Despite missing out on their conference tournament championship, the Duke Blue Devils are back in the NCAA Tournament. This marks the 18th consecutive season in which coach Mike Krzyzewski’s crew has made the big dance.
So what do you need to know about this year’s Dukies? Here are five facts.
1. Of their 27 wins, four have come against teams that were ranked in the Top 5 at the time they played. That includes Louisville, Ohio State, Miami (FL) and Kentucky. They’ve also taken down the currently ranked Virginia Commonwealth Rams.
2. Duke swept their season series against North Carolina for the first time since 2010. That was the same year that the Blue Devils won the National Championship. The last time Duke swept UNC before 2010 was 2004—the year they went to the Final Four. Could we see this trend continue in 2013?
3. All four of Duke’s NCAA Tournament championships have come under coach Mike Krzyzewski. Those came in 1991, ’92, 2001 and ’10. Coincidentally, they were a No. 1 seed in three of those four years—something they could be in 2013.
4. Duke ranks fourth in the nation in terms of three-point field goal percentage at 41.6. They’re seventh in points per game and 11th in points per shot. Oddly enough, they’re in the middle of the pack at 72.7 percent from the free throw line.
5. Duke was 6-0 during neutral ground games this season. In that time, they secured victories over Louisville, Virginia Commonwealth, Kentucky, Davidson and Minnesota—all teams that have either clinched a bid or are expected to make the NCAA Tournament.
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