5. Duke (21-2)
Duke has been very good this season, but good isn’t enough of a descriptor. Cameron Boozer has been sensational in leading the Blue Devils as the freshman looks like the latest future NBA star. They’ve gotten off to an incredible start in ACC play, with several blowout wins along the way. Duke’s already swept Louisville and won some important road games to assert that conference lead.
They grabbed a tenth straight win on Tuesday night, clearing Boston College in a 67-49 contest. Unsurprisingly it was Boozer with 19 points and 12 rebounds to lead the charge again. However, they fell in league play for the first time Saturday night as a 12-point halftime lead vanished at North Carolina in a devastating 71-68 loss. Boozer had 24 points and 11 rebounds while Dame Sarr stood out with 13 points before the Blue Devils fell at the buzzer.
Losing in a moment like that against your bitter rivals can leave a bad taste in the mouth, but Jon Scheyer and this squad knows that they have to quickly move on. Duke still commands the lead in the ACC at 10-1 and are in great shape to grab the regular season crown and perhaps one of those top seeds in March Madness. Moving forward, it’s Pittsburgh and Clemson next on the docket.