Thoughts on the AP poll: Duke slides to No. 9, faces No. 18 Michigan State Tuesday

After an eventful opening week of college basketball, Duke drops on No. 9 in the AP poll. The Blue Zone is here to recap the rest of the new poll:

Early slide

In its first high caliber matchup of the year, Duke faltered, falling to then-No. 12 Arizona at home in an absolute thriller Friday night for the most high profile matchup so far this college basketball season. The Blue Devils showed signs of youth throughout the contest, struggling with more experienced players such as senior center Oumar Ballo, showing that head coach Jon Scheyer’s team still has room to grow despite the high expectations entering the season. Duke falls to No. 9 in the second poll of the season, and will have another chance to prove its mettle against No. 18 Michigan State during the Champions Classic Tuesday in Chicago. 

West Coast shakeup

While not many teams have played high caliber matchups this early in the season, some teams out west have made some waves, for better or worse. Obviously, Arizona was the big story of the opening week, as the Wildcats pulled off the upset at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Arizona asserted itself as a major contender this season, and the voters agreed, as it jumps up to No. 3. On the other end of the spectrum, San Diego State suffered an early loss after entering the year with high hopes due to its national championship appearance, losing to unranked BYU 74-65 in Provo, Utah, to drop to 1-1, while also dropping out of the poll. 

Blue blood warmup

With the lack of marquee matchups in the first week, the blue bloods usually schedule some easier opponents, allowing themselves to get ramped up for the upcoming big games. For teams like Kansas and Purdue, this strategy worked to perfection, as both teams crushed inferior opponents in the opening week. As a result, the Jayhawks and Boilermakers come in at No. 1 and No. 2 respectively. But in college basketball, anyone can win on any given night, as Michigan State found this out in their season opener. The Spartans suffered a shocking loss at home to James Madison, as they went an abysmal 1-for-20 from beyond the arc. In the polls, Michigan State slid to No. 18, with a chance to redeem itself in this week’s Champions Classic.

Full rankings:

5. UConn

6. Houston

7. Tennessee

8. Creighton

9. Duke

10. Florida Atlantic

11. Gonzaga

12. Miami (Fla.)

13. Texas A&M

14. Arkansas

15. Baylor

16. Southern California

17. Kentucky

18. Michigan State

19. Texas

20. North Carolina

21. Villanova

22. Alabama

23. Illinois

24. James Madison

25. Colorado