Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team represents Duke University in NCAA Division I college basketball and competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The team is fourth all-time in wins of any NCAA men's basketball program, and is coached by Mike Krzyzewski.
Duke has won 5 NCAA Championships and appeared in 11 Championship Games and 16 Final Fours, and has an NCAA-best.755 NCAA tournament winning percentage. Eleven Duke players have been named the National Player of the Year, and 71 players have been selected in the NBA Draft. Additionally, Duke has 36 players named All-Americans and 14 Academic All-Americans. Duke has been the Atlantic Coast Conference Champions a record 21 times, and also lays claim to 19 ACC regular season titles. Prior to joining the ACC, Duke won the Southern Conference championships five times. Duke has also finished the season ranked No. 1 in the AP poll seven times and is the all-time leader in total weeks ranked as the number one team in the nation by the AP with 135 weeks. Additionally, the Blue Devils have the third longest streak in the AP Top 25 in history with 200 consecutive appearances from 1996 to 2007, trailing only UCLA's 221 consecutive polls from 1966 to 1980, and Kansas’ 212 consecutive polls from 2009 to 2020.
Team history
Retired numbers
Adapted from Duke University ArchivesEarly years (1906–1953)
In 1906, Wilbur Wade Card, Trinity College's Athletic Director and a member of the Class of 1900, introduced the game of basketball to Trinity. The January 30 issue of The Trinity Chronicle headlined the new sport on its front page. Trinity's first game ended in a loss to Wake Forest, 24–10. The game was played in the Angier B. Duke Gymnasium, later known as The Ark. The Trinity team won its first title in 1920, the state championship, by beating the North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering 25 to 24. Earlier in the season they had beaten the University of North Carolina 19–18 in the first match-up between the two schools. Trinity college then became Duke University.Billy Werber, Class of 1930, became Duke's first All-American in basketball. The Gothic-style West Campus opened that year, with a new gym, later to be named for Coach Card. The Indoor Stadium opened in 1940. Initially it was referred to as an "Addition" to the gymnasium. Part of its cost was paid for with the proceeds from the Duke football team's appearance in the 1938 Rose Bowl. In 1972 it would be named for Eddie Cameron, head coach from 1929 to 1942.
In 1952, Dick Groat became the first Duke player to be named National Player of the Year. Duke left the Southern Conference to become a charter member of the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1953. The Duke team under Vic Bubas made its first appearance in the Final Four in 1963, losing 94–75 to Loyola in the semifinal. The next year, Bubas' team reached the national title game, losing to the Bruins of UCLA, who claimed 10 titles in the next 12 years. Bob Verga was Duke's star player in 1967.
Bill Foster (1974–1980)
The basketball program won its 1000th game in 1974, making Duke only the eighth school in NCAA history to reach that figure. In a turnaround, Coach Bill Foster's 1978 Blue Devils, who had gone 2–10 in the ACC the previous year, won the conference tournament and went on to the NCAA championship game, where they fell to Kentucky. Gene Banks, Mike Gminski and Jim Spanarkel ran the floor.Mike Krzyzewski (1980–present)
Mike Krzyzewski has been at Duke since 1980. His many accomplishments include:Krzyzewski's teams made the Final Four in 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2010 and 2015.
In Krzyzewski's first season, the Blue Devils would finish the season with a 17–13 overall record and 6–8 record in ACC play. The team would later play in the NIT Tournament advancing to the quarterfinals. Despite having a good record the previous season, the Blue Devils would struggle during the next two seasons finishing with 10 wins in 1982 and 11 wins in 1983. The 1984 team, led by Tommy Amaker & Johnny Dawkins, would bounce back in strong fashion finishing 24–10 and was ranked the No.14 in the AP and Coaches poll and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Duke upset the heavily favored UNLV Runnin' Rebels 79–77 in the Final Four in 1991, a rematch of the 1990 final in which Duke lost by 30 points. The team, led by Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley, Grant Hill, and Thomas Hill, went on to defeat Kansas 72–65 to win the university's first NCAA Championship. Ranked #1 all season and favored to repeat as national champions in 1992, Duke took part in a game "acclaimed by many the greatest college basketball game ever played," according to ESPN. In the Elite Eight, Duke met the Rick Pitino-led Kentucky Wildcats. It appeared Kentucky had sealed the win in overtime when guard Sean Woods hit a running shot off the glass in the lane to put Kentucky up by one with 2.1 seconds left on the clock. After a timeout, Duke's Grant Hill threw a full-court pass to Christian Laettner. Laettner took one dribble and nailed a turn-around jumper at the buzzer to send Duke into the Final Four with a 104–103 victory. Duke went on to defeat sixth-seeded Michigan, led by the Fab Five as freshmen starters including Chris Webber, Jalen Rose and Juwan Howard, 71–51 to repeat as national champions. Following the successful repeat, Laettner was the only collegiate player to be chosen for the Dream Team that won Olympic gold in Barcelona, while Krzyzewski was an assistant coach under Chuck Daly of the Detroit Pistons in a precursor to his becoming Team USA coach in 2006 and coaching them to two gold medals.
They would later meet Kentucky for another classic regional final game, but blow a 17-point second half lead in losing to the Wildcats. The Blue Devils would lose the 1994 title game to Arkansas and their "Forty Minutes of Hell" defense. The next two seasons would see them fall to just 31–31, though they made the 1996 tournament with an 18–12 record, 8–8 in conference play. They would also fall in the 1999 title game, this time to Jim Calhoun and the UCONN Huskies. Duke defeated Arizona 82–72 to win its third NCAA Championship in 2001, becoming one of a handful of teams in NCAA Tournament history to defeat all of their tournament opponents by double digits. Krzyzewski was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame later that year. On April 5, 2010 Duke Men's Basketball won their fourth NCAA Championship by defeating Butler 61–59. On April 6, 2015 Duke's Men's Basketball won their fifth NCAA Championship by defeating Wisconsin 68–63.
Duke has been ranked as the #1 team in the nation 235 weeks in their history.
Former Duke stars such as Jim Spanarkel, Gene Banks, Alaa Abdelnaby, Johnny Dawkins, Cherokee Parks, Bobby Hurley, Antonio Lang, Roshown McLeod, William Avery, Trajan Langdon, Grant Hill, Danny Ferry, Christian Laettner, Kenny Dennard, Brian Davis, Elton Brand, Shane Battier, Carlos Boozer, Chris Duhon, Mike Dunleavy, Dahntay Jones, Daniel Ewing, JJ Redick, Shavlik Randolph, Shelden Williams, Corey Maggette, Luol Deng, Josh McRoberts, Gerald Henderson, Andre Dawkins, Austin Rivers, Lance Thomas, Kyle Singler, Miles Plumlee, Mason Plumlee, Marshall Plumlee, Bob Verga, Quinn Cook, Nolan Smith, Jason Williams, Jabari Parker, Rodney Hood, Seth Curry, Kyrie Irving, Matt Jones, Amile Jefferson, Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones, Justise Winslow, Grayson Allen, Brandon Ingram, Luke Kennard, Jayson Tatum, Harry Giles, Frank Jackson, Gary Trent Jr., Trevon Duval, Marvin Bagley III, Wendell Carter Jr., RJ Barrett, Marques Bolden, Cam Reddish, and Zion Williamson have gone on to play in the NBA.
Many of Krzyzewski's assistants and former players, such as Tommy Amaker, Bob Bender, Chuck Swenson at William & Mary, Mike Brey, Jeff Capel, Chris Collins, Johnny Dawkins, Quin Snyder, and Steve Wojciechowski have become head basketball coaches at major universities and the NBA, while Pete Gaudet is now the head coach of the India women's national basketball team.
Results by season (1980–present)
NCAA Tournament seeding history
The NCAA began seeding the tournament with the 1978 edition.National championships
Final Four history
Complete NCAA tournament results
The Blue Devils have appeared in the NCAA Tournament 43 times. Their combined record is 111–36.| 1955 | First Round | Villanova | L 73–74 | |
| 1960 | First Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | Princeton St. Joseph's NYU | W 84–60 W 58–56 L 59–74 | |
| 1963 | Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National 3rd Place Game | NYU St. Joseph's Loyola–Chicago Oregon State | W 81–76 W 73–59 L 75–94 W 85–63 | |
| 1964 | Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship | Villanova Connecticut Michigan UCLA | W 87–73 W 101–54 W 91–80 L 83–98 | |
| 1966 | Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National 3rd Place Game | St. Joseph's Syracuse Kentucky Utah | W 76–74 W 91–81 L 79–83 W 79–77 | |
| 1978 | First Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship | Rhode Island Penn Villanova Notre Dame Kentucky | W 63–62 W 84–80 W 90–72 W 90–86 L 88–94 | |
| 1979 | #2 | Second Round | #10 St. John's | L 78–80 |
| 1980 | #4 | Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | #12 Penn
| W 52–42 W 55–54 L 60–68 |
| 1984 | #3 | Second Round | #6 Washington | L 78–80 |
| 1985 | #3 | First Round Second Round | #14 Pepperdine
| W 75–62L 73–74 |
| 1986 | #1 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship | #16 Mississippi Valley State
| W 85–78W 89–61 W 74–67 W 71–50 W 71–67 L 69–72 |
| 1987 | #5 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #12 Texas A&M
| W 58–51W 65–50 L 82–88 |
| 1988 | #2 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four | #15 Boston University
| W 85–69W 94–79 W 73–72 W 63–53 L 59–66 |
| 1989 | #2 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four | #15 South Carolina State
| W 90–69W 70–63 W 87–70 W 85–77 L 78–95 |
| 1990 | #3 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship | #14 Richmond
| W 81–46W 76–72 W 90–81 W 79–78OT W 97–83 L 73–103 |
| 1991 | #2 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship | #15 Northeast Louisiana
| W 102–73W 85–70 W 81–67 W 61–78 W 79–77 W 72–65 |
| 1992 | #1 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship | #16 Campbell
| W 82–56W 75–62 W 81–69 W 104–103OT W 81–78 W 71–51 |
| 1993 | #3 | First Round Second Round | #14 Southern Illinois
| W 105–70L 77–82 |
| 1994 | #2 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship | #15 Texas Southern
| W 82–70W 75–63 W 59–49 W 69–60 W 70–65 L 72–76 |
| 1996 | #8 | First Round | #9 Eastern Michigan | L 60–75 |
| 1997 | #2 | First Round Second Round | #15 Murray State
| W 71–68L 87–98 |
| 1998 | #1 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | #16 Radford
| W 99–63W 79–73 W 80–67 L 84–86 |
| 1999 | #1 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship | #16 Florida A&M
| W 99–58W 97–56 W 78–61 W 85–64 W 68–62 L 74–77 |
| 2000 | #1 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #16 Lamar
| W 82–55W 69–64 L 78–87 |
| 2001 | #1 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship | #16 Monmouth
| W 95–57W 94–81 W 76–63 W 79–69 W 95–84 W 82–72 |
| 2002 | #1 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #16 Winthrop
| W 84–37W 84–77 L 73–74 |
| 2003 | #3 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #14 Colorado State
| W 67–57W 86–60 L 65–69 |
| 2004 | #1 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four | #16 Alabama State
| W 96–61W 90–62 W 72–62 W 66–63 L 78–79 |
| 2005 | #1 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #16 Delaware State
| W 57–46W 63–55 L 68–78 |
| 2006 | #1 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #16 Southern
| W 70–54W 74–61 L 54–62 |
| 2007 | #6 | First Round | #11 VCU | L 77–79 |
| 2008 | #2 | First Round Second Round | #15 Belmont
| W 71–70L 67–73 |
| 2009 | #2 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #15 Binghamton
| W 86–62W 74–69 L 54–77 |
| 2010 | #1 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship | #16 Arkansas–Pine Bluff
| W 73–44W 68–53 W 70–57 W 78–71 W 78–57 W 61–59 |
| 2011 | #1 | Second Round Third Round Sweet Sixteen | #16 Hampton
| W 87–45W 73–71 L 77–93 |
| 2012 | #2 | Second Round | #15 Lehigh | L 70–75 |
| 2013 | #2 | Second Round Third Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | #15 Albany
| W 73–61W 50–66 W 61–71 L 63–85 |
| 2014 | #3 | Second Round | #14 Mercer | L 71–78 |
| 2015 | #1 | Second Round Third Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship | #16 Robert Morris
| W 85–56W 68–49 W 63–57 W 66–52 W 81–61 W 68–63 |
| 2016 | #4 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #13 UNC Wilmington
| W 93–85W 71–64 L 68–82 |
| 2017 | #2 | First Round Second Round | #15 Troy
| W 87–65L 81–88 |
| 2018 | #2 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | #15 Iona
| W 89–67W 87–62 W 69–65 L 81–85 OT |
NIT results
The Blue Devils have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament five times. Their combined record is 5–6.| 1967 | Quarterfinals | Southern Illinois | L 63–72 |
| 1968 | First Round Quarterfinals | Oklahoma City Saint Peter's | W 97–81 L 71–100 |
| 1970 | First Round | Utah | L 75–78 |
| 1971 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals 3rd Place Game | Dayton Tennessee North Carolina St. Bonaventure | W 68–60 W 78–64 L 69–73 L 88–92 |
| 1981 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals | North Carolina A&T Alabama Purdue | W 79–69 W 75–70 L 69–81 |
Key statistics
As of the 2017–18 season, the Blue Devils' program record is as follows.Cameron Indoor Stadium
was completed on January 6, 1940, having cost $400,000. At the time, it was the largest gymnasium in the country south of the Palestra at the University of Pennsylvania. Originally called Duke Indoor Stadium, it was renamed for Coach Cameron on January 22, 1972. The building originally included seating for 8,800, though standing room was sufficient to ensure that 12,000 could fit in on a particularly busy day. Then, as now, Duke students were allowed a large chunk of the seats, including those directly alongside the court. Renovations in 1987–1988 removed the standing room areas and added seats, bringing capacity to 9,314...Duke's men's basketball teams have had a decided home-court advantage for many years, thanks to the diehard students known as the Cameron Crazies. The hardwood floor has been dedicated and renamed Coach K Court in honor of head coach Mike Krzyzewski, and the tent city outside Cameron where students camp out before big games is known as Krzyzewskiville. In 1999, Sports Illustrated ranked Cameron the fourth best venue in all of professional and college sports, and USA Today referred to it as "the toughest road game in the nation".
Duke had not lost a non-conference game at Cameron from 2000 until 2019, when SFASU beat Duke in overtime. Duke maintains a tradition of hosting the previous season's Division II national champion in an exhibition game each November.
Player awards
National Players of the Year- Dick Groat Helms, UPI
- Art Heyman AP, UPI, U.S. Basketball Writers
- Johnny Dawkins Naismith
- Danny Ferry Naismith, UPI, U.S. Basketball Writers
- Christian Laettner AP, Basketball Times, NABC, Naismith, Rupp, U.S. Basketball Writers, Wooden
- Elton Brand AP, NABC, Naismith, Rupp, U.S. Basketball Writers, Wooden, Sporting News
- Shane Battier AP, Basketball Times, Naismith, Rupp, U.S. Basketball Writers, Wooden, Sporting News
- Jason Williams AP, Basketball Times, NABC, Naismith, Rupp, U.S. Basketball Writers, Wooden, Sporting News
- JJ Redick AP, Basketball Times, NABC, Naismith, Rupp, U.S. Basketball Writers, Wooden, Sporting News
- Zion Williamson AP, NABC, Naismith, Sporting News, U.S. Basketball Writers, Wooden
was the ACC Player of the Year in 2011.
was named ACC Player of the Year in 2019.
- Art Heyman
- Jeff Mullins
- Steve Vacendak
- Mike Gminski
- Danny Ferry
- Christian Laettner
- Grant Hill
- Elton Brand
- Chris Carrawell
- Shane Battier
- JJ Redick
- Nolan Smith
- Jahlil Okafor
- Marvin Bagley III
- Zion Williamson
- Tre Jones
was the ACC Rookie of the Year in 2008.
- Jim Spanarkel
- Mike Gminski
- Gene Banks
- Chris Duhon
- Kyle Singler
- Austin Rivers
- Jabari Parker
- Jahlil Okafor
- Brandon Ingram
- Marvin Bagley III
- Zion Williamson
- Vernon Carey Jr.
- Billy King
- Tommy Amaker
- Grant Hill
- Steve Wojciechowski
- Shane Battier
- Shelden Williams
- Shelden Williams
- DeMarcus Nelson
- Tre Jones
- Mike Krzyzewski
- Grant Hill
McDonald's All-Americans
- 1977 – Gene Banks
- 1978 – Vince Taylor
- 1982 – Johnny Dawkins
- 1983 – Tommy Amaker & Marty Nessley
- 1985 – Danny Ferry & Quin Snyder
- 1986 – Alaa Abdelnaby & Phil Henderson
- 1988 – Christian Laettner & Crawford Palmer
- 1989 – Bobby Hurley & Billy McCaffrey
- 1990 – Grant Hill
- 1991 – Cherokee Parks
- 1992 – Chris Collins
- 1993 – Joey Beard
- 1994 – Trajan Langdon, Ricky Price & Steve Wojciechowski
- 1995 – Taymon Domzalski
- 1996 – Nate James
- 1997 – Elton Brand, Shane Battier & Chris Burgess
- 1998 – Corey Maggette
- 1999 – Carlos Boozer, Mike Dunleavy Jr., Casey Sanders & Jay Williams
- 2000 – Chris Duhon
- 2001 – Daniel Ewing
- 2002 – Sean Dockery, JJ Redick, Shavlik Randolph & Michael Thompson
- 2003 – Luol Deng
- 2005 – Eric Boateng, Greg Paulus & Josh McRoberts
- 2006 – Gerald Henderson Jr., Jon Scheyer & Lance Thomas
- 2007 – Taylor King, Kyle Singler & Nolan Smith
- 2008 – Elliot Williams
- 2009 – Ryan Kelly & Mason Plumlee
- 2010 – Kyrie Irving
- 2011 – Quinn Cook, Marshall Plumlee & Austin Rivers
- 2012 – Amile Jefferson & Rasheed Sulaimon
- 2013 – Matt Jones & Jabari Parker
- 2014 – Grayson Allen, Tyus Jones, Jahlil Okafor & Justise Winslow
- 2015 – Brandon Ingram, Chase Jeter & Luke Kennard
- 2016 – Marques Bolden, Frank Jackson & Jayson Tatum
- 2017 – Wendell Carter Jr., Trevon Duval & Gary Trent Jr.
- 2018 – RJ Barrett, Tre Jones, Cam Reddish & Zion Williamson
- 2019 – Vernon Carey Jr., Matthew Hurt & Wendell Moore
- 2020 – Jeremy Roach, DJ Steward, Mark Williams
Blue Devils in the NBA
- Grayson Allen – Memphis Grizzlies
- Marvin Bagley III – Sacramento Kings
- RJ Barrett – New York Knicks
- Wendell Carter Jr. – Chicago Bulls
- Quinn Cook – Los Angeles Lakers
- Seth Curry – Dallas Mavericks
- Harry Giles – Sacramento Kings
- Rodney Hood – Portland Trail Blazers
- Brandon Ingram – New Orleans Pelicans
- Kyrie Irving – Brooklyn Nets
- Frank Jackson – New Orleans Pelicans
- Tyus Jones – Memphis Grizzlies
- Luke Kennard – Detroit Pistons
- Semi Ojeleye – Boston Celtics
- Jahlil Okafor – New Orleans Pelicans
- Jabari Parker – Atlanta Hawks
- Mason Plumlee – Denver Nuggets
- JJ Redick – New Orleans Pelicans
- Austin Rivers – Houston Rockets
- Cam Reddish – Atlanta Hawks
- Jayson Tatum – Boston Celtics
- Gary Trent Jr. – Portland Trail Blazers
- Justise Winslow – Memphis Grizzlies
- Zion Williamson – New Orleans Pelicans
Rivalries
The two programs have combined for 11 national championships, with North Carolina leading Duke 6–5. The intensity of the rivalry is augmented by the proximity of the two universities, located only ten miles apart along U.S. Highway 15–501 or eight miles apart in straight-line distance in the cities of Durham and Chapel Hill. In addition, Duke is a private university whereas North Carolina is a public school; the vastly different funding structures and cultures between the two further contribute to the intensity of the rivalry.
Former Esquire editor and author Will Blythe argues that the rivalry's passion can be attributed greatly to class and culture in the South.
The rivalry has been the subject of various books and articles, including To Hate Like This Is to Be Happy Forever by Blythe and Blue Blood by Art Chansky.
Further illustrating the intensity of the rivalry, U.S. Representative Brad Miller, a die-hard Carolina fan, told an Associated Press writer in 2012, "I have said very publicly that if Duke was playing against the Taliban, then I'd have to pull for the Taliban."
However, also due to the close proximity of the two schools, there is respect and collaboration within the rivalry. Inspired by the men's basketball teams, twenty-four students from the two schools got together from January 14–16, 2006 in order to attempt to break the world record for the longest continuous game of basketball ever recorded. The game set a new world record at 57 hours, 17 minutes and 41 seconds with Duke winning the game 3699–3444. All $60,000 raised from the marathon benefited the Hoop Dreams Basketball Academy, an organization which helps children with life-threatening illnesses develop successful life skills through basketball.
Beyond athletics, the school papers have also engaged in the rivalry. As a tradition, one day prior to a Duke-Carolina basketball game, The Chronicle, Duke's student newspaper, publishes a spoof cover page for the day's edition with the title The Daily Tar Hole. Contained within are fake news stories poking fun at The Daily Tar Heel and the North Carolina Tar Heels. The Daily Tar Heel typically publishes former columnist Ian Williams' "Insider's guide to hating Duke" for the two basketball match-ups each year. There is a longstanding agreement that if Duke wins the first matchup, The Daily Tar Heels masthead is printed in Duke blue, and if Carolina wins the first matchup, The Chronicles masthead is painted Carolina blue. The losing school's paper also has to put the other school's logo in a conspicuous location and claim that the winning school is "still the best."
The Michigan Wolverines and the Maryland Terrapins basketball teams have also claimed rivalries against the Blue Devils, but Duke has long rejected both claims and considers North Carolina to be its only rival.