Duke hasn't played a team currently ranked in the top 25 of the CBS Sports Top 25 (and one) college basketball rankings in more than two months, which means Saturday's showdown with Virginia is the Blue Devils' first opportunity in a long time to record a signature win that resonates nationally.
It's a big opportunity on a big stage.
Again, the first in a while.
According to KenPom, the best team Duke has beaten besides Michigan State in mid-November is Florida State in late December -- and FSU isn't even a top-20 KenPom team. So, undeniably, this is massive -- plus a fascinating contrast in styles. Duke is terrific offensively and eager to play fast while Virginia ranks No. 1 nationally in defensive efficiency and No. 351 in tempo, meaning the Cavaliers -- who were mistakenly unranked in the preseason by me and others, as I noted in this column -- are smothering on one end of the court and super-patient on the other.
Virginia is No. 2 in Saturday morning's updated Top 25 (and one). Duke is No. 3. Tip is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET. You can watch it on CBS.
Rk |
Teams |
Chg |
Rcrd |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
The Wildcats' resume features three wins over teams also ranked in the Top 25 (and one) -- specifically Xavier, Gonzaga and Tennessee. The lone loss is a single-digit loss at Butler. | -- | 19-1 |
| 2 |  |
The Cavaliers have won 11 straight games since losing at West Virginia. Next up is Saturday's game at Duke. | -- | 19-1 |
| 3 |  |
The Blue Devils will take a five-game winning streak into Saturday's game against Virginia. Their resume features five top-50 KenPom wins. | -- | 18-2 |
| 4 |  |
The Boilermakers have won 16 straight games since losing consecutive games to Tennessee and Western Kentucky. Fifteen of Purdue's 20 wins are double-digit wins. | -- | 20-2 |
| 5 |  |
The Jayhawks' resume features seven top-50 KenPom wins and just one loss to a currently unranked team. Three of their next four games are inside Allen Fieldhouse. | -- | 16-4 |
| 6 |  |
The Spartans are 3-3 against top-50 KenPom teams. They've won three straight games since losing at home to Michigan. | -- | 19-3 |
| 7 |  |
The Musketeers have won four straight games since losing at Villanova. Their resume includes seven top-50 KenPom wins and only one sub-50 loss. | -- | 19-3 |
| 8 |  |
The Mountaineers' resume features six top-50 KenPom wins and zero sub-30 losses. Next up is Saturday's game with Kentucky. | -- | 16-4 |
| 9 |  |
The Bearcats will take an 11-game winning streak into Saturday's game at Memphis. They have a two-game lead in the loss column of the AAC standings. | -- | 18-2 |
| 10 |  |
The Sooners' resume includes wins over Kansas, Texas Tech, Wichita State and TCU. Their lone sub-50 KenPom loss came in OT at Oklahoma State. | -- | 15-4 |
| 11 |  |
The Tar Heels' resume features six top-50 KenPom wins and only one sub-50 loss. They're 4-1 in their past five games. | -- | 16-5 |
| 12 |  |
The Red Raiders' resume includes five top-50 KenPom wins -- among them victories over Kansas and West Virginia. Their lone sub-50 loss came at Iowa State. | -- | 16-4 |
| 13 |  |
The Gaels' 15-game winning streak features victories at Gonzaga and BYU. Their resume features four top-55 KenPom wins. | -- | 20-2 |
| 14 |  |
The Zags' resume includes three top-50 KenPom wins and just one sub-30 loss. Their best win is a 27-point victory over Ohio State. | -- | 18-4 |
| 15 |  |
The Wildcats have won five straight games since losing at Colorado. Their resume includes two top-50 KenPom wins and two sub-70 losses. | -- | 17-4 |
| 16 |  |
The Tigers own five top-50 KenPom wins and just two losses to unranked opponents. They're 11-0 at home and 3-1 in neutral-court games. | -- | 16-4 |
| 17 |  |
The Tigers' resume features five top-55 KenPom wins. They're 6-1 in the SEC and alone atop the league standings. | -- | 18-2 |
| 18 |  |
The Vols are 5-1 in their past six games with wins over Kentucky and Texas A&M. They're one of only two teams to beat Purdue. | -- | 14-5 |
| 19 |  |
The Shockers' resume features three top-50 KenPom wins and zero sub-45 losses. They're two games back of Cincinnati in the AAC standings. | -- | 16-4 |
| 20 |  |
The Buckeyes' eight-game winning streak was snapped Thursday by Penn State. The loss doubled as OSU's first sub-40 KenPom loss. | -- | 18-5 |
| 21 |  |
The Horned Frogs' resume features four top-50 KenPom wins and zero sub-45 losses. They own wins over West Virginia and Nevada. | -- | 15-5 |
| 22 |  |
The Rams will take an 11-game winning streak into Saturday's game with Duquesne. They have a two-game lead in the loss column of the A-10 standings. | -- | 16-3 |
| 23 |  |
The Sun Devils started the season 12-0 but are just 3-5 in their past eight games. Their resume features double-digit wins over Kansas and Xavier. | -- | 15-5 |
| 24 |  |
Four of the Wolverines' six losses are to schools ranked ahead of them in the Top 25 (and one). Michigan's resume includes a double-digit victory at Michigan State. | -- | 17-6 |
| 25 |  |
The Wolf Pack's seven-game winning streak was snapped late Wednesday at Wyoming thanks to a terrible no-call at the end of regulation. Nevada remains alone atop the MWC standings. | -- | 18-4 |
| 26 |  |
FSU's resume includes four top-50 KenPom wins and only two sub-50 losses. The Seminoles' best wins are over North Carolina and Florida. | -- | 15-5 |