While we are all aware of NBA and its massive fan following, which also generates heavy NBA betting, let’s look at the source of this celebrated sports league. Yes, we’re referring to the college teams.

This article will discuss the history of one of the most celebrated local basketball teams, the Duke Blue Devils. 

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Duke University is a private institution in Durham, North Carolina, the Duke Blue Devils men’s basketball team was established in 1905 and has won five NCAA titles, the most recent in 2015. Let’s examine how the team has performed.

2019: Year of rookies

The 2019 team is akin to the present Blue Devil roster in many aspects. The 2019 Duke team, like this year’s championship team, included four rookies in its starting squad. RJ Barrett, Zion Williamson, Tre Jones and Cam Reddish — now NBA players – led a juggernaut that finished 32-6 and ranked first in the AP poll. 

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The Blue Devils defeated Syracuse, North Carolina and Florida State on their way to the league title.

Duke turned the ball over 17 times in that 68-67 loss. A similar issue plagued this year’s team, and if it intends to replicate the 2019 Blue Devils’ success, the new champs will need to take better care of the ball heading forward.

2011: Repeat failure

One year after Duke won its fourth NCAA title, the 2011 team of Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith, Seth Curry and Kyrie Irving appeared poised to repeat. The Blue Devils defeated every team in the ACC tournament by double digits, along with a championship-game 75-58 thrashing of North Carolina. 

Duke never dropped below No. 5 in the AP poll all campaign, and with a roster that included eight future NBA players and a No. 1 seed in the West, a long NCAA tournament run appeared certain. Nevertheless, in their Sweet 16 game against No. 5 seed Arizona, the Blue Devils let up a 55-point second half and lost 93-77.

2010: Champions

While all the teams mentioned above were great, none achieved the elusive ambition of a national championship. To identify a Duke team that won both the ACC and NCAA tournaments in the same season, look no further than 2010. Jon Scheyer is the team’s captain. 

The now-head coach point guard led the squad in scoring, pushing Duke to a 35-5 record and its fourth national championship in club history. 

However, Scheyer made the game-winning three-pointer in the conference championship game with roughly 20 seconds remaining to cement the Blue Devils’ victory. Duke won the title game against Butler 61-59 after surviving a half-court heave by Gordon Hayward at the buzzer.

Final Thoughts

If Scheyer wants to join the elite group of winning a national title as both a coach and a player, he’ll have to go even further than he did as captain. While the team from 2010 had a No. 1 seed, this year’s team, a No. 5 seed, will almost certainly be an underdog in games beyond the second round.

On the other hand, the Blue Devils head coach understands the requirements to triumph on the grandest stage; he has done it before.