, who scored 19 and 17 points, respectively. On the other end of the court, it was the senior Miles Kelly trying to prevent the upset, putting up 22 points — around double his season average.
Head coach Todd Golden’s squad found success from behind the arc, which proved to be the difference maker in the matchup. Florida hit 13 3-pointers while the Tigers went 7-of-22. Auburn also left points on the table with its struggles at the charity stripe, going 14-of-23. With the 90-81 win, the Gators moved to the No. 3 spot in the county.
Success for SEC and Big Ten
Although the conference’s traditional success is found on the football field, SEC teams have brought their prominence to basketball, with nine squads finding a spot in the top 25. Alabama moved up to the No. 2 spot, setting up a high-stakes rivalry matchup against No.1 Auburn Saturday. With Tennessee coming in at No. 5 and Florida at the No. 3 spot, the SEC holds four of the top five. Following a close 67-64 victory against No. 21 Missouri, Texas A&M closes out the SEC teams in the top 10 with the No. 8 spot.
Keeping in line with football schools, after finally finding its way to the rankings the week prior, Michigan moves up four more spots to No. 20. The Wolverines ended the week with two close wins against conference opponents in Indiana and Oregon. The team’s success has been led by its two big men out of the portal, Vladislav Goldin and Danny Wolf, standing at 7-foot-1 and 7-foot, respectively. Wisconsin also climbs five spots to No. 16 after its 74-63 win against Iowa.
Full Rankings
1. Auburn
2. Alabama
3. Florida
3. Duke
5. Tennessee
6. Houston
7. Purdue
8. Texas A&M
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9. St. John’s
10. Iowa State
11. Michigan State
12. Texas Tech
13. Arizona
14. Memphis
15. Kentucky
16. Wisconsin
17. Kansas
18. Marquette
19. Ole Miss
20. Michigan
21. Missouri
22. Mississippi State
23. Clemson
24. Creighton
25. Maryland