A Duke team built to win titles never got the chance
Duke started the year ranked in the top 10 and ended it there too.
In between, the Blue Devils dazzled while collecting 25 wins, showing enough potential to believe more wins were expected this month and perhaps in April.
All that potential dissolved into nothing but dreams when the rest of the college basketball season was abruptly canceled Thursday.
The nation’s efforts to stem the tide of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic rendered things like basketball games trivial and unimportant.
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said as much in a video message the school released on Friday.
“There are knowns and uncertainties,” Krzyzewski said. “People have to make decisions based on that and then keep open minded about what transpires. This could be more long-term than we can even imagine.”
So we are left to assess Duke’s season cut short, a season that saw the Blue Devils claim wins over three Power Five teams that won a least a share of their league’s regular-season championships.
Duke opened the year Nov. 5 by edging Kansas 68-66 in Madison Square Garden. Kansas ended the season ranked No.1 and in first place in the Big 12.
The Blue Devils went north to play at Michigan State in the ACC-Big 10 Challenge, posting a dominating 87-75 win at East Lansing, Michigan. Those same Spartans finished the season tied with Maryland and Wisconsin for first place in the nation’s top-rated conference, the Big 10.
On Feb. 10, the Blue Devils displayed tenacity and mental toughness while beating Florida State 75-70 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. That win came two days after an emotional 98-96 overtime win at rival North Carolina. With little prep time, Duke beat a Seminoles team that won the ACC regular-season championship.
Those three wins, along with sweeping two games against the rival Tar Heels, are among the high points in Duke’s 25-6 campaign, that included a 15-5 ACC record.
The Blue Devils were ranked No. 10 in the final Associated Press regular-season poll. Ken Pomeroy’s ratings at KenPom.com have Duke No. 6 in the country, rated higher than any other ACC team.
Duke also held the best rating among ACC teams in the NCAA’s NET ranking system with the No. 6 slot.
Once again, Duke was involved in games that earned the highest television ratings. Four of the games among the top-10 most watched included Duke, including the top two (Duke at UNC, Duke vs. Kansas).
All that said, there were some stunning losses along the way that left doubts whether or not Duke was destined to claim ACC or NCAA championships had those tournaments been played.
An 85-83 overtime loss to Stephen F. Austin at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Nov. 26 sent shockwaves around the sport. Duke hadn’t lost to a nonconference opponent at home since February 2000.
Those same Lumberjacks ended the season with a sterling 28-3 record and No. 77 in the NET rankings. So, looking back, it’s not even the worst loss Duke suffered.
That dubious distinction is a 113-101 double-overtime setback at Wake Forest, which finished 13-18 and 6-14 in the ACC. Despite his team pulling that upset, Danny Manning may not be retained as Wake’s coach.
There was also an 88-66 loss at N.C. State on Feb. 19, a stunning no-show performance by a Duke team that entered the game in Raleigh riding a seven-game winning streak.
Beating Kansas, Michigan State and Florida State showed Duke had a high ceiling. The losses to Wake Forest, Stephen F. Austin and N.C. State showed where Duke’s floor was as well.
Still, this was a Duke team that distinguished itself once again with effective offense and solid defense.
KenPom’s ratings show Duke with the nation’s ninth-best offensive efficiency and the No. 12 defense. Kansas is the only team in the country to finish top-10 in both categories — No. 8 on offense, No. 2 on defense.
San Diego State finished No. 11 on offense and No. 10 on defense.
No one else was remotely close to being top 10 at both ends of the court, which shows how well Duke compared to the rest of the country this season.
Sophomore guard Tre Jones, the ACC player of the year, was a big part of Duke’s strong play on both ends. He averaged 16.2 points and 6.4 assists per game while once again showing he was one of the nation’s best defenders.
Jones and 6-10 freshman center Vernon Carey, who averaged 17.8 points and 8.8 rebounds, were both named first-team all-ACC. They provided Duke with an inside-outside combination that was lethal to most opponents.
Freshman wing Cassius Stanley displayed superior athleticism while recording highlight reel dunks all season. He didn’t make everyone forget Zion Williamson’s exploits the season prior, but Stanley proved to be a must-see player in his own right while averaging 12.6 points and making the ACC’s all-freshman team.
Even in a season where Krzyzewski used a deep bench that saw 10, or sometimes 11, players contribute to wins, those were the three players in best positions to lead Duke to great accomplishments in the postseason.
Carey and Jones are expected to enter the NBA Draft once the sports world returns to normalcy. Stanley will have that opportunity as well. Seniors Jack White, Javin DeLaurier and Justin Robinson have exhausted their eligibility, barring any NCAA decision to grant seniors extra years due to the odd ending of the season.
Duke, as usual, has a highly regarded recruiting class set to arrive on campus this summer, ready to chase more championships.
But even as future stars like Jalen Johnson and D.J. Steward arrive, the accomplishments by the 2019-20 Blue Devils remain something to savor.
This story was originally published March 14, 2020 at 12:06 PM.