4. Duke (12-2)
The Blue Devils saw legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski retire a few years ago but haven’t seen any drop off in recruiting under Jon Scheyer. A flurry of freshman talent is making Duke into a force again this season and it’s not a surprise to them this high in the rankings based on the early results. Their home win over Auburn in early December is one of the best wins in the entire country, but could they maintain that momentum into ACC play?
Considering the state of the ACC, it’s not surprising to see the Blue Devils winning, starting with Tuesday’s 88-65 victory over Virginia Tech. A great offensive performance saw six Duke players in double figures, led by Cooper Flagg with 24 points and 6 assists. The Blue Devils made even more of a statement on the road over the weekend, winning 89-62 at SMU. Flagg had 24 points and 10 rebounds while fellow freshman Kon Knueppel had 14 points in another easy win.
There really haven’t been any games this season where this Duke team didn’t show up or looked overwhelmed, with their only losses coming in close calls against Kansas and Kentucky. The Blue Devils look like the class of the ACC and will look to keep this momentum going with three straight at home, though they’ll be comfortable favorites going forward.