Duke improving or competition getting worse?

[stickdog]

Here is a computer ranking that measures the performance of teams (considering winning percentage, point differential and strength of competition) over just the last 10 games played.

Duke is ranked first, and second (Memphis) isn't even close. Duke is more than 10 points ahead of the 4th ranked team (Louisville). Basically, Duke, Memphis and Purdue have been playing consistently well recently, and of the three, Duke has faced the best competition.

It is possible to construct an argument like yours questioning every team in the NCAA. Name one team that you think has been tested and has been improving if not Duke.

[The1Bluedevil]

You could argue that Duke has as many quality wins as anyone outside of Texas.

UNC- Best win 2x Clemson only ranked team they have beat
KU - neutral floor win against USC, best conference win is at home vs OU
G-Town- Beat ND and UCONN at home ( both completely different teams now)
no quality road win
Memphis- Home win vs G-town and neutral cort win vs UCONN in November
Tennessee- @ Xavier, @ Miss ST, vs Gonzaga, vs Arkansas, vs Vandy
UCLA- @ Stanford, Mich State @ Wazzou
Indiana haha
Stanford @ Arizona @ Wazzou

Only team I can say other then Texas that has better wins then Duke is UCONN. Beating ND, Marquette, Indiana, Pitt, Syracuse and Louisville is better in my opinion.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I think Duke has gotten so much better this year. The Pitt loss was great, if they had won that game, I don't think we'd be where we are at now. The guys really toughened up after that one. I've watched lots of other teams in the ACC this year, too. I think because of parity, that once again the conference is beating each other up. For the casual box score reader outside the conference, that translates into an "ACC Down year". I was at the Va. game, and also watched them vs. UNC on tv.
Those guys are at the bottom of the barrel, but the team I saw play (and almost beat Carolina) sure wasn't one I'd want to play often. It's too bad we won't have more teams in the dance this year, I think it will be 4 only. At least Duke will be one of them, and we are going deeeeep this year!

[HK Dukie]

Yet another reason why there should be a post minimum before you get to post a new thread (say 5?)

This is a troll if I ever saw one.

But the answer to the question is actually quite simple: Competition is getting better, not worse...We are in ACC season and clearly the competition there is tougher than out of conference on average.

Also, you have to love when data miners post things like "in the top 39". Hmm, I wonder why that poster didn't use top 40 which would have been a more logical demarcation point? Could it be that there is an ACC team at #40 RPI? Then the ACC would look basically the same as the other major conferences, so best not to put that fact in right Mr data miner?