Duke Basketball Fans Howl after Blue Devils Ranked 9th in Pre-Season Rankings

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The 2009 Preseason ESPN/USA Today Coaches Basketball Poll was announced yesterday, and some Duke fans were scratching their heads at the Blue Devil's ranking.

They were ninth if you actually care about that kind of thing.

Some fans obviously do, as they were screaming, some quite literally, foul. They felt their team was some how disrespected, especially since arch-rival North Carolina came in at fourth. 

Preseason polls, at least when it comes to college basketball, mean very little. The only thing that does matter is the polls at the end of the season.

Duke being ranked ninth is really the perfect position for them going into the season. No one is greatly underestimating them, and no one is expecting a National Championship this season, either.

That should be good enough for the fans, considering the team lost one of its best players in Gerald Henderson, and are down to only three scholarship guards who can play this season.

This year's Duke squad will be good, but how good remains to be seen, so when you really think about it, ninth isn't bad at all.

If the Blue Devils are successful chances are they move up in the polls and everyone admits they were better than expected. If they don't do as well, then at least to an extent, fans can avoid the "they were overrated" comments.

Bottom line is, the season and tournaments have a great way of proving a team's worth, so Duke fans upset with your team's poll position need to just sit back and wait.

This team could surprise you.

Speaking of surprises, there is another sport going on right now at Duke. They play on Saturdays and they aren't doing too badly either.

While you are waiting for the basketball prognostications to come true, or not, you might as well tune in, or go out and catch a football game.

They certainly have done better than expected to this point. Maybe the basketball team will do better than ninth when this season is all said and done. 

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