Thoughts on the AP Poll: Duke men's basketball and Virginia hold steady as Saturday’s matchup looms

With a few weeks of conference play in the books, things are starting to shape up across college basketball, as seen in the latest AP poll:  

Blue Devils and Cavaliers remain No. 1 and No. 4

Both ACC powerhouses stayed steady at the top of the rankings with both teams earning impressive wins over the weekend. Duke was able to escape with a huge road win against No. 11 Florida State and Virginia once again produced a dominating defensive performance against Clemson. Their big showdown on Saturday, which will attract College Gameday to Durham, will be the Blue Devils’ first top-four conference matchup since last year’s game against the Cavaliers in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Each team received first place votes, as Duke had 36 and Virginia with 6.

N.C. State and North Carolina fall

After boasting six teams from the ACC in the Top 25 last week, two in-state rivals took a small setback in the rankings. The Tarheels showed great resilience in their road win over the Wolfpack, but were hammered on Saturday against a Louisville team that has underperformed thus far, dropping North Carolina to No. 13. N.C. State was able to bounce back with a comeback win over Pittsburgh, yet voters couldn’t forget about the horrendous start against the Tar Heels, and it dropped to No. 17.

Graham Couch finally ranks Duke

The Lansing State Reporter reporter, who has created a media firestorm by refusing to rank teams until they play a true road game, finally put Duke in on his ballot after the Blue Devils won twice on the road last week. Couch placed Mike Krzyzewski’s squad at No. 4 in his rankings, someone Couch has criticized for focusing on neutral site games instead of games on other schools’ campuses. Duke’s trip to Wake Forest last Tuesday allowed them to “rejoin the rest of society” according to Couch.

Complete Rankings: