The Duke Blue Devils made their strongest case yet for why they belong among the top basketball teams in the country last week, beating the Auburn Tigers at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Wednesday before a road comeback over the Louisville Cardinals on Sunday.
Despite the two impressive lines on the resume, however, national analyst Andy Katz needs to see more to put the Blue Devils back in the top five. In his updated Power 37 list on Monday, he only moved Duke up two spots to No. 6.
The Tennessee Volunteers vaulted into the top spot, the same place they occupy in every national ranking after their 8-0 start. The Tigers, Iowa State Cyclones, Marquette Golden Eagles, and Kentucky Wildcats all stayed above the Blue Devils.
The North Carolina Tar Heels entered the season as Duke’s biggest threat in the ACC title race, but after four UNC losses, Katz erased them from his extended rankings. In their place, the Clemson Tigers jumped up to No. 8 after their Kentucky upset.
Katz did list freshman superstar Cooper Flagg as an early favorite for the All-America team. The 17-year-old forward earned ACC Rookie of the Week honors again after he averaged 21.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 2.5 steals against the Tigers and Cardinals.
