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Duke?s Top 30 Basketball Seasons
11/19/2009 11:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
DURHAM, N.C. – The top 30 seasons in Duke history, based on a balance of the team's accomplishments. NCAA Tournament success is obviously the most important factor, but it's not the only criteria. ACC championships, top 10 rankings and regular season success are also considered. Although the list includes input from other Duke basketball historians, the final ratings are entirely my own.
The list includes 19 seasons coached by Mike Krzyzewski (including the top 5), five seasons under Vic Bubas, two under Bill Foster and Gerry Gerard and one season each for Eddie Cameron and Harold Bradley.
1. 1992 (34-2) National champs; ACC champs; No. 1 in every weekly poll. Finished 14-2 to lead the ACC regular season race with the only losses coming after point guard Bobby Hurley broke his foot. Led by national player of the year Christian Laettner.
2. 2001 (35-4) National champs; ACC champs; No. 1 in final AP poll. Shared the ACC regular season title at 13-3. Overcame a late season injury to center Carlos Boozer to make its title run. Let by national player of the year Shane Battier.
3. 1991 (32-7) National champs; No. 6 in final AP poll. Won the ACC regular season title with an 11-3 league mark, but lost the ACC title game.
4. 1999 (37-2) NCAA runner-up; ACC champs; No. 1 in final AP poll. Dominated the ACC like no team in history – 19-0 against league opponents. Led by national player of the year Elton Brand.
5. 1986 (37-3) NCAA runner-up; ACC champs; No. 1 in final AP poll. Won the ACC regular season with a 12-2 record. Led by national player of the year (Naismith) Johnny Dawkins.
6. 1963 (27-3) NCAA third place; ACC champs (perfect 17-0 vs. ACC); No. 2 in final AP. Perfect 14-0 in ACC league play. Led by national player of the year Art Heyman.
7. 1966 (32-4) NCAA third place; ACC champs; No. 2 in final AP poll. Won the ACC regular season title at 12-2. Lost to No. 1 Kentucky in the NCAA semifinals with All-American Bob Verga ill with strep throat.
8. 1964 (26-5) NCAA runner-up; ACC champs; No. 3 in final AP poll. Won the ACC regular season with a 13-1 record.
9. 1978 (27-7) NCAA runner-up; ACC champs; No. 7 in final AP poll. Second in the ACC regular season standings.
10. 1988 (28-7) NCAA Final Four; ACC champs; No. 5 in final AP poll. Just third in the ACC regular season race with an 8-4 record. A perfect 3-0 record against North Carolina, including a win in the ACC title game.
11. 1994 (28-6) NCAA runner-up; No. 6 in final AP poll. Won the ACC regular season title with a 12-4 record but lost in the ACC Tournament semifinals.
12. 2004 (31-6) NCAA Final Four; No. 6 in final AP poll. Won ACC regular season race with a 13-3 record but lost the ACC title game to Maryland in OT.
13. 1989 (28-8) NCAA Final Four; No. 9 in final AP poll. Tied for second in the ACC regular season race (9-5) and lost the ACC title game to UNC. Led by national player of the year Danny Ferry.
14. 2006 (32-4), NCAA Sweet 16; ACC champs; No. 1 in final AP poll. Won the ACC regular season race with a 14-2 record. Led by national player of the year J.J. Redick.
15. 2002 (31-4) NCAA Sweet 16; ACC champs; No. 1 in final AP poll. Second in the ACC regular season race (13-3). Led by national player of the year Jason Williams.
16. 2000 (29-5) NCAA Sweet 16; ACC champs; No. 1 in final AP poll. Won the ACC regular season race with a 15-1 record – still the second highest win total in ACC history.
17. 1990 (29-9) NCAA runner-up; No. 15 in final AP poll. Second in the ACC regular season race at 9-5.
18. 2005 (27-6) NCAA Sweet 16; ACC champs; No. 3 in final AP poll. Third in the ACC regular season race at 11-5.
19. 1998 (32-4) NCAA Elite Eight; No. 3 in final AP poll. Won ACC regular season race with a 15-1 record but lost the ACC title game to UNC.
20. 2009 (30-7) NCAA Sweet 16; ACC champs; No. 6 in final AP poll. Tied for second in the ACC regular season race with an 11-5 record.
21. 1980 (24-8) NCAA Elite Eight; ACC champs; No. 14 in final AP poll. Finished fifth in the ACC regular season race with a 7-7 record.
22. 1960 (17-11) NCAA Elite Eight; ACC champs; No. 18 in final AP poll. Finished fourth in the ACC regular season race with a 7-7 record.
23. 2003 (26-7) NCAA second round; ACC champs; No. 7 in final AP poll. Finished second in the regular season with an 11-5 record.
24. 2008 (28-6) NCAA second round; No. 9 in final AP poll. Finished second in the ACC regular season with a 13-3 league record.
25. 1942 (22-2) Southern Conference champs. Also won Southern Conference regular season race with a 15-1 league mark.
26. 1997 (24-9) NCAA second round; Ranked No. 8 in the final AP poll. ACC regular season champions (12-4).
27. 1965 (20-5) Ranked No. 10 in the final AP poll. Won the ACC regular season title (11-3) but lost to N.C. State in the ACC title game. Led the nation in scoring.
28. 1958 (18-7) Ranked No. 10 in the final AP poll – the first Duke team to win a top 10 ranking. Won the regular season title (11-3) but lost to Maryland in the ACC Tournament semifinals. Upset No. 1 West Virginia – the first top-ranked team beaten by the Blue Devils.
29. 1952 (24-6) Ranked No.12 in the final AP poll – the first Duke team to be ranked. The Blue Devils won 15 straight down the stretch, before losing to N.C. State in the Southern Conference title game. Senior guard Dick Groat became the first player in Duke history to win national player of the year honors.
30. 1930 (18-2) Duke's first outstanding team lost to Alabama in the championship game of the Southern Conference Tournament. Future Major League baseball player Bill Werber became the first player in Duke history to earn All-American honors.
The list includes 19 seasons coached by Mike Krzyzewski (including the top 5), five seasons under Vic Bubas, two under Bill Foster and Gerry Gerard and one season each for Eddie Cameron and Harold Bradley.
1. 1992 (34-2) National champs; ACC champs; No. 1 in every weekly poll. Finished 14-2 to lead the ACC regular season race with the only losses coming after point guard Bobby Hurley broke his foot. Led by national player of the year Christian Laettner.
2. 2001 (35-4) National champs; ACC champs; No. 1 in final AP poll. Shared the ACC regular season title at 13-3. Overcame a late season injury to center Carlos Boozer to make its title run. Let by national player of the year Shane Battier.
3. 1991 (32-7) National champs; No. 6 in final AP poll. Won the ACC regular season title with an 11-3 league mark, but lost the ACC title game.
4. 1999 (37-2) NCAA runner-up; ACC champs; No. 1 in final AP poll. Dominated the ACC like no team in history – 19-0 against league opponents. Led by national player of the year Elton Brand.
5. 1986 (37-3) NCAA runner-up; ACC champs; No. 1 in final AP poll. Won the ACC regular season with a 12-2 record. Led by national player of the year (Naismith) Johnny Dawkins.
6. 1963 (27-3) NCAA third place; ACC champs (perfect 17-0 vs. ACC); No. 2 in final AP. Perfect 14-0 in ACC league play. Led by national player of the year Art Heyman.
7. 1966 (32-4) NCAA third place; ACC champs; No. 2 in final AP poll. Won the ACC regular season title at 12-2. Lost to No. 1 Kentucky in the NCAA semifinals with All-American Bob Verga ill with strep throat.
8. 1964 (26-5) NCAA runner-up; ACC champs; No. 3 in final AP poll. Won the ACC regular season with a 13-1 record.
9. 1978 (27-7) NCAA runner-up; ACC champs; No. 7 in final AP poll. Second in the ACC regular season standings.
10. 1988 (28-7) NCAA Final Four; ACC champs; No. 5 in final AP poll. Just third in the ACC regular season race with an 8-4 record. A perfect 3-0 record against North Carolina, including a win in the ACC title game.
11. 1994 (28-6) NCAA runner-up; No. 6 in final AP poll. Won the ACC regular season title with a 12-4 record but lost in the ACC Tournament semifinals.
12. 2004 (31-6) NCAA Final Four; No. 6 in final AP poll. Won ACC regular season race with a 13-3 record but lost the ACC title game to Maryland in OT.
13. 1989 (28-8) NCAA Final Four; No. 9 in final AP poll. Tied for second in the ACC regular season race (9-5) and lost the ACC title game to UNC. Led by national player of the year Danny Ferry.
14. 2006 (32-4), NCAA Sweet 16; ACC champs; No. 1 in final AP poll. Won the ACC regular season race with a 14-2 record. Led by national player of the year J.J. Redick.
15. 2002 (31-4) NCAA Sweet 16; ACC champs; No. 1 in final AP poll. Second in the ACC regular season race (13-3). Led by national player of the year Jason Williams.
16. 2000 (29-5) NCAA Sweet 16; ACC champs; No. 1 in final AP poll. Won the ACC regular season race with a 15-1 record – still the second highest win total in ACC history.
17. 1990 (29-9) NCAA runner-up; No. 15 in final AP poll. Second in the ACC regular season race at 9-5.
18. 2005 (27-6) NCAA Sweet 16; ACC champs; No. 3 in final AP poll. Third in the ACC regular season race at 11-5.
19. 1998 (32-4) NCAA Elite Eight; No. 3 in final AP poll. Won ACC regular season race with a 15-1 record but lost the ACC title game to UNC.
20. 2009 (30-7) NCAA Sweet 16; ACC champs; No. 6 in final AP poll. Tied for second in the ACC regular season race with an 11-5 record.
21. 1980 (24-8) NCAA Elite Eight; ACC champs; No. 14 in final AP poll. Finished fifth in the ACC regular season race with a 7-7 record.
22. 1960 (17-11) NCAA Elite Eight; ACC champs; No. 18 in final AP poll. Finished fourth in the ACC regular season race with a 7-7 record.
23. 2003 (26-7) NCAA second round; ACC champs; No. 7 in final AP poll. Finished second in the regular season with an 11-5 record.
24. 2008 (28-6) NCAA second round; No. 9 in final AP poll. Finished second in the ACC regular season with a 13-3 league record.
25. 1942 (22-2) Southern Conference champs. Also won Southern Conference regular season race with a 15-1 league mark.
26. 1997 (24-9) NCAA second round; Ranked No. 8 in the final AP poll. ACC regular season champions (12-4).
27. 1965 (20-5) Ranked No. 10 in the final AP poll. Won the ACC regular season title (11-3) but lost to N.C. State in the ACC title game. Led the nation in scoring.
28. 1958 (18-7) Ranked No. 10 in the final AP poll – the first Duke team to win a top 10 ranking. Won the regular season title (11-3) but lost to Maryland in the ACC Tournament semifinals. Upset No. 1 West Virginia – the first top-ranked team beaten by the Blue Devils.
29. 1952 (24-6) Ranked No.12 in the final AP poll – the first Duke team to be ranked. The Blue Devils won 15 straight down the stretch, before losing to N.C. State in the Southern Conference title game. Senior guard Dick Groat became the first player in Duke history to win national player of the year honors.
30. 1930 (18-2) Duke's first outstanding team lost to Alabama in the championship game of the Southern Conference Tournament. Future Major League baseball player Bill Werber became the first player in Duke history to earn All-American honors.
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