Duke reclaims top spot in coaches poll
by Eddie Timanus, USA TODAY Sports
No team has occupied the No. 1 spot more than Duke since USA TODAY Sports took over administration of the men’s basketball coaches poll in 1991.
It should come as no surprise, then, that the Blue Devils are back on top after a wild week. Duke received 20 of 31 first-place votes and now holds the No. 1 position for the 102nd poll, more than twice its nearest challenger, archrival North Carolina, which has topped the poll 48 times.
In part, the Blue Devils benefited from their own light schedule, winning their lone game of the week Thursday night at home against Georgia Tech then getting a weekend off. But they won’t have to wait long for their next test as they travel to Miami (Fla.) on Wednesday. The Hurricanes finished just outside the top 25 in the voting this week but remain the lone Atlantic Coast Conference squad without a league loss.
No. 2 Kansas made a case for the No. 1 ranking. The Jayhawks, owners of the nation’s longest current winning streak at 15, outlasted Texas on the road over the weekend and received eight No. 1 votes this week. No. 3 Michigan, which won a big game at Minnesota last week, climbed two places to No. 3 and claimed one No. 1 vote. Also up two places is No. 4 Syracuse, the team that made sure Louisville’s stay at No.1 would last just one week. The Orange picked up the remaining two No.1 votes following their road win against the Cardinals, who slipped to No. 5 this week.
No. 6 Arizona and No. 7 Florida are next on an upward trajectory. No. 8 Indiana is moving the other way, down from the No. 2 spot after a midweek home loss to Wisconsin and a lackluster win against Northwestern. Rounding out the top 10 are No. 9 Butler and No. 10 Gonzaga, who staged what has arguably been the game of the year so far Saturday night at legendary Hinkle Field House in Indianapolis. Butler’s buzzer-beater propelled it to its first regular-season top-10 ranking since March 2010.
Some new names joined the top … [For more on Duke reclaims top spot in coaches poll, click here.]
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