Handful of Voters Blatantly Snubs Duke Basketball Squad

Somehow, despite Duke basketball knocking off the then-No. 1 Michigan Wolverines, five of the 61 AP Top 25 Poll voters did not put the Blue Devils (25-2, 13-1 ACC) at No. 1 this week. Instead, those five favored the Arizona Wildcats.

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Nevertheless, due to the 56 voters who must have noticed that the blueblood in Durham boasts the most wins over ranked opponents (nine) this season and played superbly in making a statement via its 68-63 win over the Wolverines on Saturday night, Jon Scheyer and his fourth team now sit at No. 1 for the first time.

"I still favor Michigan...I would still vote Michigan as the overall best team in the country," CBS Sports national pundit Matt Norlander said after the latest AP Poll was released on Monday afternoon.

"I still favor Michigan... I would still vote Michigan as the overall best team in the country." ✍️@MattNorlander has Michigan as the best team in the country despite their loss to No. 1 Duke. pic.twitter.com/yNvu33HY4v
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) February 23, 2026

Arizona checks in at No. 2, followed by the Wolverines, Iowa State Cyclones, and Houston Cougars, respectively, to round out the top five.

The last time Duke ranked No. 1 in the country was in the final AP Poll of the 2024-25 regular season before those Blue Devils ultimately fell to the Houston Cougars at the Final Four in San Antonio and finished at No. 3.

Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer — Apr 5, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer reacts after a play against the Houston Cougars during the second half in the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

More ACC Representation in AP Top 25 Poll

Duke, featuring the clear favorite for ACC Player of the Year and all the national hardware in freshman power forward Cameron Boozer, remains the only ACC squad in the top 10. However, three others from the conference are inside the top 25: the Virginia Cavaliers up three spots to No. 11, the UNC Tar Heels down two notches to No. 18, and the Louisville Cardinals down three places to No. 24.

Plus, it's worth pointing out that the ACC's Miami Hurricanes, NC State Wolfpack, and SMU Mustangs account for almost a quarter of the nation's 13 unranked teams that received votes this go-round.

At noon ET Saturday (ESPN), the Blue Devils will have a chance to record their 10th win over a ranked foe, as Duke is set to host Virginia (24-3, 12-2 ACC) in Cameron Indoor Stadium. First, though, the group faces a road bout against the unranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish (12-15, 3-11 ACC) in Purcell Pavilion at 7 p.m. ET Tuesday (ESPN).

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