Will Duke Get Back To Their Winning Ways Next Season And Return To The NCAA Tournament?
When you think about Duke Men’s Basketball what do you think of?
Winning NCAA Tournament Titles?
Hanging NCAA Tournament Banners?
The Duke Men’s Basketball Program is no stranger to doing that!
Why?
Because they’ve made twenty four straight NCAA Tournament appearances under the direction of Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski and they have won five national championships (1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015 “
The 1991 team knocked off top-ranked and undefeated UNLV, which was riding a 45-game win streak, in the national semifinals before outlasting Kansas to capture the crown
The 1992 team held the No. 1 ranking for each of that season’s 18 AP polls and capped off a 34-2 season with a 20-point win over Michigan in the national championship game
After a home-finale loss to Maryland for one of the best senior classes in Duke history in 2001, the Blue Devils roared to 10 consecutive victories to end the season; Duke got revenge on Maryland – erasing a 22-point deficit -- in the national semis before a memorable win over Arizona to claim the crown
The 2010 team was largely ignored as a title contender prior to the season but rode the second-best scoring defense in program history – 61.0 points per game – and the nation’s highest-scoring trio in Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith to the program’s fourth championship
The 2015 team started three freshmen and leaned on the senior leadership of Quinn Cook, winning 18 of its last 19 games with just eight recruited scholarship players to put a fifth banner in the Cameron rafters.
“according to Mike Krzyzewski’s biography on goduke.com”
But the 2020-2021 season was different!
Why?
Because Duke didn’t win any championships or go to the NCAA Tournament!
Why?
Because Duke didn’t live up to those expectations during the 2020-2021 season!
Why?
Because they finished the season with a record of 13-11 while they were 9-9 in the Atlantic Coast Conference! “according to 2020-21 Men's Basketball Schedule - Duke University (goduke.com) and missed the NCAA Tournament for only second time twenty six years. The first was during the 1994-1995 season when Mike Krzyzewski missed the rest of the season because of an injured back and exhaustion. “according to an article by Stephen Wiseman in the News & Observer”
Will Duke live up to expectations next season? Will they return to the NCAA Tournament? Will they have an opportunity to play for a championship and hang another banner in the rafters of Cameron Indoor Stadium?
Right now I don’t the answer to that question but what I do know is that Duke didn’t deserve to win any championships this year or to go to the NCAA Tournament.
Why?
Because they were a mediocre team!
Why?
Because in the one and done scenario a shortened season could be a disaster, Duke learned that lesson this year.
Next season Duke could be starting just one freshman.
Why?
Because Jeremy Roach , Wendell Moore will all be experienced.
Assuming Matthew Hurt is gone believe it or not Duke will be experienced compared to the last few years anticipate a return to Duke living up to expectations.