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Duke basketball: Voters punish Blue Devils for lousy week

Somehow, Duke basketball has kept a ranking by its name.

Matt Giles

Duke basketball: Voters punish Blue Devils for lousy week
Duke basketball: Voters punish Blue Devils for lousy week /
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The Duke basketball program has seen better weeks.

On Wednesday night, the then-No. 16 Blue Devils (12-4, 3-2 ACC) fell 84-60 at the unranked NC State Wolfpack (13-4, 3-3 ACC). Then they narrowly escaped defeat at the unranked Boston College Eagles (8-8, 2-3 ACC), needing a pair of clutch free throws from freshman forward Kyle Filipowski to secure a 65-64 win.

It would have made sense if the Blue Devils were now unranked for the first time since the school's disappointing 2020-21 campaign. However, the voters cut them a bit of slack, dropping them only eight spots to No. 24 in Monday's AP Top 25 poll.

Once again, only three ACC teams appear in the poll; but once again, none are in the top 10. The other two from the conference are the Virginia Cavaliers (11-3, 3-2 ACC) at No. 13 and the Miami Hurricanes (13-2, 4-1 ACC) at No. 16.

This week, head coach Jon Scheyer's first Duke basketball team will face stiffer competition.

The Blue Devils host Duke basketball alum Jeff Capel's Pitt Panthers (11-5, 4-1 ACC) at 7 p.m. ET Wednesday (ACCN) before hitting the road to play the Clemson Tigers (13-3, 5-0 ACC), the only remaining undefeated team in ACC play, at 5 p.m. ET Saturday (ACCN).

RELATED: Predicted scores of every 2022-23 Duke game

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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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