DBP looks back at some of the decade’s most memorable quotes
10 Coach K Quotes to Remember
“I told my guys we weren’t calling any more plays. ‘I said, just go down and follow your instincts and let’s be men. Let’s be the team we’ve been all year long and let’s play defense.’ And they followed their instincts.” On the record comeback against Maryland in the 2001 Final Four (Duke trailed by 22)
“Shane has won more than anybody I’ve coached (or that anyone has coached!). There’s a reason for that. And the reason is he throws himself completely into it. He gives you a consistently high level of performance and makes sure the people around him are doing the same. I’m going to really miss coaching that kid. It was the way it should be. It was like a storybook. I wasn’t the main character, but I’m glad I was in the book.” On winning the NCAA title with Shane Battier
“Look, if you believe in what I say, if you do everything I ask you to do, we will win the national championship. Do you understand that? If you do everything I say, we are going to win the national championship. I promise you.” From a team meeting after the Maryland loss in 2001 when Carlos Boozer suffered a broken foot
“I hope that all of those youngsters who have played for me and the people who have worked with me will share in this honor. My mom always told me to associate myself with great people and great institutions. I’ve tried to do that at the United States Military Academy and at Duke University, two of the great institutions in the world. As a result, I’ve been around some amazing people.” From his Basketball Hall of Fame induction
“I tell our kids it’s OK to be nervous. Being nervous means it still means something to you, that you care. I’m not excited about the record. I’m excited about coaching my kids another game. It’s what my kids deserve. I’m very fortunate. What others think doesn’t bother me. I’ve been in places where everyone booed me, but then I walk out of my house.” After becoming the winningest coach in NCAA Tournament history
“I try to coach every game like it’s the most important game and the first one that I’ve coached. I guess there’s nerves involved but every game’s important for me. Quite frankly every play’s important to me. I think if you lose that then you’re not going to have a chance to be as good as you can be. I’m asking the same thing of my players. I better ask the same thing of myself.” During the 2006 season
“I remember that night we went to a small restaurant, more like a fast-food place. And I remember a bunch of people around, drinking some iced tea and sodas, and somebody said, ‘Well here’s to forgetting about tonight.’ And I said, ‘No no, here’s to never forgetting about tonight. Because this is a reference point. In order to appreciate where we’re going to be, we have to know how this felt, how losing felt.’” Looking back after a 43-point, season-ending loss to Virginia in 1983
“You have to follow your heart and lead with it and Duke has always taken up my whole heart. No matter how good another option sounds, leading Duke with my whole heart, could only happen at this place. I love my university. I love Duke. Duke is a great, great school, it will always be a great school. I’ll wear my Duke stuff every day. I’m proud of being the Duke coach, being the Duke coach has given me more than I could ever give to Duke.” After receiving a lucrative contract offer from the Lakers
“When you’re that scorer, you’re marked, and in our league, you’re usually marked by athletes — guys who are big — and you’re not only being played by them, but you’re double-teamed by another athlete. In a league like ours, for him to do what he has done is truly amazing, and it shows a toughness and a physical conditioning and mental toughness — that combination that are at the highest level. He’s playing defense too. We’re not going back in a zone and hiding him, so he has to be in incredible shape.” After JJ Redick became Duke’s all-time leading scorer
“We look in their eyes and tell them the truth, which is where we’re at right now. Cry. Shed a few tears. Get an IV, and let’s go. No excuses and let’s go. That’s what our program is founded on. That’s the only way you can have sustained excellence. If you look and say, ‘Are we happy now that we’ve won? Are we sad now that we’ve lost?’ then that’s who you’ll be. We just have to be, ‘Next game. Let’s go. No excuses.’ That’s what our program is founded on. We do whatever we can. We’re not going to punt, let’s put it that way.” During the 2007 season
“This is going to be a matter of collective responsibility. We will win and lose together and we will put together a team that represents our country the best it can on and off the court. It’s our game and it’s time to reclaim it.” After being named the first-ever U.S. National Head Coach
Top 10 Quotes about the Blue Devils
“Duke is the Yankees. Duke is the Soviet hockey team, pre-Miracle on Ice. Duke is the Roman army. The British navy. The Ming Dynasty. Duke is a meteor that always comes back, and the cloud that never stops raining. Duke is the flu in winter and weeds in summer. Duke is Jell-O and Coca-Cola and McDonald’s. Duke is a given. Duke will be in the Final Four. Which is almost like saying a basketball will be in the Final Four. The Age of Duke dawned in 1986, with some Polish guy from Chicago in charge. Since then, the sun has never really set on the Duke Empire…” USA Today’s Mike Lopresti
“Duke is on TV more than ‘Leave It to Beaver’ re-runs.” Former Virginia Coach Pete Gillen
“Love them or hate them, there’s no escaping the Duke Blue Devils. Like the New York Yankees, Manchester United or Tiger Woods, the Blue Devils define an entire sport, no matter who holds the championship trophy in a given year… The winning, the slapping the court, the graduating … it’s what college basketball should be in this day and age of big money and loose morals.” ESPN.com
“Year after year, Duke does seem to be led by ‘the Duke kid,’ some rare mix of brains and brawn and courage and courtesy, a Superman who holds the door for old ladies, a lab tech with a jump shot. Don’t get me wrong. Other schools have their own versions of this player. But Duke seems to find them year after year. It is more than coincidence that connects Danny Ferry to Christian Laettner to Bobby Hurley to Grant Hill to Shane Battier to Jason Williams. It’s character.“ ESPN columnist/author Mitch Albom
“It’s almost like a shadow in the back of your mind. You’re like ‘Dang, shadow, go away!’ But it’s always there. Duke’s always there.” Former Maryland player Byron Mouton
“This is an entire team that plays like they live on Park Avenue but they refuse to give up the court on West Fourth Street. West Fourth Street’s a pretty darn competitive park, and it’s asphalt, and these guys aren’t afraid of getting their knees bloody and their fingers stuck in the chain rims. And that’s what makes them so special.” Davidson Head Coach Bob McKillop
“History matters when it comes to the Duke Way. What’s more, when your program’s achievements include three national titles and 10 Final Fours in the last 19 years, you can access a vast bank of historical precedents to illuminate any present-day challenge.” Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl
“I just met with some ESPN executives. Part of the discussion was what a plus it is in the ratings when Duke is on the air. People want to watch Duke. People want to see them — whether they root for them or not. They’re like Notre Dame in football, the Yankees in baseball: people either love them or hate them because of what they’ve achieved. They are very popular on ESPN. It is even easy to make a case for the Blue Devils as America’s team, based on cable ratings.” ESPN’s Dick Vitale
“The love-hate relationship with Duke among national fans is alive and well. But the one constant is the respect for what Krzyzewski has been able to accomplish since taking over the program. Duke has been to 22 NCAA Tournaments since 1984. The Blue Devils have won three national titles and have been to 10 Final Fours, and they are on a current run of nine straight Sweet 16 appearances. Krzyzewski has built one of the most impressive programs in NCAA history. Duke’s home games are events, and Cameron is arguably the toughest home court in the country. The Blue Devils have their pick of high school All-Americans every year. They produce national player of the year candidates. When Duke plays on the road, the Blue Devils are the biggest draw on every other schedule. No other school can sell out Madison Square Garden or the Meadowlands or places out West other than Duke, regardless of the opponent. The Blue Devils are a happening every season, and it all started with Krzyzewski.” ESPN’s Andy Katz
“You can mix unlimited academic expectations with unlimited winning. That’s what Coach K has proven at Duke. But… maybe what says it best is this: Isn’t Duke where you would want your son to play?” USA Today
10 True Blue Quotes by Duke Players
“It’s not like Coach K comes up with an intricate system, like everybody thinks. We don’t run a lot of plays; it’s pretty simple. We just have standards here. It’s attitude and effort that makes Duke great.” J.J. Redick
“I watched the last four years on TV and I didn’t get to experience it in person, but it’s a huge honor to carry on the tradition of guys like Elton Brand and Shane Battier and Jason Williams. That’s why a lot of us came to Duke, to play in great games, to get to the Final Four and to play for championships.” J.J. Redick, after leading Duke to a fifth straight ACC Tournament title in 2003
“We had a blast at Duke. We won, we played games, we worked hard. We won a national championship. For me, it was everything any kid that wanted to go to college to play basketball could dream of.” Carlos Boozer
“What matters is that Duke believes in Duke. We all believe that in every single game, when we step on the court, that we can win, and that’s our mindset. That’s what makes Duke special.” DeMarcus Nelson
“Every team wants to knock us off. We’re not going to let that happen. We enjoy being on top, and we want to stay on top. We’re going to fight for every inch. Being Duke puts a mark on our back. We have to be prepared for every game and be ready to go to battle.” Chris Duhon
“People say a lot about making shots or missing shots or how many points you score. I consider myself to have a great game if I do the things to help my team win and that doesn’t necessarily mean making or missing shots. If I play great defense, if I rebound, I know I’m helping my team win ballgames. That’s the bottom line.” Shane Battier
“Growing up, when I first got exposed to watching basketball on TV, Duke was always the team that I watched. Once I started playing, I used to think to myself that when I practiced, I was practicing to be a Blue Devil. I just love Coach K and the Duke program; they recruit good people and have good people around the program, which is something I really admire.” Kyle Singler
“Duke doesn’t recruit just anybody. They go after certain guys, Duke guys. We’re all Duke guys, and proud of that.” Lance Thomas
“Duke makes you always want to give your best. If you look around everything you see just shouts victory.” Dave McClure
“Anytime you wear Duke across your chest, you’re always going to have a bull’s-eye on your back. It’s something the old guys are accustomed to, and something the young guys will get accustomed to.” Shelden Williams
“When you think about Duke, you think about all the great players, the great games, the great shots. I brought my parents downstairs to the basement right after that Duke/Kentucky game. My dad was Grant Hill in-bounding the ball, and I was Christian Laettner. My mom, uhh…she was Kentucky.” Jon Scheyer
Scheyer Nets 22, Smith Adds 19, Duke Improves to 10-1
In Pictures - PHOTO GALLERY
Top Plays
Turning Point
After LBSU scored the first bucket of the game, the Devils embarked on a 27-7 run and led by at least 13 the rest of the way.
Blue Devil Ballers
Jon Scheyer scored a game-high 22 points, while dishing out seven assists (without a turnover). Nolan Smith scored 19, also with seven assists and zero turnovers. Brian Zoubek was strong inside, recording a double-double (10 points, 12 rebounds, 5-5 FG) in 25 minutes of action.
Duke Data
10 – Duke blocks, most by the Blue Devils in a game since 2007-08
.577 – Duke’s 3pt FG% in the game (15-26)
26% – Brian Zoubek’s NCAA-best offensive rebound percentage on the year (a measure of the percentage of possible offensive boards he grabs while on the floor)
35 – Consecutive home wins by Duke against unranked teams
Coach K’s Comments
“I thought we beat a good team tonight, a team that’s trained hard, probably harder than anyone in the country. Initially I thought we played great. We let up defensively once we got a really commanding lead and we never got back to the level of defense that we played at the beginning of the game till the end of the game. I thought our two backcourt kids (Nolan and Jon) were terrific to have 14 assists and 0 turnovers in this game. They have good quickness and they just took good care of the ball. Overall, I thought we played well or else we wouldn’t win. They (Long Beach State) keep a lot of pressure with their quickness. We did a good job on (T.J.) Robinson because he’s actually been 18 and 13 and he’s done it against Kentucky and Notre Dame, West Virginia and UCLA and Clemson. That’s the schedule that these guys have played, so they weren’t in awe of anybody. They weren’t going to back down. I thought, especially in the second half, they played really well. Coming off the break, overall I thought we did well. We did a good job.”
Locker Room Reaction
After a 10-day layoff for the holidays, the Blue Devils were happy to get back to business in Cameron. Said Nolan, “The whole game, we were excited to play, but especially the first half because it was the first game in 10 days. Everybody was excited, ready to get after this team, especially seeing the teams that they played… I’m happy with any win, pretty or ugly. I just love to win. As a team, we know there are things we can do to get better. We have Penn, which will be our next game to get ready for the ACC, and we need to go out there and really turn it up more than we did tonight.”
Sixth Man
With the students still on break, Cameron was packed with a number of fans who don’t get inside for games as often. Several recent Crazie grads were spotted in attendance and leading the traditional cheers. A caveman appeared in the student section as well.
Around the Web
Box Score — Stat recap
AP recap — Smith, Scheyer combine for 41
Duke Makes the Extra Pass — 14 assists, zero turnovers for Scheyer/Smith backcourt
3-pointers lift Duke — News & Observer recap
Quotes — Player reactions
Notes
*This happened for possibly the first time in history during a game in Cameron. Our managers hustled to track down a replacement ball.
*Duke jersey retiree Mike Gminski was in the house and on the call for Fox Sports South.
*Next up: Duke closes out the calendar year on Thursday when Penn visits Cameron (6:00 PM, ESPN2).
Fave Photo
DBP takes a look at our notable facts/figures of the past decade
Top 10 Duke Stats of the Decade
*We Won Early, Often… With 30 wins in 2008-09, Duke capped off the decade with an NCAA-best 291 victories (also the all-time record for most wins by a program in a single decade).
*King of the Big Dance… Coach K became the NCAA Tourney all-time wins leader with a win in the 2005 NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devil leader has 71 victories in the Big Dance, six more than any coach in history (Dean Smith is second with 65).
*Making ACC History… Duke won 7 ACC Tournament titles, with the rest of the league winning three (UNC- 2, Maryland- 1). The Devils set an ACC record in 2003 when we won the conference tournament for a fifth straight year.
*Atop the Polls… Duke reached the No. 1 ranking (AP) in more seasons (seven) than any entire conference combined (teams from the Big East, Pac-10 and ACC excluding Duke each reached the top ranking in six seasons). The Blue Devils finished nine of the 10 years ranked in the Top 10 in the final AP poll of the year (NCAA leader by three). Also, in 2006, Coach K set the all-time record for most seasons ranked No. 1 by a coach, passing John Wooden’s mark of 12. The Devils again reached the top spot in 2009, pushing Coach K’s record number of seasons ranked No. 1 to 14. Over the course of the decade, Duke was ranked No. 1 a total of 41 weeks and set a record in 2002 by finishing a fourth straight season ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll.
*Decade’s Best Wore Duke Blue… Duke players Shane Battier, Jason Williams and JJ Redick combined to earn five National Player of the Year awards. Kansas was the only other school with multiple NPOY awards (with two).
*Red, White and Blue Devils… 10 different Duke players earned a total of 15 All-America selections, and the Blue Devils produced an All-American in eight of the decade’s 10 seasons. No other program had more than seven All-Americans (Kansas/UNC) or 11 All-America picks (UNC).
*Always Ready to Dance… Duke earned an NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed in over half the Big Dances contested in the decade (six). No other school had more than four top seeds in the NCAA Tourney.
*Devilish in the Classroom Too… Duke produced 19 ACC Academic Honor Roll selections in the decade, five more than any team in the conference (Clemson was second with 14). Blue Devils were named Academic All-Americans five times during the decade.
*Spotlight On Us… Duke had 268 regular-season national TV appearances over the decade’s 10 seasons, 81 more than any other school (UNC was second with 187).
*Duke Pride in the NBA… Former Duke players won four straight NBA Sportsmanship Awards from 2005-2008 (Grant Hill in 2005 and 2008, Elton Brand in 2006, Luol Deng in 2007). The annual honor is the league’s top award for character and sportsmanship.
Other NBA Facts:
*Duke matched UConn for most lottery picks in the decade (seven).
*Duke players (Grant Hill, Elton Brand, Carlos Boozer) were selected to six NBA All-Star games.
*During the decade, Coach K pushed his all-time record total of lottery picks produced to 15 (four more than any other coach in history).
*A total of 24 different former Blue Devils played in the NBA during the decade.
*On NBA opening day this season, Duke and UCLA were tied with the most alums in the NBA (14).
*Blue Devils in the NBA will combined to make $82,010,274 in salary this season, an all-time NBA record for a college alumni group.
National Titles… 2001
Final Fours… 2001, 2004
ACC Tourney Champs… 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2009
ACC Regular Season Champs… 2000, 2001, 2004, 2006
Undefeated Seasons in Cameron… 2002, 2003
Retired Jerseys… Shane Battier (2001), Jason Williams (2003), Shelden Williams (2007), JJ Redick (2007)
Seasons Ranked No. 1… 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009
Duke vs. the ACC… Boston College: 8-1, Clemson: 16-2, Florida State: 14-4, GA Tech: 18-2, Maryland: 16-9, Miami: 7-1, UNC: 14-9, NC State: 18-3, Virginia: 16-3, VA Tech: 6-2, Wake Forest: 16-5
Duke National Players of the Year (3 players, 5 awards)… Shane Battier (2001), Jason Williams (2001), Jason Williams (2002), JJ Redick (2005), JJ Redick (2006)
Duke National Defensive Players of the Year (2 players, 4 awards)… Shane Battier (2000), Shane Battier (2001), Shelden Williams (2005), Shelden Williams (2006)
Duke All-Americans (10 players, 15 selections)… Chris Carrawell (2000), Shane Battier (2000, 2001), Jason Williams (2001, 2002), Carlos Boozer (2002), Mike Dunleavy (2002), Chris Duhon (2004), JJ Redick (2004, 2005, 2006), Shelden Williams (2005, 2006), DeMarcus Nelson (2008), Gerald Henderson (2009)
NBA Pros This Decade (24 players)… William Avery, Shane Battier, Elton Brand, Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng, Chris Duhon, Mike Dunleavy, Daniel Ewing, Danny Ferry, Gerald Henderson, Grant Hill, Dahntay Jones, Christian Laettner, Antonio Lang, Trajan Langdon, Corey Maggette, Roshown McLeod, Josh McRoberts, DeMarcus Nelson, Cherokee Parks, Shavlik Randolph, JJ Redick, Jason Williams, Shelden Williams
DBP looks back at some of the top players of the decade
Top 10 Seasons by a Duke Player
1. Shane Battier – 2001
19.9 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.8 APG, 2.3 BPG, 2.1 SPG, National Player of the Year & National Defensive POY; Ended career as national champion, winningest player in college hoops history, Academic All-American, ACC POY
2. JJ Redick – 2006
26.8 PPG, 2.6 APG (.470 FG%, .421 3pt FG, .863 FT), 14 games of 30+ points, National Player of the Year, set Duke record for points and 3’s made in a season, became Duke’s all-time leading scorer, ACC POY
3. Jason Williams – 2001
21.6 PPG, 6.1 APG, 3.3 RPG, 2.0 SPG (.473 FG%, .427 3pt FG), National Player of the Year, 2nd-most points and 3’s made in a single season at Duke, scored 25+ in 15 games
4. Jason Williams – 2002
21.3 PPG, 5.3 APG, 3.5 RPG, 2.2 SPG (.457 FG%, .383 3pt FG), National Player of the Year, scored 25+ in 13 games, drafted No. 2 in 2002 NBA Draft
5. JJ Redick – 2005
21.8 PPG (.408 FG%, .403 3pt FG, .863 FT%), National Player of the Year, 2nd-best FT% in Duke history, ACC POY
6. Shelden Williams- 2006
18.8 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 3.8 BPG (.578 FG%), National Defensive Player of the Year, became Duke’s all-time leader in rebounds and blocks, first player in Coach K era to average a double-double, 21 double-doubles, All-American
7. Shane Battier – 2000
17.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.1 APG, 2.1 BPG, 2.0 SPG (.496 FG%, .444 3pt FG), National Defensive Player of the Year, All-American, Academic All-American
8. Carlos Boozer – 2002
18.2 PPG, 8.7 RPG (.665 FG%), 2nd-best FG% in a single season in Duke history, 14 double-doubles, All-American
9. Mike Dunleavy – 2002
17.3 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 2.1 APG, 2.3 SPG (.483 FG%, .378 3pt FG), All-American, Scored 20+ in 13 games, Academic All-American
10. Chris Carrawell – 2000
16.9 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 3.2 APG (.486 FG%), All-American, ACC POY, Scored 20+ in 13 games
Top 10 Single-Game Duke Performances
1/29/09 – JJ Redick vs. Virginia – 40 pts (11-13 FG, 8-10 3pt, 10-11) – 82-63 Win
*JJ took just 13 shots from the floor to score 40 in the most efficient Duke scoring performance this decade.
12/18/01 – Jason Williams vs. Kentucky – 38 pts (12-21 FG, 7-10 3pt), 4 assts – 95-92 Win (OT)
*J-Will scored a career-high 38 in a marquee matchup against No. 7 Kentucky to lead Duke to an overtime victory at the Meadowlands.
12/10/05 – JJ Redick vs. Texas – 41 pts (13-24 FG, 9-16 3pt), 3 stls – 97-66 Win
*In a No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown at the Meadowlands, JJ poured in a career-high 41 to lead the top-ranked Blue Devils to a blowout win over Texas.
4/2/01 – Shane Battier vs. Arizona – 18 pts (7-14 FG), 11 rebs, 6 assts, 2 blks, 0 TO – 82-72 Win
*Shane saved his best for last in the national championship game in his senior year, recording a double-double and making plays all game long on both ends of the court to push Duke to the NCAA title.
3/16/03 – JJ Redick vs. NC State – 30 pts (7-12 FG, 5-10 3pt, 11-12 FT), 4 rebs – 84-77 Win
*JJ Redick scored 23 of his 30 points over the final 10:05 of the ACC Championship Game, helping Duke rally from a 15-point second-half deficit to win a fifth straight ACC title.
1/11/06 – Shelden Williams vs. Maryland – 19 pts, 11 rebs, 10 blks – 76-52 Win
*The Landlord recorded the lone Duke triple-double this decade, leading the No. 1-ranked Devils past No. 23 Maryland in Cameron.
3/22/01 – Jason Williams vs. UCLA – 34 pts (11-21 FG, 5-13 3pt), 4 assts, 3 stls – 76-63 Win
*Jason Williams propelled Duke to the Elite 8 by dropping 34 points on No. 15 UCLA, including 19 in a row in the second half.
3/6/04 – Luol Deng vs. UNC – 25 pts (12-16 FG), 5 rebs, 2 assts – 70-65 Win
*Luol Deng couldn’t be stopped in his last game in Cameron, scoring 25 points in one of the greatest performances by a freshman in Duke/UNC rivalry history.
2/22/09 – Gerald Henderson vs. Wake Forest – 35 pts (11-15 FG, 12-14 FT), 2 assts – 101-91 Win
*Gerald Henderson scored a career-high 35 to push Duke past No. 8 Wake Forest in an intense game in Cameron.
2/14/02 – Carlos Boozer vs. NC State – 32 pts (13-14 FG), 6 rebs – 108-71 Win
*Carlos Boozer almost couldn’t miss, connecting on 93% of his FGA, as the Blue Devils routed No. 24 NC State in Cameron.
All-Decade Duke Team
G: Jason Williams (2x NPOY, 2x All-American), Chris Duhon (All-American)
G: JJ Redick (2x NPOY, 3x All-American, 2x ACC POY), Gerald Henderson (All-American)
F: Mike Dunleavy (All-American), Luol Deng (Regional MVP)
F: Shane Battier (NPOY, 2x All-American, 3x NDPOY), Chris Carrawell (All-American, ACC POY)
F: Shelden Williams (2x NDPOY, 3x All-American), Carlos Boozer (All-American)
All-NBA Duke Team
G: Grant Hill
G: Luol Deng
F: Shane Battier
F: Carlos Boozer
F: Elton Brand
Reserves: Chris Duhon, Mike Dunleavy, Corey Maggette
Best NBA Season by a Blue Devil
Blue Devils in the NBA, represented in six of the 10 All-Star Games played in the decade, earned three All-NBA selections. The single best season came early in the decade when Grant Hill averaged 25.8 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 5.2 APG, and 1.2 SPG in 1999-00. Third in the league in scoring on the year, Grant joins Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Tracy McGrady as the lone NBA players to average 25+ PPG, 6+ RPG, and 5+APG in a single season this decade.
DBP looks back at some of the best Duke games and moments of the past decade
Top 10 Duke Games of the Decade
1. 2001 National Title Game – Duke vs. Arizona (Duke wins the NCAA title)
2. 2001 Final Four – Duke vs. Maryland (Duke erases record 22-point deficit to advance)
3. 2001 – Duke at Maryland (Miracle Minute – Duke rallies from 10 down in the final 54 seconds)
4. 2001 – Duke at UNC (With Boozer down, Devils respond in Chapel Hill)
5. 2004 – Duke at UNC (Duhon’s OT layup pushes Duke to 13th win over UNC in 15 games)
6. 2003 – Duke vs. NC State (Redick’s 2nd half explosion leads Duke to 5th straight ACC title)
7. 2006 – Duke vs. Texas (No. 1 vs. No. 2 in the Meadowlands and JJ goes off for 41)
8. 2006 – Duke vs. VA Tech (Dockery buzzer-beater in Cameron)
9. 2004 – Duke vs. UNC (Duke D holds strong on last possession as Devils win)
10. 2008 – Duke at NC State (Furious Duke comeback gives Coach K his 800th win)
10 Memorable Moments
The National Title in 2001… Perhaps the most talented squad in Duke history, led by five future NBA starters (Battier, J. Williams, Dunleavy, Boozer, Duhon) and an All-ACC pro (current assistant coach Nate James), the Blue Devils went 35-4 and won it all. The season also included an ACC Tourney title, an ACC regular-season crown, the Preseason NIT championship, and the final No. 1 ranking in the polls. Shane and J-Will both earned separate National Player of the Year honors as well as Duke won every possible championship for which we competed. “Coach K is such a tremendous influence in my life,” Battier said after winning the national title. “To give him his third championship, and separate him from the pack that has won two is the best way that I could go out. It’s my going-away present to him. I am the luckier person to have the relationship with him for the last four years. And I know that he’ll be one of my most valuable friends for the rest of my life.”
2004 Final Four… Paced by a savvy veteran (Chris Duhon) and a precocious freshman (Luol Deng), the Blue Devils won 31 games in 2004 and advanced to the Final Four with a tough win over Xavier in the regional final. Deng earned NCAA Tournament regional MVP honors and Duhon was an All-American on the year, with the team reaching the No. 1 ranking in America and winning the ACC regular-season title as well. “This is probably my favorite team since I’ve been at Duke,” Duhon said that year. “It’s an amazing feeling to go out and battle with these guys. I hope they enjoy it as much as I have.”
Duke wins fifth straight ACC Title in 2003… NC State had Duke on the ropes in the 2003 ACC title game, leading by 15 midway through the second half. Freshman sharpshooter J.J. Redick then produced one of the best performances of his Duke career when the Devils really needed it, scoring 23 points over the final 10:05. Duke rallied and eventually won 84-77, thus becoming the first team to ever win five straight ACC Tournament crowns. “I watched the last four years on TV and I didn’t get to experience it in person, but it’s a huge honor to carry on the tradition of guys like Elton Brand and Shane Battier and Jason Williams,” Redick said after the game. “That’s the reason I came to Duke, to continue the tradition of being one of the top programs in the country.”
JJ breaks the Duke scoring record in 2006… In typical J.J. Redick fashion, the guard slipped around a screen, took a feed in front of the Duke bench and launched a three-pointer that captivated the entire arena. This shot was worth more than three points, however, as the bucket pushed J.J. to first on the all-time Duke scoring chart. The previous top scorer, Johnny Dawkins, was there on the bench coaching Redick and shared in the celebration of a historic night in Cameron. Said Coach K after the game, “When you’re that scorer, you’re marked, and in our league, you’re usually marked by athletes. And you’re not only being played by them, but you’re being double-teamed by another athlete. In a league like ours, for him to do what he has done is truly amazing.”
Coach K wins gold in 2008… The 2008 Olympic basketball gold medal game was contested in the early morning hours back on the east coast but many die-hard Blue Devil fans were still awake. In one of the great gold medal games of all-time, the Coach K-led U.S. National Team fought past a Spain team that was firing on all cylinders. At the under 8:00 timeout, it was a one-possession game before Kobe Bryant took over and the Americans finished strong. Representing Duke in grand style all the way in China, Coach K watched his Team USA players celebrate a mission accomplished. “We played with great character in one of the great games in international basketball history. Spain was fabulous, we couldn’t stop them completely. Everyone played at the highest level, and it brought out the best in us — and we’re ecstatic, just ecstatic.”
Coach K Inducted into Basketball Hall of Fame… In his first year of eligibility, Coach K received basketball’s highest honor with induction into the Hall of Fame in October 2001. “I hope that all of those youngsters who have played for me and the people who have worked with me will share in this honor, said Coach K. “My mom always told me to associate myself with great people and great institutions. I’ve tried to do that at the United States Military Academy and at Duke University, two of the great institutions in the world. As a result, I’ve been around some amazing people.”
Duke Unveils Krzyzewski Center… In February 2008, Duke officially opened our brand-new training facility, the K Center. The new building offers two basketball courts, a weight room, a cardio room, a locker room for former players, a video room, a theater, a banquet space for meals, and academic support for all Duke student-athletes. The world-class facility provides our players with the finest resources in the country to improve and develop on and off the court. Said Chris Duhon, “It ranks right there with the best because they have everything. They have the courts, the locker room, the weight room — everything is right there and accessible to you. It is a beautiful, beautiful facility. It probably would be the best of all the training facilities I have seen in the NBA and college.”
Four Jersey Retirements… During the past decade, four amazing Duke players saw their jerseys retired and immortalized in the rafters of Cameron. Shane Battier was first in 2001, followed by Jason Williams (2003), Shelden Williams (2007) and JJ Redick (2007). Redick, Duke’s all-time leading scorer, stated on his Retirement Day, “Records are something that kind of just happen as you’re playing, but an honor like having your jersey retired means somebody has to recognize you, somebody has to honor you. So, for Duke to do this … I am just extremely humbled. Every time now that I walk into Cameron, it’s going to mean something more. This is something that I crazily dreamed about years ago.”
Cameron Court Named in Coach K’s Honor… On November 17, 2000, Duke named Cameron Indoor’s storied floor “Coach K Court” in honor of the legendary Duke coach after his 500th Blue Devil win. Said Coach K, “My love for Duke and this building and the people in it — I can’t love it more. And so to have my name on that court is great. You couldn’t have honored me in a better way.”
Emily K Center Opens in Durham… A constant theme in the Duke program is giving back, and in spring 2008, Coach K and the Blue Devil family did that at the highest level when the Emily Krzyzewski Center opened in Durham’s West End. The center serves the local community by inspiring economically disadvantaged students to dream big, strive for excellence, build strong character and reach their highest potential. Said Coach K shortly after the center opened, “The community center in the neighborhood where I grew up had a significant impact on the direction of my life. Our goal is to create that type of environment and experience for the youth in this community. It’s a wonderful thing, and it’s something that will go on forever. When you’re able to help people help themselves, that eventually helps the community and helps everyone. That’s the person my mom was. I named it after her so people understand you don’t get there alone.”
