The last time the men's basketball team won an NCAA Tournament game, it defeated Florida, 70-65, in the 1994 Final Four at Charlotte Coliseum. On Friday, the Blue Devils will again head to Charlotte, hoping to find the success they had three seasons ago, as they meet the Murray State Racers in a first-round NCAA matchup.
Duke was awarded a No. 2 seed in the Southeast region by the NCAA selection committee on Sunday, despite having lost three of its last four games. Murray State enters the tournament after beating top-seeded Austin Peay, 88-85, in overtime in the championship of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. The Blue Devils (23-8) have never faced the Racers, or any other team from the Ohio Valley Conference, but Duke's coaches and players are not taking the game lightly.
"We feel really proud to be No. 2 and feel great about going to Charlotte, but don't feel that great about playing Murray State-they're pretty good," coach Mike Krzyzewski said.
Although they are a No. 15 seed, the Racers (20-9) are on a six-game winning streak and are riding the momentum of their fourth straight OVC title, which they captured 10 days ago.
"They've had a lot of time off and I think they're going to be very tough," Krzyzewski said. "I think in the NCAA Tournament the last couple of years-and this year is quite evident-you get good games early, and this will be a good game. We will have to play well to win, there's no question about that."
Although the first games of the tournament will begin on Thursday, the Blue Devils will not begin their tournament play until Friday. The time off will give the team a much-needed break to regroup from its early exit from the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament, where Duke lost last weekend to N.C. State, 66-60.
"I think playing Friday for us... gives us an extra day of practice which I think is important for what we want to do," Krzyzewski said. "We want to use this as a good week of practice, get better and... start a new season. That's the attitude you have to take.
"We can't overreact to the loss to N.C. State because it's quite evident that N.C. State was pretty good."
Although the Wolfpack failed to complete a four-day ACC Tournament sweep to make it to the NCAA Tournament, the ACC did place six teams in the Big Dance. North Carolina took the No. 1 seed in the East region after winning the ACC Tournament and will play in nearby Winston-Salem. In the West region, Wake Forest claimed a No. 3 seed and Virginia earned the No. 9 seed. Clemson is the No. 4 seed in the Midwest region, and Maryland joins the Blue Devils in the Southeast as the No. 5 seed.
The number of bids extended to the conference is a testament to the level of play in the ACC this year, as five teams consistently ranked in the nation's top 25. With conference play behind them, the Blue Devils must use their experience from the ACC season to prepare themselves for the teams they will face outside of the conference.
"We've played some unbelievable competition in some hostile environments, and I think that gives us an advantage," junior guard Steve Wojciechowski said. "I don't care who we're playing or what conference they're from, I think the ACC and the level of play that we've had this year really prepares us well for the tournament."
This year provides the first chance for many Duke players to be truly competitive at the tournament. The Blue Devils lost in the NCAAs first round to Eastern Michigan last year, 75-60, following injuries to much of the team, and did not participate in the tournament in 1995.
"It's very exciting to have the opportunity to compete in the NCAA Tournament at a time when everyone is healthy and we're really hungry," Wojciechowski said.
The Duke-Murray State contest will begin at approximately 10:05 p.m. Should the Blue Devils win, they will face either Providence or Marquette in a 12:15 p.m. Sunday game.
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