Although The Chronicle is not publishing during vacation, make sure to visit the website and The Blue Zone, our sports blog, for Duke basketball and football updates during the break.
The men's basketball team returns to action Wednesday against Cornell at Cameron Indoor Stadium and plays again at home Thursday against Elon. In the meantime, here are a few updates on the team from The Blue Zone:
Duke claims the No. 1 spot in the country
Indiana had been the top-ranked team in the nation all season, but after the Hoosiers lost 88-86 in overtime this weekend to Butler, the Blue Devils claimed the No. 1 ranking, receiving 62 of the 65 first place votes. This is the 68th week Duke has been ranked No. 1 since the 1997-98 season, 31 more weeks then the next team in the country, North Carolina.
North Carolina and N.C. State remain at the bottom of the top 25
The only other ACC teams ranked in the top 25 of the AP Poll are Duke's Triangle rivals North Carolina and N.C. State. Despite winning two games, the Tar Heels dropped to No. 23 while the Wolfpack also won both of their games last week and stayed at No. 25.
Jabari Parker to announce college choice Thursday
After a long wait, Jabari Parker—the No. 2 ranked recruit in the country—is set to announce his college decision Thursday. A senior at the Simeon Career Academy in Chicago, Parker is a 6-foot-8 forward who the Blue Devils have been recruiting aggressively. Parker is down to five schools in his recruitment: Duke, Michigan State, Florida, Stanford and BYU. Duke and Michigan State, however, are thought to be the heavy favorites.
Q&A with ESPN NBA Draft expert Chad Ford
The Chronicle spoke to ESPN NBA Draft expert Chad Ford about his thoughts on how Duke's hot start has affected the draft prospects of members of the Blue Devil squad. Ford said Mason Plumlee's hot start has assured him of being a lottery pick while scouts have been impressed with what freshman Rasheed Sulaimon has shown early in the season.
AskChron: Marshall Plumlee returns, Parker's decision, defense
We asked people for questions from our Twitter account @dukebasketball as Duke returns to action this week. We answered questions about Marshall Plumlee's expected return this week, Jabari Parker's decision and more.
