This weekend, the men's basketball team is set to square off with the Connecticut Huskies in the Final Four. And for perhaps for the first time since 2000, the Blue Devils are the decided underdogs in an NCAA Tournament game.
Duke will have to face off against a squad that boasts the nation's top center, one of its best point guards, and one of the hottest shooting guards in America.
Another obstacle for the Blue Devils will undoubtedly be a boisterous anti-Duke sentiment, otherwise known as ABD--Anybody But Duke. We're confident, however, that the Duke students, alums and family members in attendance will do their best to cheer responsively and respectfully for the Blue Devils, and rise above any disrespectful "Boo Devil" sentiments that may be hurled their way, be they in the form of words or, heaven forbid, glass bottles.
A marvelous stretch of basketball has brought Duke to a zenith in the world of collegiate athletics, one that draws the ire and the envy of many. This success must not be taken for granted, however, and must only be appreciated and respected.
This season, Chris Duhon has provided one of the more memorable year-long performances in Duke basketball history. Coming off a year in which he was maligned by many media pundits, he has been at the core of Duke's return to the Final Four, an ACC regular season championship and two victories over arch-rival North Carolina.
Duhon's efficacy has been hampered in the past few weeks, however, having suffered bruised ribs in the ACC Tournament. But he's played through the pain, much to the chagrin of Duke's opponents along the way. His determination has inspired his team and much of a University that will be rooting for the Blue Devils' first trip to the Final Four since Duhon was a freshman.
But this University would be remiss to neglect the magnificent season enjoyed by the women's basketball program. Led by one of the greatest female athletes in the history of the ACC, Alana Beard, the Blue Devils finished atop the national polls, won a regular season and tournament championship, and advanced to the Elite Eight. We've been blessed to watch Alana play basketball at Duke, and even more so to have enjoyed and learned from her as a person, as a student and as a friend to all of us.
She and fellow seniors Iciss Tillis and Vicki Krapohl have served as exemplary role models on and off the court throughout their time at Duke, and we look forward to following their many successes in the future.
The woman's basketball team will be back with a vengeance, for sure, with three starters returning and two McDonald's All-Americans on the way. And though much has been made of the women's team's lack of a national title on its resume, there's little doubt that that time will come, and come right soon.
Consider the similar paths traversed by the men's and women's programs. It took head coach Mike Krzyzewski's squads several years, triumphs and disappointments before it finally reached the pinnacle of its sport in 1991. So if Alana Beard represents the "Johnny Dawkins of the women's program", as she has been dubbed by many a national sportswriter, then perhaps the Blue Devils' success in basketball is just getting started. Indeed, we have little reason to believe anything else.
There is much to celebrate at Duke in the spring in the realm of athletics. That our men's and women's teams have served as such consistent beacons of excellence is greatly appreciated and laudable. Now we'll cheer the men's squad on as it attempts to advance Duke's reputation in the form of a fourth NCAA title.
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