There must have been some panic within Cameron Indoor Stadium when the Duke men’s basketball team only led Incarnate Word by two points through 14 minutes, but the Blue Devils managed to win by a comfortable 26 points by the end of the game.
As of Wednesday morning, Duke narrowly clung to its No. 2 spot in the ESPN Basketball Power Index. The Houston Cougars, despite three early losses, remain atop the rankings, but the undefeated Tennessee Volunteers have now matched the Blue Devils’ 21.8 BPI rating.
ESPN also considers Duke the most well-rounded team in the nation. The Blue Devils rank fifth in the offensive power index and third on the defensive end, the only program inside the top seven on both sides of the ball.
At the end of the day, Duke remains the unquestioned top team in the ACC. ESPN Analytics gives the Blue Devils an 86.1% chance to win the conference with a projected 26.3 wins in 31 games.
The Clemson Tigers, 9-1 after their upset of the Kentucky Wildcats, look like the biggest threat with a projected 24.7-6.3 record, but the North Carolina Tar Heels remain within the top 20 despite four early losses.