Duke passes Kentucky! (Not BBque)

[Olympic Fan]

In all the NCAA and ACC Tournament discussion and the announcement of the All-ACC voting, it might be overlooked, but Duke wound up No. 6 in this week's AP poll.

That's significant -- it's the 92nd straight week that Duke had been ranked in the top 10. That's one more than Kentucky's streak in the mid-90s as the second longest top 10 streak in history. Still a long way to go to match Wooden's streak of 155 straight weeks in the the late 60s and early 70s.

Still, a significant accomplishment -- and nice to pass Kentucky in anything!

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

Consistent greatness! As I tell my six year old, it's a privilege to cheer for Duke and wear the colors. How lucky are we?

[hq2]

Consistent greatness! As I tell my six year old, it's a privilege to cheer for Duke and wear the colors. How lucky are we?

As I recall, Kentucky is blue and white too; an eternally unfortunate coincidence!

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

As I recall, Kentucky is blue and white too; an eternally unfortunate coincidence!
The blues are similar, but different. I've heard some Kentucky folk call ours "puke blue." That comment was enough to terminate my interest in an otherwise accomplished and interesting man.

[roywhite]

The blues are similar, but different. I've heard some Kentucky folk call ours "puke blue." That comment was enough to terminate my interest in an otherwise accomplished and interesting man.

The difference between Pantone 287 and Pantone 286....subtle but important. :)

[Reilly]

The difference between Pantone 287 and Pantone 286....subtle but important. :)

http://www.uky.edu/Graphics/GraphicStandards.pdf

Fitting that they are 1 behind ... 104-103 .... 287-286 ....

[hq2]

I've heard some Kentucky folk call ours "puke blue."

A term they undoubtedly coined after Laettner's shot in '92!

[uh_no]

The blues are similar, but different. I've heard some Kentucky folk call ours "puke blue." That comment was enough to terminate my interest in an otherwise accomplished and interesting man.

It's amusing because puke and duke don't rhyme very well....not sure whether the dipthong actually means it doesn't rhyme...

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

It's amusing because puke and duke don't rhyme very well....not sure whether the dipthong actually means it doesn't rhyme...
Whether the words rhyme well or not depends on how the vowels are pronounced.... varies from region to region. You know, you say tomato and I say tomaaato. I can assure you that when this was said to me, the words rhymed.

[uh_no]

Whether the words rhyme well or not depends on how the vowels are pronounced.... varies from region to region. You know, you say tomato and I say tomaaato. I can assure you that when this was said to me, the words rhymed.

well for them to rhyme well one would either need to say

pOOOk

or dYOOk

i'll assume it is the second.

[killerleft]

In all the NCAA and ACC Tournament discussion and the announcement of the All-ACC voting, it might be overlooked, but Duke wound up No. 6 in this week's AP poll.

That's significant -- it's the 92nd straight week that Duke had been ranked in the top 10. That's one more than Kentucky's streak in the mid-90s as the second longest top 10 streak in history. Still a long way to go to match Wooden's streak of 155 straight weeks in the the late 60s and early 70s.

Still, a significant accomplishment -- and nice to pass Kentucky in anything!

When did this streak begin? Over 4 years ago? I can't remember when the first poll comes out in the fall.

[sagegrouse]

When did this streak begin? Over 4 years ago? I can't remember when the first poll comes out in the fall.

The preseason poll this season was November 7. -- sage

[1 24 90]

The preseason poll this season was November 7. -- sage

I found this on dukeblueplanet from back in January:

The Blue Devils climbed to No. 4 in this week’s AP poll, marking an ACC-record 85th straight poll in which Duke has been ranked in the Top 10. The stretch of Top 10 rankings dates all the way back to Nov. 26th, when Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler were early in their freshman years.

During the 1,515 consecutive days that Duke has been ranked in the Top 10, some big things have happened:

*Duke won the national championship (2010)

*Duke won three ACC Tournament titles (2009, 2010, 2011) and one ACC regular-season title (2010)

*Duke reached the No. 1 ranking in three different seasons (2009, 2010, 2011)

*Coach K became the all-time winningest head coach in Division I men’s history

*Duke won four straight pre-conference tournaments (Duke’s first of five in a row in Maui in 2007 pushed Duke to the Top 10 to start the streak

All-Time ACC Schools – Consecutive AP Top 10 Appearances
1. Duke: 85 (2007-present)
2. Duke: 75 (1961-66)
3. Duke: 69 (1991-94)
4. Maryland: 68 (1972-76)
5. Duke: 67 (1999-2003)

[Olympic Fan]

Duke started the 2007-08 season as No. 13 in the preseason poll. That was not bad, considering that the 2007 Blue Devils fininsihed out of the rankings after losing their last four games.

That 2007-08 team -- Kyle started from day one as a freshman, along with sophomore Jon Scheyer, sophomore Gerald Henderson and senior DeMarcus Nelson -- opened with two easy wins at home and was still No. 13 in the Nov. 19 poll. But the day that poll came out, Duke beat Princeton in the first round of the Maui Classic. They followd with wins over Illinois and No. 11 Marquette to win the title (Singler was the MVP).

When the Nov. 26 poll came out, Duke was No. 7. They solidified that ranking with a rout of No. 20 Wisconsin the next day. They won 22 of their first 23 (losing only in OT to No. 11 Pittsburgh in MSG), getting as high as No. 2.

Duke hasn't been out of the poll since. Th ACC Tournament is important for the streak. Not that Duke at No. 6 has to win it -- a LOT of top 10 teams will lose inj their tournaments -- but to stay in the top 10, they can't look bad -- a loss to FSU in the semis or UNC in the finals isn't going to drop them out, but depending what happens elsewhere, a loss to Clemon/Va tech on Friday might.

Next Monday's poll is the final AP poll. Stay in the top 10 for that one and the streak extends into next season.

[killerleft]

When did this streak begin? Over 4 years ago? I can't remember when the first poll comes out in the fall.

Thanks for clarifiying. That's one heck of a long time to remain in the top ten. Kind of surprising that UNC doesn't have one of the top 5 streaks in the conference - but it IS nice.

[rsvman]

http://www.uky.edu/Graphics/GraphicStandards.pdf

Fitting that they are 1 behind ... 104-103 .... 287-286 ....
It's much more important not to transpose the numbers. Pantone 287=sublime, but Pantone 278=the worst shade of blue in the known universe.

[Duvall]

Duke started the 2007-08 season as No. 13 in the preseason poll. That was not bad, considering that the 2007 Blue Devils fininsihed out of the rankings after losing their last four games.

That 2007-08 team -- Kyle started from day one as a freshman, along with sophomore Jon Scheyer, sophomore Gerald Henderson and senior DeMarcus Nelson -- opened with two easy wins at home and was still No. 13 in the Nov. 19 poll. But the day that poll came out, Duke beat Princeton in the first round of the Maui Classic. They followd with wins over Illinois and No. 11 Marquette to win the title (Singler was the MVP).

When the Nov. 26 poll came out, Duke was No. 7. They solidified that ranking with a rout of No. 20 Wisconsin the next day. They won 22 of their first 23 (losing only in OT to No. 11 Pittsburgh in MSG), getting as high as No. 2.

Duke hasn't been out of the poll since. Th ACC Tournament is important for the streak. Not that Duke at No. 6 has to win it -- a LOT of top 10 teams will lose inj their tournaments -- but to stay in the top 10, they can't look bad -- a loss to FSU in the semis or UNC in the finals isn't going to drop them out, but depending what happens elsewhere, a loss to Clemon/Va tech on Friday might.

Next Monday's poll is the final AP poll. Stay in the top 10 for that one and the streak extends into next season.

Streak lives. Duke at No. 8. (http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BKC_T25_COLLEGE_BKB_POLL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT)

[JasonEvans]

Streak lives. Duke at No. 8. (http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BKC_T25_COLLEGE_BKB_POLL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT)

Will be interesting to see if we can maintain it going into next season. If Austin and Mason leave, we do not get any additional recruits, and we have a disappointing NCAA tournament, it is possible Duke will not be in the pre-season Top Ten next year.

Stranger things have happened...

When you think about how hard it is to stay in the Top Ten all year long (aside from Duke only Kentucky, UNC, and Syracuse did it this year), it really is a testament to K and the program that we have been there continually for several years.

-Jason "as I seem to recall, the next longest streak belongs to Syracuse -- who have been in the Top Ten since February of last year, about 25 straight weeks" Evans

[COYS]

Will be interesting to see if we can maintain it going into next season. If Austin and Mason leave, we do not get any additional recruits, and we have a disappointing NCAA tournament, it is possible Duke will not be in the pre-season Top Ten next year.

Stranger things have happened...

When you think about how hard it is to stay in the Top Ten all year long (aside from Duke only Kentucky, UNC, and Syracuse did it this year), it really is a testament to K and the program that we have been there continually for several years.

-Jason "as I seem to recall, the next longest streak belongs to Syracuse -- who have been in the Top Ten since February of last year, about 25 straight weeks" Evans

The advantage is that many of the teams above us will also be losing a lot. Plus, despite the fact that the media seems to constantly forget this, we're already effectively adding a three man class of Marshall, Alex, and Rasheed no matter who else commits.

[Jderf]

The advantage is that many of the teams above us will also be losing a lot. Plus, despite the fact that the media seems to constantly forget this, we're already effectively adding a three man class of Marshall, Alex, and Rasheed no matter who else commits.

Unfortunately, though, the pre-season polls don't seem to give the same credence to returning red-shirts as they give to incoming recruits. Why this is the case, I have no idea. But it seems to be how they view things. When voters look at our roster, they will see only one new freshman to offset the (likely) departure of Mason and Austin, and they will probably vote accordingly.

[NSDukeFan]

Unfortunately, though, the pre-season polls don't seem to give the same credence to returning red-shirts as they give to incoming recruits. Why this is the case, I have no idea. But it seems to be how they view things. When voters look at our roster, they will see only one new freshman to offset the (likely) departure of Mason and Austin, and they will probably vote accordingly.

I agree that what you are saying maybe true, but when has Duke had returning red-shirts where voters would have to take them into account versus freshmen?

[Jderf]

I agree that what you are saying maybe true, but when has Duke had returning red-shirts where voters would have to take them into account versus freshmen?

Haha, I guess it isn't really a phenomenon that has hit Duke very hard over the past 30 years. Just a trend that I've noticed and that I feel has held for most of the other teams in the NCAA (though I don't pretend to back that up with anything more scientific than casual observation). I could very well be totally wrong about it, but I guess we will see whether or not the "trend" hurts us next fall. It sure would be a shame if we lost our streak because of unwitting voters.

[Olympic Fan]

Will be interesting to see if we can maintain it going into next season. If Austin and Mason leave, we do not get any additional recruits, and we have a disappointing NCAA tournament, it is possible Duke will not be in the pre-season Top Ten next year.

Stranger things have happened...

When you think about how hard it is to stay in the Top Ten all year long (aside from Duke only Kentucky, UNC, and Syracuse did it this year), it really is a testament to K and the program that we have been there continually for several years.

-Jason "as I seem to recall, the next longest streak belongs to Syracuse -- who have been in the Top Ten since February of last year, about 25 straight weeks" Evans

I think Duke always gets a lot of respecty in the preseason poll ... witness 2007-08, when Duke started at No. 13 after flopping badly at the end of 2007 and falling out of the rankings entirely.

I think Jason mentioned the key factor -- the possibility of a "disappointing" NCAA Tournament. If Duke flops -- either loses to Lehigh or loses badly to Notre Dame/Xavier -- along with the depafrture of Austin and Mason -- I could see Duke missing the preseason top 10 next year.But it's goingto take a combination of negative factors -- K has built up a pretty strong feeling of trust in the voters.