Blue Devil Country

Duke Basketball Receives Third-Lowest Final Ranking in 17 Years

It's remarkable how many Duke basketball teams under Mike Krzyzewski finished among the top 10.

Matt Giles

Photo credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
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When Jon Scheyer was a Duke basketball freshman guard in 2006-07, the Blue Devils were unranked in the season's final Associated Press Top 25 Poll. Since then, only four squads in Durham have finished outside the top 10: No. 12 last year in Scheyer's first season at the helm, unranked in 2020-21, No. 11 in 2019-20, and No. 19 in 2015-16.

Make that five times, as the 2023-24 Blue Devils appear at No. 13 in the season's final AP Poll released on Monday afternoon. That's down two spots from last week due to Duke's early ACC Tournament exit at the hands of eventual conference champion NC State.

And it's only the sixth time that the program has finished outside the top 10 since 1996-97; however, note that now four of those instances have come within the past five years. Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski achieved a top-10 final ranking in all but four of his last 26 seasons on the job.

All five of Duke's five national championship squads (1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015) finished in the top six.

On Sunday night, Scheyer's second batch of Blue Devils earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, one notch higher than last year when Duke (27-9 overall record) fell in the Round of 32 to No. 4 seed Tennessee in Orlando following a win over No. 12 seed Oral Roberts.

But these Blue Devils (24-8) rank one spot lower than last year in the final AP Poll as they gear up for their Round of 64 bout against No. 13 seed Vermont in Brooklyn at 7:10 p.m. ET Friday (CBS).

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Although five ACC teams snagged an invite to the Big Dance, Duke basketball is alongside archrival UNC, a No. 1 seed despite seeing its ranking fall one spot to No. 5 on Monday, as the only two from the conference appearing in the final AP Poll.

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Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country on SI.com for more Duke basketball news.

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Matt Giles
MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of Duke Blue Devils on SI, North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining SI in 2022, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.

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