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Blue Devil Weekly Feature: Men's Basketball Program Is The Best
May 3, 2001
By Bill Brill
Three championships in 11 years does not a dynasty make, but in these days of relative parity, Duke is clearly the nation's leading basketball program.
When the Blue Devils won in Minneapolis - they also triumphed in the Metrodome in 1992 to complete the only back-to-back titles since the UCLA days - they also established an all-time record for victories in a four-year period.
Over that span, Duke was 133-15. You might call it the Shane Battier years. Whatever the terminology, it was dramatic, because in the middle of that run, 1999, three underclassmen bolted to the NBA and another transferred.
How good do you think Duke might have been if its starting center had been senior Elton Brand, with junior Corey Maggette among the plethora of quality wing players? In truth, that much talent might have challenged even Mike Krzyzewski's ability to create team chemistry. Given his track record, however, you wouldn't want to say it wasn't possible.
There were those who believed that Duke would fall back significantly after Brand, Maggette and then-sophomore William Avery turned pro, the last two without Coach K's blessing.
Still, in 2000, Duke finished No. 1 in the nation with a 29-5 record, although it played three freshmen in a six-man rotation. The Blue Devils won the ACC regular-season and tournament crowns, and their elimination in the Sweet 16 to Florida could at least partially be attributed to Mike Dunleavy's physical status after missing several games with mononucleosis.
Duke also led the nation in scoring for the second straight year. This season, the Blue Devils again averaged over 90 points (second nationally behind TCU). They finished first in the polls for the third consecutive year, something that hadn't occurred since UCLA ruled the sport.
The scoring is attractive to players. They know they won't be stifled. In the Final Four game against Maryland, Krzyzewski told his team, which had trailed by as much as 22 points, to quit calling plays and just go out and play the game. In the last 28 minutes, Duke outscored Maryland 78-45.
"Duke is an offensive team," said former Wake Forest coach Dave Odom before he headed off to join the Mike McGee regime at South Carolina. "There's always talk about their defense, but they win with offense. Arizona lost because it couldn't get to 80 points. To beat Duke, you have to score over 80, and you might need 90. You aren't going to shut them down."
Odom did a postgame radio show in Minneapolis, and he was asked, "Do you think this will help Duke's recruiting?" He laughed at the thought. "There will be more McDonald's All-Americans with their hands in the air, saying 'Pick me.' They already recruit who they want."
Duke not only had the two best players in the nation in Battier and sophomore guard Jason Williams, but this was the first time in basketball history that a pair of guys from the same team were named national player of the year. Battier won all the awards except from the coaches. NABC chose Williams.
It's been a very long time since anybody received as much attention as Battier, who was the poster boy for basketball the entire year. He started the season as the likely choice to be the national player. He ended it by being named Most Outstanding Player in the Final Four, consensus player of the year, national defensive player for the third straight time, as well as a first-team Academic All-American.
"He deserved it," said Arizona coach Lute Olson. "He's as close to a unanimous choice as I can remember."
Duke's run to the third title for Coach K - he now trails only John Wooden's 11 and Adolph Rupp's four - was not without some trying moments. When center Carlos Boozer broke his foot on Feb. 27 in a home loss to Maryland, Duke rebuilt its entire team.
Within four days, the Blue Devils has moved seldom-used sophomore Casey Sanders to starting center, productive fifth-year senior Nate James was sent to the bench to become the sixth man, and freshman Chris Duhon was elevated to a starting spot opposite Williams in the backcourt.
Krzyzewski promised his team at the first practice after the Maryland loss that they would go to the Final Four, and he delivered. Refusing to think negatively, the coach and his staff created a mode of attack that would produce 10 consecutive victories. It was simply a brilliant piece of coaching.
Quicker than ever with Duhon providing on-the-ball defense that took some of the pressure off Williams, the Blue Devils crunched North Carolina in Chapel Hill by 14 points to gain a tie for first place in the ACC. They had won the previous four titles outright. In the ACC Tournament, Duke left UNC for dead, crushing the Heels 79-53 although Williams missed the last 13 minutes with an ankle injury.
Throughout the NCAAs, Duke ended up winning every game by at least 10 points, although it trailed late in the first half on several occasions. Down the stretch, the Devils tended to be flawless. They made their free throws, something they failed to do in their first three losses, and the ball-handling, in effect with two quality point guards, improved dramatically.
In the 84-82 win over Maryland in the ACC Tournament, Duke had six turnovers while the Terps had 20. The margin in the NCAA matchup was the same, 21-7. Although Maryland dominated in rebounding, 101-65, the Devils won both games.
As for the future, the Duke program has rarely, if ever, been in better shape. Although Battier and James graduate, there is plenty of quality remaining in Williams, Dunleavy, Duhon, Boozer and Sanders. Add to that list 6-10 Nick Horvath, who will be a redshirt sophomore after sitting out this season with an injury, and transfer Dahntay Jones, who averaged 16 points for Rutgers against Big East competition in 2000. Jones is almost certain to be the ACC's most important new face next season.
Daniel Ewing, yet another McDonald's All-America, is the lone freshman recruit, but he adds to the arsenal of wing shooters who led the nation in three-pointers attempted and made.
There is nothing to indicate that the Duke rollercoaster is slowing down. Krzyzewski is more content than he has been in years, and, at 54, he certainly has plenty more productive seasons left. He can coach as long as he wishes.
"I'm not tired," he said. "I feel great. I know the season is over, but I wish that I could continue to coach these guys. They've listened so well. They've been a pleasure to coach."
Certainly Odom is accurate. There is no slowing of the McDonald's train, and more great players are headed to Cameron Indoor Stadium.
From his sixth-floor office in the plush Schwartz-Butters building, Krzyzewski can look out over his domain. It is not just the Duke campus below, but the world of college basketball.
