DUKE’S DECADE
TOP MOMENTS
1. THE NATIONAL TITLE 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 com-
peted. “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.”
2. COACH K WINS GOLD IN 2008 The 2008 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 greatest gold medal games of all-time, the Coach K-led U.S. National
Team fought past Spain. 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 in China, Coach K watched his 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.”
3. THE 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 Tour-
nament 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 enjoyed it as much as I have.”
4. 5 STRAIGHT ACC TOURNEY TITLES NC State had Duke on the ropes in the 2003 ACC title game, leading by 15
midway through the second half. Freshman 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.”
5. JJ SETS SCORING RECORD 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.”
26 DUKE BASKETBALL
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