12. Duke (4-1)
There’s a lot of excitement in Durham this season and Cooper Flagg is the top of the list, but he’s not the whole story. Despite a recent setback against Kentucky, there are many reasons to believe that greatness could be in store with this young and talented lineup. The Blue Devils have looked outstanding for the most part in the opening weeks of the season and they certainly got a first major breakthrough this past week.
Duke avenged a tough loss from last season, heading to Tucson and winning 69-55 at Arizona on Friday night. They put together a phenomenal defensive performance, significantly limiting a usually potent Wildcats offense to just 55 points. Flagg starred with 24 points and 6 rebounds while Kon Knueppel added 13 points and 7 rebounds in the victory.
The Blue Devils start to reverse any of the damage from that loss to Kentucky, a performance marred by a tough shooting night in Atlanta. More than a week later, their shooting was more than enough to get a double-digit win against Arizona that might look even better a few months from now. As if the opportunities they’ve had weren’t exciting enough, the Blue Devils play an even tougher matchup with Kansas next week, giving Flagg another potential spotlight opportunity.