For the 97th time in Duke basketball history, the Blue Devils ended a season without a national championship.
And although tears were shed after Duke’s 78-68 loss at the hands of Michigan State Friday night, it is difficult to ignore the sense of accomplishment shared by a team that said it got more out of this season than most.
“I told the kids after the game, it’d be a mistake for us to dwell on this game—and a loss—because the season has been absolutely beautiful and sensational,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “We showed the same heart tonight—our kids never gave up.”
It would have been easy for the Blue Devils to throw in the towel at any point this season. After last season’s Final Four trip, the team lost senior Chris Duhon to graduation and freshman Luol Deng and recruit Shaun Livingston to the lure of NBA riches.
The departure of those three left Duke with a short bench and without a true point guard. As a result they were ranked No. 11 in the preseason and selected to finish fourth in the ACC.
Neither departures, injuries nor lower expectations deterred them because in the minds of Krzyzewski and his players, there is no such thing as a down year in Durham and certainly not in the 100th year of Duke basketball.
“It’s one of those things you really have to love about having teammates like that because in a lot of places you go, everyone is so consumed with just themselves and not the unit,” senior Reggie Love said. “I think everyone on the team has done a great job and risen to the challenges of adversity this year.”The team managed to win 27 games, lose just six, capture its sixth ACC Tournament in seven years and earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in the past eight seasons—all triumphs not to be taken lightly.
“The achievement of a No. 1 seed is an amazing accomplishment for this group of young men,” Krzyzewski said. “It’s one of the biggest accomplishments I’ve had in coaching for our group to finish ACC champs and get a No 1 seed.”
And although the flicker of hope for a National Championship was extinguished in Austin, Texas, Friday night, the prospects for next season appear even brighter.
J.J. Redick has repeatedly stated he will return for his senior year and reiterated that Friday night, hoping to top his impressive junior campaign. After recommitting himself to basketball and undergoing rigorous off-season workouts, Redick transformed himself into a more complete player. He was named ACC Player of the Year and is a finalist for the Naismith National Player of the Year honor, accolades that seemed out of his reach back in November.
Meanwhile junior Shelden Williams, who became the first player under Krzyzewski to average a double-double for a season, said he will take time to weigh his options regarding whether he’ll enter the NBA draft or finish out his Duke career.
Either way, the incoming freshman class will fill many of the holes Michigan State exploited in Duke’s final loss. The five-member class includes three McDonald’s All-Americans, a good shooter in Martynas Pocius and Jamal Boykin, who was named player of the year in California but did not earn an invite to Wednesday’s all-star game.
Greg Paulus, who is ranked as the second best point guard in his class by scout.com, will bring immediate assistance to junior Sean Dockery. And Josh McRoberts and his 6-foot-10, 240-pound frame will help rebound and add depth in the post.
Altogether next year’s lineup should include seven McDonald’s All-Americans of the 12 recruited scholarship players. And considering Krzyzewski’s coaching masterpiece this year, it is not premature for the Blue Devils to set their sights on Indianapolis in 2006.
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