Duke falls out of men's basketball poll for first time in 11 years
Updated 2/12/2007 10:28 PM ET
BY Marlen Garcia, USA TODAY
Duke's plunge this men's basketball season hit an unfamiliar low Monday — the Blue Devils fell out of the latest USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches' Poll after being ranked in 202 consecutive polls.
RANKINGS: USA TODAY/ESPN coaches poll
The Blue Devils dropped out of the top 25 for the first time since the final rankings of the 1996 season after losing at Maryland 72-60 Sunday and extending their losing streak to four games, unprecedented since January 1996.
They also fell out of the Associated Press media poll and are treading shaky ground with the NCAA tournament looming.
The Blue Devils will attempt to regroup in time for Wednesday's Atlantic Coast Conference game at Boston College (18-6, 9-2), the league leader that slipped into the rankings this week at No. 21. Duke, ranked 16th last week, is 18-7, 5-6.
Duke beat BC 75-61 on Jan. 28 in Durham, N.C., but hasn't won since. During this skid, it has lost at home to Florida State and North Carolina.
These are odd times for Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, whose eight-man rotation has a junior in DeMarcus Nelson, four freshmen and three sophomores.
Krzyzewski, who has directed Duke to the Sweet 16 or beyond in the last nine seasons, is trying to keep the players' confidence up. "Is it lack of effort?" he asked. "Is it lack of belief? Is it lack of work? It's none of those things for our guys. They believe. They work hard. We just travel a narrow road between winning and losing."
Duke started the season ranked 11th and went as high as No. 5 on Dec. 25 and Jan 1. The Blue Devils still have road games at Clemson, St. John's and No. 4 North Carolina and will play Georgia Tech and Maryland at home.
Updated 2/12/2007 10:28 PM ET
BY Marlen Garcia, USA TODAY
Duke's plunge this men's basketball season hit an unfamiliar low Monday — the Blue Devils fell out of the latest USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches' Poll after being ranked in 202 consecutive polls.
RANKINGS: USA TODAY/ESPN coaches poll
The Blue Devils dropped out of the top 25 for the first time since the final rankings of the 1996 season after losing at Maryland 72-60 Sunday and extending their losing streak to four games, unprecedented since January 1996.
They also fell out of the Associated Press media poll and are treading shaky ground with the NCAA tournament looming.
The Blue Devils will attempt to regroup in time for Wednesday's Atlantic Coast Conference game at Boston College (18-6, 9-2), the league leader that slipped into the rankings this week at No. 21. Duke, ranked 16th last week, is 18-7, 5-6.
Duke beat BC 75-61 on Jan. 28 in Durham, N.C., but hasn't won since. During this skid, it has lost at home to Florida State and North Carolina.
These are odd times for Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, whose eight-man rotation has a junior in DeMarcus Nelson, four freshmen and three sophomores.
Krzyzewski, who has directed Duke to the Sweet 16 or beyond in the last nine seasons, is trying to keep the players' confidence up. "Is it lack of effort?" he asked. "Is it lack of belief? Is it lack of work? It's none of those things for our guys. They believe. They work hard. We just travel a narrow road between winning and losing."
Duke started the season ranked 11th and went as high as No. 5 on Dec. 25 and Jan 1. The Blue Devils still have road games at Clemson, St. John's and No. 4 North Carolina and will play Georgia Tech and Maryland at home.
