Duke Basketball Back on Top for 143rd Time

DURHAM, NC – After starting the 2019-20 season 4-0, including a win over then-No. 3 Kansas in the State Farm Champions Classic, the Duke men’s basketball team has vaulted to No. 1 in this week’s Associated Press poll. This marks the 143rd week all-time that Duke has been ranked No. 1, extending a college basketball record.

The Blue Devils garnered 52 of the 65 first-place from AP voters this week to top the poll, followed by Louisville, Michigan State, Kansas, North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, Gonzaga, Kentucky and Ohio State in the top 10.

Duke’s 143 weeks in the No. 1 spot are the most in NCAA history, leading UCLA (134) and Kentucky (125). All other ACC schools have combined for a total of 147 weeks at No. 1.

Under head coach Mike Krzyzewski, Duke has been ranked No. 1 at least once in 20 different seasons, the most of any coach in college basketball history. John Wooden and Roy Williams are tied for second (12).

The Blue Devils spent eight weeks ranked No. 1 last season, including the final No. 1 ranking for the eighth time in program history — also an NCAA record. Under Coach K, Duke has played 250 games as a No. 1 team (216-34) and just 144 games as an unranked team.

Duke plays Cal Thursday at Madison Square Garden in the semifinals of the 2K Empire Classic Benefiting Wounded Warrior Project (9 p.m. ET, ESPN2).