POWER RANKINGS: Duke drops from top 10

Due to yet another Quad 2 defeat, Duke is now lower in the CBS Sports power rankings.

What do Duke and Mississippi Valley State have in common? At first glance, not much, except for both having the word “Devils” in their nicknames. Duke, with five national championships since 1991, boasts a significantly more successful basketball history than Mississippi Valley State, which has never won an NCAA Tournament game.

While Duke stands at 14-4 and is ranked No. 18 in the NET, Mississippi Valley State holds an 0-19 record and is ranked No. 362 in the NET. Despite these divergent seasons and histories, the two teams surprisingly share an identical record in Quad 2 games.

Following a recent loss to Pitt, Duke’s Quad 2 record stands at 0-3, mirroring that of the struggling Mississippi Valley State. Among the 40 teams with an 0-3 mark in Quad 2 opportunities, Duke is the only one ranked in the top 115 of the NET. Notably, Duke stands out as the sole major conference team in the NET’s top 35 with a losing record in Quad 2.

While Duke holds a respectable 3-1 record in Quad 1, showcasing victories over Michigan State and Baylor, the team exhibits a concerning tendency to underperform against supposedly weaker opponents. This inconsistency is reflected in a drop of eight spots in the recent power rankings and puts them at a disadvantage in the ACC race against North Carolina.

College basketball power rankings

1	UConn
2	Purdue
3	N. Carolina
4	Tennessee
5	Houston
6	Kansas
7	Arizona
8	Wisconsin
9	Auburn
10	Kentucky
11	Marquette
12	Illinois
13	Iowa St.
14	Creighton
15	Duke
16	Baylor
17	Utah St.
18	Dayton
19	Northwestern
20	Alabama