Power Rankings: Duke roars back to No. 1
Duke gets 33 points combined from RJ Barrett and Zion Williamson as they pull away from No. 12 Texas Tech in the second half on their way to a 69-58 victory. (1:55)
It was Kansas. Then it was Duke. Then it was Kansas. And now it’s Duke — again.
The Jayhawks fell from No. 1 after losing to Arizona State on Saturday, leaving the top spot open for a replacement. There are a few candidates for No. 1, Duke, Michigan and Tennessee chief among them.
Duke and Tennessee each have one loss, with Duke’s to Gonzaga and Tennessee’s to Kansas. Duke, however, has defeated Texas Tech, Auburn, Kentucky and Indiana, while Tennessee’s best wins are over Gonzaga and Louisville. The Blue Devils have the clear edge over the Volunteers in that category, and that’s before factoring in Duke’s terrific schedule-adjusted efficiency numbers.
Michigan, of course, remains one of five unbeatens in the country, and the Wolverines are the best of that lot. They have an elite defense, along with wins over North Carolina, Villanova and Purdue. Duke gets a slight edge over the Wolverines, too. Duke also gets the nod over unbeatens Virginia and Nevada, as well as one-loss Kansas.
Simply put, Duke has been the most dominant team in college basketball so far this season — and the Blue Devils have the quality wins to back up that assertion. They aren’t without flaws, and Texas Tech might have provided the formula to the ACC on how to slow them down, but as we head into conference play, Duke will sit at No. 1.
1. Duke Blue Devils (11-1)
Previous ranking: 2
This week: No games
Duke is off for a full two weeks until ACC play begins for the Blue Devils on Jan. 5 at home against Clemson. In that time, expect Mike Krzyzewski to fine-tune some of the half-court offense, which struggled against Texas Tech. There are very few opponents that are able to lock down defensively like Texas Tech, but the ACC has a few — Syracuse, Virginia, Clemson — that will completely change the tempo. Duke plays them all by mid-January.
2. Michigan Wolverines (12-0)
Previous ranking: 3
This week: Sunday vs. Binghamton (noon ET, BTN)
Where will Michigan suffer its first loss? The Wolverines’ next three games are in Ann Arbor, and their next road game comes at Illinois. We’ll take a couple guesses: at Wisconsin on Jan. 19 or at Indiana on Jan. 25. They’re both road games, and both teams can guard. Michigan’s defense has taken a slight step back since the early season, but it’s still among the elite.
3. Kansas Jayhawks (10-1)
Previous ranking: 1
This week: Saturday vs. Eastern Michigan (2 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
Saturday’s loss drops the Jayhawks from the No. 1 ranking and the ranks of the unbeaten, but they don’t fall too far. Bill Self simply needs to buy time until Udoka Azubuike gets healthy or Silvio De Sousa gets cleared to play (if that ever happens). Moreover, he will need Quentin Grimes to be more of a factor offensively. His eight points Saturday were his second-most since Nov. 12 against Vermont. Kansas needs more from him.
4. Tennessee Volunteers (10-1)
Previous ranking: 4
This week: Saturday vs. Tennessee Tech (1 p.m. ET, SECN+)
Rick Barnes just keeps getting breakout performances from players not named Admiral Schofield or Grant Williams. Jordan Bone has been getting some recent headlines, but senior center Kyle Alexander has quietly been contributing at a high level for much of the season. He is highly efficient offensively and is averaging 13.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in his past three games — while missing only six shots.
5. Nevada Wolf Pack (12-0)
Previous ranking: 5
This week: Saturday at Utah (2 p.m. ET, Pac-12)
That’s four straight single-digit wins for Nevada, as the Wolf Pack got off to yet another slow start in the first half. On a side note: It will be interesting to see if Eric Musselman extends his bench during Mountain West play. He’s essentially playing just six guys on a consistent basis, with freshman Jordan Brown and a couple transfers getting spot minutes.
6. Virginia Cavaliers (11-0)
Previous ranking: 6
This week: No games
We might not get a bigger contrast of styles all season than when Virginia faces Marshall on New Year’s Eve. The Cavaliers sit No. 353 — last — nationally in adjusted tempo, with a raw tempo of just more than 61 possessions per game. On the flip side, Marshall averages 78.2 possessions per game and has played just one game this season with fewer than 70 possessions. Our money is on Virginia winning that tempo battle.
7. Gonzaga Bulldogs (11-2)
Previous ranking: 7
This week: Friday vs. North Alabama (9 p.m. ET)
The West Coast Conference might not have a team as good as various editions of Saint Mary’s and BYU the past several years, but it’s deep through the middle of the league. In other words, Gonzaga might suffer a surprising loss or two in conference play. One sneaky game to circle? Jan. 12 at San Francisco, a team whose lone loss came to Buffalo by four points in Ireland.
8. Texas Tech Red Raiders (10-1)
Previous ranking: 9
This week: Friday vs. UT Rio Grande Valley (7 p.m. ET)
Texas Tech did just about everything right against Duke: Slow the game down, take away middle drives for Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett, draw charges and keep the game close until the final minutes. Unfortunately, the Red Raiders failed to do one thing: take care of the ball. They coughed it up 24 times. Overall, though, Chris Beard’s team should have plenty of optimism heading into Big 12 play. Texas Tech might be Kansas’ biggest threat this season.
9. Florida State Seminoles (11-1)
Previous ranking: 10
This week: No games
The most promising part of the past week’s 3-0 stretch for Florida State was Phil Cofer getting 18 minutes and scoring seven points off the bench in Saturday’s win. He missed Wednesday’s game against North Florida after playing only five minutes in his season debut Monday, raising some questions. Cofer, with his size and ability to score, adds a whole different element to Leonard Hamilton’s team.
10. Virginia Tech Hokies (10-1)
Previous ranking: 11
This week: Friday vs. Maryland Eastern Shore (7 p.m. ET, ACCNE)
The Hokies have been one of the most consistent offensive teams in the country through 11 games this season. They’ve scored at least 1.1 points per possession in every game but one — the one-point loss at Penn State, not so coincidentally. Improvement defensively has been a huge factor in their hot start; they force turnovers, they don’t foul, and they contest shots inside the arc.
11. Michigan State Spartans (10-2)
Previous ranking: 13
This week: Saturday vs. Northern Illinois (2 p.m. ET, BTN)
Not much has changed for the Spartans from last season to this season, but two noticeable things have looked different, and both can be attributed to Cassius Winston. Tom Izzo’s team is playing much faster and taking care of the ball better than it did last season. In Winston’s past five games, he’s averaging 16.4 points, 7.8 assists and just 1.2 turnovers.
12. Wisconsin Badgers (10-2)
Previous ranking: 14
This week: Saturday at Western Kentucky (5:30 p.m. ET, CBSSN)
It’s hard to find weaknesses in Ethan Happ‘s game, but one thing he wasn’t doing consistently early in the season was getting to the free throw line. He shot more than four free throws in just one of the Badgers’ first nine games but has shot 20 in his past three games, including 10 in the blowout win over Grambling on Saturday. More importantly, Happ has made 11 of his past 15 from the stripe — a huge step forward for the sub-50 percent free throw shooter.
13. North Carolina Tar Heels (8-3)
Previous ranking: 9
This week: Saturday vs. Davidson (noon ET, ESPN2))
The lone three-loss team in the rankings, Carolina’s résumé looks far less impressive after Saturday’s loss to Kentucky. The win over Gonzaga is elite, but their second-best win is either on a neutral site against a hapless UCLA or on the road at Wofford. There are a pair of sneaky mid-major opponents coming up in Chapel Hill: Davidson and Harvard.
14. Auburn Tigers (10-2)
Previous ranking: 14
This week: Saturday vs. North Florida (4 p.m. ET, SECN+)
The Tigers are starting to really struggle defensively as they get closer to SEC play. They have allowed at least one point per possession in four straight games, including 1.2 to Murray State on Saturday. One interesting thing to watch moving forward: Bruce Pearl’s team has ranked in the top 50 nationally in tempo in four straight seasons. The Tigers currently sit at No. 190 in adjusted pace.
15. Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1)
Previous ranking: 15
This week: Saturday vs. High Point (Noon ET, BTN)
Kaleb Wesson has been the clear breakout star for the Buckeyes the past few weeks, but senior guard C.J. Jackson is improving his playmaking ability at the point of attack, too. Jackson had 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists against UCLA, marking the third straight game in which he has dished out at least six assists and grabbed at least seven rebounds.
16. NC State Wolfpack (11-1)
Previous ranking: 16
This week: Friday vs. Loyola Maryland (7 p.m. ET, ACCNE)
The Wolfpack’s first nine games of the ACC season feature numerous potential bumps in the road — but also give them a chance to make a statement. Four of the first six are on the road, but North Carolina goes to Raleigh. After that, Clemson, Virginia and Virginia Tech all play at NC State. It’s going to be a month of opportunity for NC State.
Dropped out: None