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Defending national champion Duke was a runaway No. 1 in The Associated Press preseason Top 25 men’s basketball poll.

At the other end of the Top 25 there was big news Thursday with San Diego State entering the rankings for the first time ever.

Duke, on top for a seventh time, has two starters returning to a roster featuring highly touted freshman Kyrie Irving and transfer Seth Curry, Stephen’s little brother.

Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski doesn’t think it’s fair to say a team is trying to repeat when there have been so many changes since the Blue Devils beat Butler for their fourth national championship.

“To repeat is a bad word (to use),” said Krzyzewski, who spent the summer leading the U.S. national team to the gold medal at the world championship. “… What you want to do is have the same result, of winning the national championship, but figure out what journey you’re going to be on along the way. And so pursue is a good word for me, and develop. We’re going to be a developing team throughout.”

They’re also a team that garnered 55 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel, easily outdistancing Michigan State, which had eight No. 1 votes. Kansas State was third, followed by Ohio State and Pittsburgh.

Kansas State, which matched its highest ranking since 1962, got the other two first-place votes.

Pittsburgh, Villanova, Kansas, North Carolina, Florida and Syracuse round out the top 10.

# 1. Duke (55)

# 2.Michigan St. (8)

# 3.Kansas St. (2)

# 4.Ohio St.

# 5.Pittsburgh

# 6.Villanova

# 7.Kansas

# 8.North Carolina

# 9.Florida

# 10.Syracuse

# 11.Kentucky

# 12.Gonzaga

# 13.Illinois

# 14.Purdue

# 15.Missouri

# 16.Baylor

# 17.Butler

# 18.Washington

# 19.Memphis

# 20.Georgetown

# 21.Virginia Tech

# 22.Temple

# 23.Tennessee

# 24.BYU

# 25.San Diego St.

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