Losing two games in a row to end the season is never a good omen when it comes to postseason success.
Fortunately for the Blue Devils, they have the one attribute that has proven successful in recent years. It's not being the hottest at the beginning of the Tournament or being the top-ranked team in the country. It isn't an ingenious system or a ton of depth, either.
The common thread that runs through many successful teams is simply having the best players, and no one can doubt that Duke has two of the best players in the country in seniors J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams.
It seems simple and obvious, but it holds true. In the end, talent wins out.
The team whose best players have been the best has won the national title over and over.
Think about the national champions dating back to Duke in 2001. Last year, North Carolina featured Sean May, Raymond Felton, Rashad McCants and Marvin Williams. And even though they tanked in the ACC Tournament-the Tar Heels rode those stars to a national title.
They beat out a great Illinois team with some very good players. But the Illini's talent simply did not compare to that of UNC.
The year before, Connecticut used stars Emeka Okafor and Ben Gordon to beat out Duke's squad led by Chris Duhon and a young Redick.
The theme holds true farther back, from Carmelo Anthony and Hakim Warrick in 2003 to Shane Battier and Jason Williams in 2001: The team that has the best star players just doesn't seem lose.
Why should this year be any different?
Redick, a reigning first-team All-American, is hands-down the best guard in the country. He is second in the nation in scoring and is in a two-man battle for National Player of the Year. Sure, he's struggled in recent games, but there's a lot of motivation on the table for him.
If he doesn't pick it up during the NCAA Tournament, he can kiss the NBA lottery-and possibly the first round-goodbye. What's more, Redick has talked all about how important he considers his legacy at Duke. It seems likely that even if his shot isn't going down, he'll find a way to get his points and get his team a win.
The Landlord isn't half-bad, either. Several experts have named him to their All-America first team and he was named first-team All-ACC Monday.
The NCAA Tournament is decided on the interior in each game's final minutes and the referee's whistles in their pockets. There's no player in the country more perfect for that situation that Williams.
With the nation's best inside-outside combination, featuring two of the best players in all the land, Duke will be a force to be reckoned with.
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