6. Duke (13-1)
After running off 11 straight wins to open the season, Duke faltered late and lost a close battle to Texas Tech right before Christmas. Before that point, the Blue Devils were considered one of the very best teams in the nation thanks to wins over Arkansas, Kansas, Michigan State, and others. Did one loss to the Red Raiders really change that story or is this Duke team still for real?
They began ACC play on Wednesday with a closer than expected battle, coming back from a halftime deficit to win 85-79 over Georgia Tech. Cameron Boozer put together 26 points and 12 rebounds as all five starters scored in double figures to escape with the win. A similar story played out on Saturday, with Duke using a strong second half to win 91-87 at Florida State. Isaiah Evans emerged with 28 points while Boozer had 17 points and 9 assists against a feisty Seminoles squad.
You could certainly call the two games this week as closer than expected finishes, but Duke found a way to persevere and begin 2-0 in ACC play. After looking dominant and explosive for much of the first two months, these last three games are a bit of a head scratcher, though Jon Scheyer hopes its not some worrying trend. The defense will need to play better against two strong foes next week, heading first to Louisville before hosting SMU over the weekend.