Duke Blue Devils move up to third in KenPom rankings after Auburn win

Duke Blue Devils move up to third in KenPom rankings after Auburn win

The Duke Blue Devils posted their best win of the season, an 84-78 triumph over the previously undefeated No. 2 Auburn Tigers, on Wednesday night, remaining analytical darlings in the world of men’s college basketball.

As of Thursday morning, the Blue Devils moved up to third place in the KenPom rankings. The popular analytics website measures points scored and allowed per 100 possessions, taking into account the strength of the opponent. The Tigers and Tennessee Volunteers are the only two teams in the country with a better margin than Duke.

The Blue Devils entered Wednesday’s game with the best defensive efficiency in the country, and after holding the potent Auburn offense to under 80 points, they remained atop that category Thursday. Duke has allowed 88.8 adjusted points per 100 possessions.

However, Cooper Flagg and his teammates took a leap on offense. After three straight games under 80 points, Duke finally broke that barrier thanks to six 3-pointers from freshman Isaiah Evans in the first half. The Blue Devils returned to the top 10 in adjusted offensive efficiency, scoring 119.4 points per 100 possessions.

The Volunteers, undefeated in eight games, are the only other team in the top 10 on both sides of the ball.

After losing their third straight game on Wednesday night, the North Carolina Tar Heels slipped to No. 24 in the site’s rankings.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *