After Wins Against Ranked Foes, Duke Learns AP Poll Ranking

The Duke Blue Devils remain just outside the top five in the latest AP Poll, checking in at No. 6 despite another strong week.

Duke is coming off an impressive 82–75 road victory over No. 24 SMU. While the Blue Devils were not perfect on the defensive end, they made enough plays down the stretch to secure the win. Sophomore Isaiah Evans led Duke in scoring with 21 points on 5-of-11 shooting from the field and 4-of-8 from three-point range.

Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer yells in the first half as his team fell behind by 10 points in the first half. The Duke Blue Devils rallied from being down nine points at the half to beat Louisville 84-73 Tuesday night at KFC Yum Center January 6, 2026. | Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The win over SMU capped a productive week for Duke, which earned two victories against ranked opponents. On Tuesday, the Blue Devils traveled to the KFC Yum! Center and defeated No. 20 Louisville 84–73 before following it up with the win over the Mustangs.

Around the country, Saturday brought chaos across the top 25. No. 2 Michigan was upset at home by Wisconsin, No. 13 Alabama fell to Texas, No. 15 Arkansas lost by 22 points to Auburn, No. 21 Tennessee was beaten by 24 at Florida, and No. 22 Kansas lost to West Virginia.

Jon Scheyer Isaiah Evans — Jan 6, 2026; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer talks with Duke Blue Devils guard Isaiah Evans (3) during the first half against the Louisville Cardinals at KFC Yum! Center. Duke defeated Louisville 84-73. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images | Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Despite those results, Duke remained at No. 6 in the rankings. Michigan, despite its home loss, dropped only two spots to No. 4, while Iowa State and UConn each moved up one position following their wins. The current top five consists of Arizona, Iowa State, UConn, Michigan, and Purdue, in that order.

The Week Ahead

Duke now heads west for a two-game road trip against California and Stanford. Both programs enter the week with 13–4 records but have struggled against ACC competition.

Jan 10, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Isaiah Evans (3) drives to the basket past Southern Methodist Mustangs forward Corey Washington (3) during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

The Blue Devils will first face Cal, which is looking to snap a two-game losing streak. Despite those recent losses, the Golden Bears are 13–4 on the season and are led by junior guard Dai Dai Ames (17.8 points per game) and sophomore Justin Pippen (14.7 points per game).

Duke will then take on Stanford following the Cardinal’s matchup against North Carolina. Stanford is also 13–4 and is coming off a 70–55 loss to Virginia. The Cardinal are led by freshman standout Okorie Ebuka, who is averaging 22.1 points per game—eighth-best in college basketball. With both Cal and Stanford coming off losses, Duke should expect two highly motivated opponents.

Cameron booze — Jan 10, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) drives to the basket as Southern Methodist Mustangs guard B.J. Edwards Jr. (0) defends during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

While Duke remains just outside the top five, the Blue Devils continue to build one of the strongest résumés in the country. With another opportunity to collect quality road wins on the West Coast, Duke has a chance to force voters’ hands and make its case as a true top-five team as ACC play continues.

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