The Numbers Are Staggering
Duke fans need to realize & appreciate the incredible success that the Duke basketball program
has had under the leadership of Coach K. Not only has Duke been the dominate program in the ACC, but the Blue Devils are as
close to being dominate nationally as may be possible in the current "age of parity". Since the NCAA Tournament field was
expanded to 64 teams, the numbers that Duke teams have posted in tournament competition are staggering. Throughout
the 20 years since the expansion of the tournament in 1985 there has been one constant, which is Coach K. Coach K has
built the Duke basketball program into the premier program in the country. Below is a summary of the incredible success that
Duke has enjoyed under Coach K since 1985.
Number of Tournment Appearances
Duke is tied with Kansas for 2nd place in the number of tournament appearances since 1985 with 19.
They trail only Arizona, which is the only program to appear in every NCAA Tournament since 1985.
Sweet 16 Appearances
Duke has made the Sweet 16 round in 15 out of 20 years, which is two better than second place North
Carolina & Kentucky.
Elite 8 Appearances
Duke has made the Elite 8 round in 11 out of 20 years, which is two better than second place North
Carolina & Kentucky.
Final Four Appearances
Duke has been to 10 of the 20 final fours since 1985, which is four better than second place North
Carolina & Kansas.
Championship Game Appearances
Duke has been to 7 NCAA Tournament Championship games since 1985, which is four better than several
schools who have been to 3 title games.
NCAA Championships
Duke has won 3 titles since 1985, which is one better than second place Kentucky.
Other notes & facts:
Duke is an incredible 62-15 in NCAA Tournament competition since 1985, which is a winning percentage
of 81%. Kentucky & North Carolina have won the next highest number of games with 47 each. Connecticut has the next
highest winning percentage at 76% (32-10).
Duke is the first school to ever receive a #1 seed for 5 consecutive tournaments (1998-2002). No
other school has ever received a #1 seed for more than 3 consecutive tournaments.
Coach K is 2 tournament wins away from passing former North Carolina coach Dean Smith in career NCAA
Tournament wins. Currently Coach K has 64 wins to Smith's 65. Smith coached in 27 tournaments to Coach K's 20.
Coach K's 80% (64-16) NCAA Tournament career winning percentage is second only to UCLA coaching legend
John Wooden, who won 82.5% (47-10) in his coaching career.
As the numbers demonstrate, Duke fans are witnessing an incredible era of unmatched success for the
Duke basketball program, which should be enjoyed & relished. It is fair to say that we shall never likely see a comparable
degree of success in any current Duke fan's lifetime. But perhaps the most incredible aspect of all these numbers & all
the success that the Duke program has had under Coach K is that there is no end in sight.
(4/2/04)
