DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — Despite losing a game last week, the Duke men’s basketball team is once again back in the top 10 in the latest Associated Press rankings.
That’s because that one loss — a narrow 75-72 defeat — was to No. 1 Kansas. The neutral-site matchup played at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas was close to the very end, with multiple ties in the last several minutes. It was the Blue Devils’ first loss to a No. 1-ranked team since March 2008, according to Duke Athletics.
The loss to the nation’s top team, combined with a win over Seattle Friday night, led to the Blue Devils jumping up two spots to No. 9 in this week’s AP poll. It sets up a top 10 matchup Wednesday, as the No. 2 Auburn Tigers visit Cameron Indoor Stadium in the 2024 SEC/ACC Challenge.
That same Auburn team bested Duke’s archrival North Carolina last week in the Maui Invitational, knocking the Tar Heels into the losers side of the bracket. The then-No. 4 Tigers won the tournament, knocking off Memphis in the championship game.
UNC’s loss to Auburn was one of two they suffered at the Lahaina Civic Center during Thanksgiving week. After coming from behind to beat Dayton in their opening matchup Monday night, the Tar Heels lost to Auburn Tuesday then to Michigan State in overtime Wednesday in the battle for third place in the tournament.
North Carolina’s 1-2 record in paradise caused them to drop eight spots to No. 20 in the latest AP rankings. Their 2024 SEC/ACC matchup is against No. 10 Alabama — who dropped a place after losing to Oregon in the Players Era tournament in Las Vegas last week — on Wednesday night in Chapel Hill.
AP TOP 25 MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL POLL — WEEK 5
| RANK | TEAM | RECORD | MOVEMENT |
| 1. | Kansas Jayhawks | 7-0 | — |
| 2. | Auburn Tigers | 7-0 | +2 |
| 3. | Tennessee Volunteers | 7-0 | +4 |
| 4. | Kentucky Wildcats | 7-0 | +4 |
| 5. | Marquette Golden Eagles | 8-0 | +5 |
| 6. | Iowa State Cyclones | 5-1 | -1 |
| 7. | Gonzaga Bulldogs | 7-1 | -4 |
| 8. | Purdue Boilermakers | 7-1 | +5 |
| 9. | Duke Blue Devils | 5-2 | +2 |
| 10. | Alabama Crimson Tide | 6-2 | -1 |
| 11, | Wisconsin Badgers | 8-0 | +4 |
| 12. | Oregon Ducks | 8-0 | NR |
| 13. | Florida Gators | 8-0 | +5 |
| 14. | Cincinnati Bearcats | 6-0 | +2 |
| 15. | Baylor Bears | 5-2 | +2 |
| 16. | Memphis Tigers | 6-1 | NR |
| 17. | Houston Cougars | 4-3 | -11 |
| 18. | Pittsburgh Panthers | 7-1 | NR |
| 19. | Illinois Fighting Illini | 6-1 | NR |
| 20. | North Carolina Tar Heels | 4-3 | -8 |
| 21. | Oklahoma Sooners | 7-0 | NR |
| 22. | Texas A&M Aggies | 6-2 | -2 |
| 23. | Ole Miss Rebels | 6-1 | — |
| 24. | San Diego State Aztecs | 4-2 | NR |
| 25. | UConn Huskies | 5-2 | -23 |