4. Duke (8-2)
Having elite young talent is no surprise at Duke but people are paying attention to the potential with this young lineup. Cooper Flagg is likely next year’s top pick in the NBA Draft, but he’s not the only Blue Devil turning heads one month into the season. Duke picked up a major win last week against Auburn and has played well in close calls against Kansas and Kentucky and truly look the part of a national contender right now.
We actually saw the Blue Devils in action back on Sunday, picking up a 76-65 road win over Louisville to open up ACC play. Flagg led the charge with 20 points and 12 rebounds, surviving on the road despite poor shooting from the team. Two days later, Duke beat Incarnate Word 72-46 in a much easier outing back in Durham. This time the freshman standout was Khaman Maluach, who had 17 points and 7 assists as Duke picked up their fourth consecutive win.
That Tuesday win wasn’t against great competition, but it was already the fifth time this season that Duke allowed less than 60 points in a game, and one of those wins was on the road at Arizona. A young, raw lineup is already playing the strong defense that Jon Scheyer wants; imagine if this team starts peaking come March. A simple game against George Mason comes this week following by another ACC road test at Georgia Tech.