Duke's Isaiah Evans taunts the Izzone late in the second half in the game against Michigan State on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Duke Basketball Continues to Get Disrespected

Originally posted on Duke Blue Devils on SI
By Michael Canelo | Last updated Dec 11, 2025 1:00 PM ET

The Duke Blue Devils are off to one of the best starts, if not the best start, of any team this season in College Basketball. They are playing some of the best and beating them. That is something head coach Jon Scheyer challenged his team to do this season.

That is why he schedules these tough games and makes sure he puts his team in the best position to win games. And he wanted to see how his team would play against tough opponents. The team has responded well.

Duke was coming into this season as a top team, but they felt disrespected in the preseason polls. And that was fine by them because they were going to make sure they showed why they should be considered as the best team in college basketball.

And they are proving why they should be No. 1. But still, some do not think they are, but they are close. The Duke Blue Devils came in at No. 3 in the latest AP poll, but that is not where they are playing.

Polls Showing Disrespect for Duke

They have shown since the first game of the season that they will be one of the toughest teams to beat. They have played against some of the best. Kansas, Kentucky, Florida, and Michigan State, just to new a few. And the impressive part is that they have all been beaten.

Duke is one of the few remaining undefeated teams in College Basketball. Doing it in this fashion shows them in the top spot in any rankings. It is all good; they will continue to show why they are the best team.

"The past week couldn’t have gone better for the Blue Devils," said Alex Min of The Chronicle. "After concerns about an arduous non-conference schedule built throughout the preseason, Duke has ascended to No. 3 and remains at an unblemished 10-0. Head coach Jon Scheyer’s squad faced two ranked foes in then-No. 15 Florida and then-No. 7 Michigan State — defeating both in clutch fashion."

"In Cameron Indoor Stadium’s first-ever blackout, the Blue Devils overmatched the Gators behind a roaring student section and a 29-point effort from Cameron Boozer. Four days later, Duke traveled up north to East Lansing, Mich., and battled Tom Izzo’s Spartans. Although the hosts led at the break, a strong defensive effort secured the visitors another down-to-the-wire victory. The Blue Devils will face Lipscomb and No. 16 Texas Tech before starting conference play."

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This article first appeared on Duke Blue Devils on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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