The Duke Blue Devils are once again a top-five team in the country, according to Monday’s USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll.
Duke only played once last week, a 72-46 victory over Incarnate Ward on Tuesday, but [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] and his teammates still moved up one spot to No. 5 in the updated rankings.
The Blue Devils have struggled to score points early on in games, digging double-digit holes in three of their last five games and taking nearly 15 minutes to build a lead over the Cardinals, but the Duke defense might be the best unit in the nation. Head coach Jon Scheyer and his roster have held each of their first 10 opponents under 80 points, and the Blue Devils surrendered fewer than 50 points in three different games.
The Tennessee Volunteers, Auburn Tigers, Iowa State Cyclones, and Kentucky Wildcats each ended up above Duke in the standings. The Blue Devils beat the Tigers but lost to the Wildcats earlier in the season.
Check out the complete USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll below.
| Rank | Team | Record | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tennessee | 10-0 | 765 (22) |
| 2 | Auburn | 9-1 | 744 (9) |
| 3 | Iowa State | 9-1 | 708 |
| 4 | Kentucky | 10-1 | 664 |
| 5 | Duke | 8-2 | 638 |
| 6 | Florida | 10-0 | 610 |
| 7 | Alabama | 8-2 | 601 |
| 8 | Kansas | 8-2 | 518 |
| 9 | Marquette | 9-2 | 496 |
| 10 | Oregon | 10-1 | 454 |
| 11 | Texas A&M | 9-2 | 368 |
| 12 | Houston | 6-3 | 363 |
| 13 | UConn | 8-3 | 337 |
| 14 | Gonzaga | 7-3 | 328 |
| 15 | Oklahoma | 10-0 | 308 |
| 16 | Ole Miss | 9-1 | 282 |
| 17 | Purdue | 8-3 | 264 |
| 18 | UCLA | 9-1 | 263 |
| 19 | Michigan State | 8-2 | 178 |
| 20 | Cincinnati | 8-1 | 146 |
| 21 | Michigan | 8-2 | 113 |
| 22 | Memphis | 8-2 | 111 |
| 23 | San Diego State | 7-2 | 110 |
| 24 | Dayton | 9-2 | 98 |
| 25 | Mississippi State | 9-1 | 92 |
Dropped Out
No. 16 Clemson; No. 22 Wisconsin; No. 25 Baylor
Receiving Votes
Clemson 87; Baylor 79; Illinois 50; St. John’s 48; Drake 44; Utah State 40; Arkansas 31; Maryland 29; Georgia 23; Wisconsin 22; Pittsburgh 21; Missouri 18; North Carolina 9; West Virginia 5; Creighton 5; Texas Tech 3; Penn State 2