4. Duke (10-2)
Something about having Duke near the top of the national rankings feels right in the college basketball world and they’re certainly not up here based on name value. A talented crop of freshmen are proving monumental for Jon Scheyer’s team, who just keep winning games after tough losses to Kentucky and Kansas early in the year. Their early December home win against Auburn will continue to look awesome and they kept this winning streak going this week.
The Blue Devils handled their final nonconference game with ease, winning 68-47 over George Mason on Tuesday night. Cooper Flagg put together another notable effort with 24 points and 9 rebounds in a defensive battle. On Saturday, Duke secured another league road win, winning 82-56 at Georgia Tech. Kon Knueppel had 18 points, Khaman Maluach added 15, and the Duke freshmen continued to show their strength in another easy win.
Flagg is the big name for the Blue Devils but this team is far more than just his talent. They’re playing resounding defense this season, currently leading the nation in defensive efficiency here in late December. Offensively, Duke has done more than enough to be in this position and should only grow as those freshmen continue to mature. Next time we see Duke will be New Year’s against Virginia Tech but frankly there aren’t a ton of real challenges in ACC play.