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NCAA basketball power rankings: Way-too-early Top 10 for 2022-2023

By Mike Phillips

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 17: Oscar Tshiebwe #34 of the Kentucky Wildcats against the Saint Mary's Gaels during the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 17, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 17: Oscar Tshiebwe #34 of the Kentucky Wildcats against the Saint Mary's Gaels during the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 17, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – APRIL 02: Jeremy Roach #3 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts in the first half of the game against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the first half of the game during the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal at Caesars Superdome on April 02, 2022, in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – APRIL 02: Jeremy Roach #3 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts in the first half of the game against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the first half of the game during the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal at Caesars Superdome on April 02, 2022, in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

5. 2022-23 NCAA Power Rankings – Duke Blue Devils

Mike Krzyzewski’s final season ended in disappointment as the Blue Devils were bounced in the Final Four by North Carolina, setting the stage for a huge offseason in Durham. New head coach Jon Scheyer will face immense pressure to prove he is a legitimate successor to Coach K and he will be working with an essentially brand new roster.

Duke’s entire starting five will likely jump to the pros, leaving only guard Jeremy Roach on the roster among the Blue Devils’ top eight scorers. Having Roach back isn’t a bad start since he gained a ton of experience making big shots in the NCAA Tournament, allowing him to serve as a leader to an incoming freshmen group that is extremely talented.

Scheyer deserves a ton of credit for landing an outstanding six-man recruiting class that is headlined by three five-star recruits, including the top overall prospect in center Dereck Lively. Dariq Whitehead, Mark Mitchell, Kyle Filipowski and Jaden Schutt also figure to be key figures in the Blue Devils’ rotation, giving them an insanely talented roster to work with.

There are also open scholarships for Duke to add some veteran ballast in the transfer portal, similar to the experience that Theo John added this season. The haters will be disappointed to learn that Coach K’s retirement won’t stop the Blue Devils from being a college basketball powerhouse anytime soon.