Duke has won three straight ACC Tournament championships.
important and it is and prepared as such.”
Krzyzewski said he uses the ACC to prepare for the NCAA Tournament, which opens the following week.
“We’re just anxious to keep getting better,” he said. “Just concentrate this week on getting better and getting a chance to really simulate an NCAA Tournament environment -- one and done, the crowd, the atmosphere. God bless the ACC and all that they’ve done over the years to make it such an event -- especially singling out what [former tournament director] Fred Barakat did over the years to create the environment which made it seem like a Final Four environment. When we go to Greensboro, I will have a lot of thoughts of him because I thought he was the unsung hero of the ACC over the last couple of decades.”
Duke’s recent run of ACC Tournament success has translated into an impressive NCAA run over the same period. During the 13 years in which the Devils have won 10 ACC titles and gone 33-3 in ACC Tournament play, the Devils have won two national titles, played in four Final Fours and 11 Sweet 16s. Duke’s 36 NCAA wins since 1999 are the most in the nation over that span. The two Sweet 16 misses
(2007 and 2008) were the only two years in that span when Duke didn’t play well in the ACC Tournament.
In fact, Duke has never failed
to reach the NCAA Sweet 16 after winning the ACC championship -- not under Vic Bubas (four times), Bill Foster (twice) or Krzyzewski (13 times). That’s 19 for 19!
A Run Like No Other Before Duke’s recent 13-year run of ACC Tournament success, the league had known a different level of dominance (in 13-year spans)...
NC State (1954-66): The Wolfpack won five titles in the first 13 years of the league, compiling a 20-8 record in that span. The first four titles came under legendary coach Everett Case (who also won six titles in the last seven years in the old Southern Conference). The final crown was won by Press Maravich.
Duke (1958-70): The Blue Devils won four titles and compiled a 24-9 record in a 13-year span, the last 10 (and all five titles) won by Coach Vic Bubas, who still owns the best tournament winning percentage of all time. In addition to his four championships in 10 seasons, Bubas also lost in the finals three times.
North Carolina (1967-79): It took
26 DUKE BASKETBALL
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