NCAA Basketball: Purdue, Marquette rise in latest top 25 power ranking
By Joey Loose
8. Duke (5-1)
Heading into this season, expectations were pretty high for these Blue Devils. Not only was Duke yet again bringing in one of the nation’s best recruiting classes, but returning names like Kyle Filipowski, Jeremy Roach, and Tyrese Proctor were already in place. There were no doubts that Duke has the talent to beat virtually anyone this season, but what exactly have we learned from a season where they’ve already been upset at home?
They didn’t have a big holiday tournament like many other teams, though the Blue Devils did secure two more home wins in the Blue Devil Challenge. Back on Tuesday, Duke prevailed 95-66 over a La Salle team that hadn’t yet lost a game, getting 22 points from Proctor and 17 from Filipowski in the win. After massive struggles in the first half on Friday night, the Blue Devils won 80-62 over Southern Indiana to avoid disaster. Filipowski added 21 points and 14 rebounds in their fourth-straight win.
Considering that Duke’s only game outside of Durham was the Champions Classic against Michigan State, it’s fair to say that these Blue Devils haven’t really been consistently challenged yet. Next week’s game at Arkansas, part of the ACC/SEC Challenge, will certainly change that notion. We’re still waiting to see all of these pieces come together, though a road test against a struggling Razorbacks squad poses an intriguing challenge ahead.