Duke is expected to be one of the best teams in college basketball again this season, and the preseason AP Top 25 reflects that.
The AP Top 25 poll was released on Monday, and the Blue Devils ranked No. 2, right behind No. 1 Florida.
Duke received 10 first-place votes while Florida received 47. Illinois, ranked No. 3, also received two first-place votes.
Other ACC schools to make the top 25.
No. 9 Virginia
No. 11 Louisville
No. 14 Miami
Duke Has a Handful of Veteran Players This Season
Most Duke rosters since the one-and-done era began have many new faces every year, and fans have to get used to them. But this season is a little different.
Duke returned a handful of players: senior guard Caleb Foster, junior center Patrick Ngongba, sophomore forward Dame Sarr, and sophomore guard Cayden Boozer.
The Blue Devils also brought in a few strong transfers, including guard John Blackwell from Wisconsin and forward Drew Scharnowski from Belmont.
Of course, Duke has a good freshman class coming in, including guard Deron Rippey Jr., forward Cameron Williams and Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje.
Duke has the right mix of veterans and young players to make a strong run as a legitimate college basketball national championship contender.
The Blue Devils Will Get Tested Early
Duke will face an early test, with a handful of AP Top 25 teams on its non-conference schedule.
The Blue Devils will face five ranked teams before ACC play.
No. 6 Michigan State on Nov. 10 at the United Center in Chicago.
No. 3 Illinois on Nov. 17 in Durham.
No. 4 UConn on Nov. 25 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas
No. 1 Florida on Dec. 1 in Gainesville
No. 19 Texas Tech on Dec. 21 at Madison Square Garden in New York
The good thing about college basketball is that teams can afford to lose early-season games. Even if Duke loses two or three of these non-conference games, it won’t hurt it chances of making the NCAA tournament.
Where Does Duke Rank in the Preseason AP Top 25?