Duke Climbs to No. 5 in AP Poll

Three observations on this week’s Associated Press Top 25:

1. Duke finds some room closer to the top of the poll. After Syracuse and West Virgina dropped to No. 7 and No. 8, respectively, Duke found itself the fifth ranked team in college basketball—ranked behind only the four unbeaten programs (Kansas, Texas, Kentucky, Purdue). Both Syracuse and West Virginia lost for the first time this season, with the Orange falling to Pitt by ten and the Mountaineers losing to Purdue 77-62 to start off the New Year.

2. The Tar Heels aren't trailing far behind—yet. North Carolina is ranked No. 9 but just curiously lost to the College of Charelston 82-79 last night. Duke fans looking to call the Tar Heels overrated might note that when the rankings came out yesterday afternoon (before the loss) North Carolina was one of two teams in the Top 25 with three losses already on the season, the other being Michigan State. Now, it has the honor of being the first squad in the Top 25 to lose four games.

3. The usual suspects are on top of the college hoops landscape. Of the eight teams that have won a National Championship since 2000 (Michigan State, Duke, Maryland, Syracuse, Connecticut, North Carolina, Florida and Kansas), six are currently in the top 13 of the AP rankings. The exceptions—Florida and Maryland—are currently unranked.