Duke ascends to the No. 2 position, trailing only the unanimous No. 1 Auburn in the latest poll

Duke has achieved its highest position in the AP Top 25 men's college basketball poll since the preseason of 2023-24, moving from No. 3 to No. 2, trailing only the unanimous No. 1 team, Auburn. The Blue Devils commenced the season ranked No. 7 and experienced a decline to as low as No. 12 in November following a 4-2 start. However, they have maintained a position within the top 10 for eight consecutive weeks, including a steady ascent of one spot over the past three weeks.

Duke's advancement has been propelled by a remarkable winning streak of 12 games, the longest in the nation, aided by the recent loss of Iowa State, the previous No. 2 team, against West Virginia on Saturday. During this winning stretch, Duke has triumphed over then-No. 2 (currently No. 1) Auburn and has achieved an impressive 8-0 record in ACC play, marking its best start in conference competition since the 2007-08 season.

Auburn, holding the No. 1 position for the second consecutive week, remains undefeated since its loss to Duke in early December, improving its season record to 17-1 with two victories in the SEC this week. The Tigers solidified their top ranking by receiving all 62 first-place votes for the first time in the program's history, following a week that included a narrow escape against Georgia. They are the first team to be unanimously ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25 poll since UConn achieved this distinction after concluding the previous season with a 37-3 record and securing their second consecutive national championship.

With 18 ranked teams suffering at least one defeat over the past week, significant changes occurred in the AP Top 25. Gonzaga and Georgia, both of whom lost twice, along with Utah State and Baylor, fell out of the rankings, while St. John's, Missouri, West Virginia, and Louisville entered the list. Additionally, Iowa State dropped to No. 3, Houston climbed to No. 7, and Michigan State made its first appearance in the top 10 this season at No. 8.