Duke to Start Season Ranked No. 9

The Duke men's basketball team is ranked No. 9 in the Associated Press preseason poll, marking the 13th consecutive season that the Blue Devils have debuted in the top 10.

Duke's streak of being ranked in the top 10 at least some point during a season now extends to 25 consecutive years – the longest active streak in the nation. Kansas is second at 15. Duke has also been ranked in 84 consecutive polls dating back to 2016, the nation's second-longest active streak.

Entering the 2020-21 season, 41st-year head coach Mike Krzyzewski has had Duke in the AP top 10 for 77 percent of the team's games (1,060 of 1,375). His Duke squads are 870-190 (.821) when playing as a top-10 ranked team.

Duke is up two spots from the No. 11 ranking it had when last season ended.

This is Duke’s lowest preseason ranking since starting the 2009-10 season at No. 9. Duke ended up winning the national title that year.

Only one ACC team is ranked higher than Duke. Virginia, who won the last national title, starts the year at No. 4. The Cavaliers received one first-place vote in the poll.

Other ranked ACC teams include No. 16 North Carolina and No. 21 Florida State. Louisville was outside the top 25 but received votes in the poll.

Duke’s ACC/Big Ten Challenge opponent, Illinois, is ranked one spot higher than the Blue Devils, at No. 8. Michigan State, who Duke will play in the Champions Classic, is at No. 13