When I visited Duke after getting accepted as a high school senior, the first building I walked into was the Duke Basketball Museum & Hall of Fame. Sports—specifically basketball—served as one of the main draws of the school to me, so it seemed like a natural place to start.
After stepping inside, I was in awe of the countless memorabilia commemorating such a historic program. But one thing stood out above everything else—a video in the back right corner showing highlights of the Blue Devils’ 2014-15 championship season, with Celine Dion’s “Incredible” playing in the background.
I quickly realized, however, that the highlights on the screen weren’t from across the entire season. They were strictly from the NCAA tournament. First the team’s game against Robert Morris, then San Diego State, followed by Utah, Gonzaga, Michigan State and finally Wisconsin, before the video ends with the team celebrating its title under a wave of confetti.
Duke won 35 games that season. But the video commemorating the team in the Hall of Fame only felt the need to highlight six. Why? Because that’s the foundation this program is built upon. Everything that happens from November to mid-March is simply the lead-up to the real season: the NCAA tournament.
My freshman year on campus was the 2018-19 season, host to perhaps the most talented roster head coach Mike Krzyzewski has ever had in Durham. And from November until mid-March, they certainly played up to that billing. From their memorable obliteration of Kentucky in the season-opener to their regular-season sweep of Virginia to the ACC tournament championship, Zion Williamson and company dominated the field (at least when fully healthy).
But by the time the NCAA tournament came, their peak had passed. In the Round of 32 against Central Florida, the Knights came within inches of a monumental upset. Then, another missed layup clinched Duke’s win against Virginia Tech in the Sweet 16. And finally, the Blue Devils' luck ran out as they fell to Michigan State in the Elite Eight.
Now, there’s no shame in an Elite Eight appearance, but it’s safe to say that the most memorable moments from that squad came before the weeks that mattered most. Even disregarding the fact that it didn't win the title—which always requires some amount of luck—the moments that Duke team made during the NCAA tournament were forgettable ones, not the ones that come to symbolize a team and a season.
I remember taking the NCAA tournament for granted back during that 2018-19 campaign. I watched each of Duke’s four games, but I almost assumed a Final Four berth was a given based on everything that led up to March Madness.
This team is destined to make the Final Four, and probably to win the whole thing. These games are just a means to an end.
But in the three years since then, I’ve realized that NCAA tournament games are never a means to an end, never ones to be taken for granted. They are the games that define the entire season, the moments that get commemorated for years to come, from pregame on the Jumbotron to the corner of the Hall of Fame.
There’s no single video that demonstrates the meaning of this better than Duke Blue Planet’s “Moments of Madness.” The video highlights 30 years of Duke men’s basketball moments from strictly the NCAA tournament, and from these moments you pretty much get the full story of the Coach K era up until the video was released. And it all begins with a classic quote from Krzyzewski himself: “You become 0-0, and now who are you?”
I referenced this concept in my column last week, but now—after another disappointing loss in the ACC tournament final to Virginia Tech—it carries even more weight. Whether you’re coming off of a dominant regular season and conference title, or a couple of the most disappointing losses in recent program history, these next four weeks will define who you are.
We’ve spent the last several months trying to dissect whether this year’s Duke team has the fire to give Krzyzewski his storybook ending. But now, a new season begins. Everyone is 0-0, and—as Coach K said himself—it’s time to truly answer the question of “Who are you?” What is this Duke team truly made of?
We’re about to find out.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.