The preseason Coaches Poll has been released and Duke is at the top of it thanks to some five-star freshmen and the return of a senior presence in Grayson Allen. However, Kentucky is also in the top five to start the season so the two teams should be pretty close in talent. However, one NBA executive spoke to ESPN's Jeff Goodman and said that the two aren't as close as some people believe.
Duke does have Marvin Bagley in tow who was the top recruit in the country after he reclassified into the 2017 period. They also have several other five-star recruits, but of course so does Kentucky. However, the Wildcats are going to be one of, if not the youngest team in the country so Duke's added leadership may be the difference in a hypothetical game between the two.