{"id":229830,"date":"2026-02-22T03:00:35","date_gmt":"2026-02-22T03:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/22\/duke-could-be-next-in-line-for-top-spot-after-beating-no-1-michigan\/"},"modified":"2026-02-22T03:00:35","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T03:00:35","slug":"duke-could-be-next-in-line-for-top-spot-after-beating-no-1-michigan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/22\/duke-could-be-next-in-line-for-top-spot-after-beating-no-1-michigan\/","title":{"rendered":"Duke could be next in line for top spot after beating No. 1 Michigan"},"content":{"rendered":"

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When the next AP top-25 poll is revealed in Men’s college basketball on Monday, we could have a new team at the top for the second week in a row. This time it might be the Duke Blue Devils<\/a>, thanks in part to their 68-63 win over No. 1 Michigan<\/a> on Saturday.<\/p>\n

Duke is well-positioned to take over the top spot this week<\/h2>\n

It is not just the fact that Duke beat the top-ranked team that could move it into the top spot.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It is the fact that Duke won its game, while No. 2-ranked Houston<\/a> also lost a top-five matchup on Saturday by losing a 73-66 decision against No. 4-ranked<\/a>
\nArizona<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The top two teams losing in the same week, on the same day, while one of them lost to the No. 3 team, is a perfect recipe for some big changes at the top.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Cameron Boozer, one of the projected top picks in the 2026 NBA Draft, was once again the big star for Duke on Saturday as he finished with a team-high 18 points and 10 rebounds in the win. He also added seven assists and two blocks in what was a pretty dominant individual performance.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Boozer’s presence, as well as his consistently strong play, has been a big part of the Blue Devils being ranked in the top six nationally all season. Their No. 3 spot this week is the highest they have been, and given Saturday’s results, there is a very good chance they will move into the top spot for the first time since the end of last season when they went into the postseason as the nation’s top-ranked team.<\/p>\n

They are making a similar late-season push this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Michigan moved into the top spot this week, ending Arizona’s nine-week run at the top.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The question now for Duke will be whether or not it can hold on to that No. 1 spot going into the tournament again, earn the top-seed in the tournament, and have it turn into a national championship. The Blue Devils have not won a national title since the 2014-15 season despite consistently being a No. 1-ranked team multiple times in the decade since.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n