NCAA Basketball: Duke, Michigan State fall in latest top 25 power ranking
By Joey Loose
8. Duke (1-1)
The Blue Devils enter their second season under Jon Scheyer, though he’s certainly already shown himself formidable as a recruiter. The Blue Devils not only introduced another top-notch freshman class, but got exciting pieces like Kyle Filipowski and Tyrese Proctor back for their sophomore seasons. This combination of young talent and a few more experienced faces has people excited in Durham.
There wasn’t much drama on opening night as Duke handled Dartmouth in a 92-54 ballgame. Filipowski looked like his dominant self with 25 points and 7 rebounds to lead the Blue Devils. The drama was significantly higher on Friday, as the Blue Devils welcomed Arizona to town. In a tight game that saw Duke down 8 at the half, the Wildcats held on for a 78-73 win, shocking the Blue Devils at home. Filipowski led the way 25 points again while Jeremy Roach added 17 points in the loss.
This Duke squad entered the season as the preseason favorites with Filipowski as a potential All-American and plenty of other talent on the roster. This performance against Arizona clearly wasn’t what they were looking for, but it’s hard to freak out, even if it was Scheyer’s first home loss as head coach. Next week won’t be easier, as the Blue Devils will go to Chicago for the Champions Classic, facing a Michigan State squad that’s also suffered a loss already this season.