Blue Devil Country

Duke Basketball Sits Below UNC in Projected Preseason Ranking

One national expert has the Duke basketball squad barely inside his top 10.

Matt Giles

Duke basketball guard Tyrese Proctor vs. UNC
Duke basketball guard Tyrese Proctor vs. UNC / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
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It wouldn't be a surprise if Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer's third group of Blue Devils begins the season in or near the top five. On the other hand, judging by recent projections from well-known college hoops experts, perhaps there's an equal chance that Duke opens its campaign at home against Maine on Nov. 4 with a double-digit ranking by its name.

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The ROTHSTEIN 45, which CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein updates daily to factor in any offseason moves, has the Blue Devils at No. 10, three spots below their Tobacco Road nemesis in No. 7 UNC.

Meanwhile, as of ESPN"s latest update on Thursday, Jeff Borzello sees almost the reverse: Duke at No. 8 and UNC at No. 10.

It boils down to preference: Duke basketball's six-deep, top-ranked recruiting class and experience in the form of four inbound transfers, along with two returning pieces in guards Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster, or a Tar Heel collection consisting of the reigning ACC Player of the Year in RJ Davis, fellow returning backcourt starter Elliot Cadeau, several key reserves from last season, and a solid five-man mix of incoming recruits and transfers.

Either way, given the string of so-called "down years" in the eyes of the national media, one concern is that neither Rothstein nor Borzello currently foresees any of the other 16 ACC teams (including conference newcomers Stanford, Cal, and SMU) tipping off the season among the top 25 in the country.

Borzello doesn't even put one in his "next in line" five. And the closest any come to the top 25 in Rothstein's rankings are Clemson at No. 35, Wake Forest at No. 36, and Miami at No. 37.

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Matt Giles

MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of FanNation's Blue Devil Country and All Tar Heels, covering the Duke Blue Devils and UNC Tar Heels on SI.com.

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