NCAA Basketball: Gonzaga, BYU falls, and Virginia rises in latest top-25 power ranking

24. Duke Blue Devils – 6-3 (0-1)

Not only did Duke enter the week on a two-game losing skid after losses to Arkansas and Georgia Tech, but they also are dealing with injury issues. Starting guard Tyrese Proctor suffered an injury vs the Yellow Jackets and could be out for a little while, along with backup center Christian Reeves, who also didn’t play this past week.

The good news is that the Blue Devils didn’t need either player, as they hosted a rebuilding Charlotte squad. The result was as expected, with the ACC favorites easily winning, 80-56. Freshman guard Jared McCain had his best game yet with a season-high 21 pts. Jeremy Roach had 18 pts, while Jaylen Blakes had 15 off the bench on a perfect 5/5 shooting.

The most impressive part was that Duke didn’t even need much from Kyle Filipowski, who only had 5 pts on 2/10 shooting. He made up for it with 13 rebounds, four assists, and all-around good defense on the night. Mark Mitchell, who also has had his struggles of late, had 12 points.

The next game for the Blue Devils comes on Tuesday against Hofstra. They’re 6-3 on the season coming off a loss to Saint Louis but they’re a talented offensive unit that can cause problems for an underhanded Duke team.