Tennessee loss puts Duke men back at No. 1 in college basketball

Duke keeps finding its way back to No. 1.

The Blue Devils reclaimed the top spot in Monday’s AP Top 25, the third time this season they’ve reached No. 1. Duke earned 58 of 64 first-place votes to climb one spot and replace Tennessee, which had spent four weeks at No. 1 but fell to fifth after Saturday’s loss at Kentucky.

Duke has spent nearly half of the season’s polls (seven of 16) at No. 1, and hasn’t been ranked lower than fourth since the preseason. The Blue Devils (23-2) — who start four freshmen in RJ Barrett, Zion Williamson, Cam Reddish and Tre Jones — haven’t lost a game at full strength since falling to Gonzaga in the Maui Invitational championship game.