Duke has been one of the best college basketball teams in the country to star the 2021-22 season, and that’s been reflected in the initial NET rankings for this year.

The NET released its first set of rankings on Monday morning, and the Blue Devils came in at No. 10. Duke is 7-1 this season, a record that includes wins over Gonzaga and Kentucky. Duke’s lone loss came at Ohio State in late November.

Duke is the top-ranked team in the ACC in the initial NET rankings. North Carolina at No. 26 and Wake Forest at No. 31 are the next closest programs.

The Blue Devils have been propelled this season by a number of excellent performances. 5-star freshman Paolo Banchero has lived up to the hype so far, averaging 17.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per context. He’s been an efficient scorer from all three levels and has been good on the defensive end.

There’s also a pair of newcomers — Wendell Moore Jr. and Mark Williams — who have really stepped up for Duke. Moore is averaging 17.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. He’s already picked up one triple double and has been close on two other occasions. Williams has been Duke’s best defensive player and is averaging 3.0 blocks per game as its primary rim protector.

The difficult portion of Duke’s nonconference schedule is mostly over. The Blue Devils host SC State on Tuesday. The Blue Devils begin ACC play on Dec. 22 vs. Virginia Tech.