Duke forward Cameron Boozer (12) sends out instructions while guarded by Tennessee forward J.P. Estrella (13) during a college basketball exhibition game between on October 26, 2025, in Knoxville, Tenn. Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Duke Surges Higher in Latest AP Basketball Rankings

Originally posted on Duke Blue Devils on SI
By Logan Brown | Last updated Nov 11, 2025 10:00 AM ET

Duke is already 2-0 this season with wins over Texas and Western Carolina in dominating fashion. Jon Scheyer's group has already had to wrestle with freshmen struggles and adjusting on the fly in the second half, and it's all come together well so far.

Cameron Boozer has led the way, as many expected. Despite a tough shooting night in the opener against the Longhorns, Boozer still stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points, 13 rebounds, two assists, three steals and a block. He became the fifth Blue Devil freshman to record a double-double in his college debut in the past 30 seasons.

For the Blue Devils' first game at Cameron Indoor Stadium this season, both of the Boozer twins stepped up. Cameron Boozer led the team with 25 points, eight rebounds and five assists, while Cayden Boozer added 14 points off the bench and dished out five assists and snagged seven boards.

A week into the season, that means it's time to reshuffle the national rankings. The Blue Devils, by virtue of winning and getting some help from other top programs falling during the first week, managed to jump a couple of spots in the latest batch of rankings.

Duke Top 5 in Latest AP Poll

Duke moved up two spots to No. 4 in the AP Poll Top 25 this week. A win over an SEC program like Texas is a highlight for Duke's short resume so far, but losses by Florida and St. John's, which were ahead of the Blue Devils in the initial rankings, allowed Scheyer's team to inch closer to the top spot.

Houston claimed the peak of the rankings, dethroning Purdue, which still doubled the Cougars in first-place votes with 36. The Boilermakers slipped to No. 2, while UConn came in at No. 3 ahead of Duke.

The Blue Devils received two nods for the first-place ranking. Duke is going to have a chance to defend that praise on Tuesday against a scrappy Army squad and the following week against No. 25 Kansas at Madison Square Garden.

The ACC still doesn't have many representatives in the poll. While the Blue Devils rank the highest, only Louisville and North Carolina are ranked within the conference, coming in at No. 12 and No. 18, respectively.

The Tar Heels took down the Jayhawks, setting a good benchmark for what the Blue Devils should strive to achieve when they face Kansas next week.

Scheyer will continue to put the pressure on his freshman stars to keep up the strong start to the season, while hoping to get some better numbers from beyond the arc. Isaiah Evans has continued to be Duke's best option from range, though the Boozer twins combined for five triples on Saturday.

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

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