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Duke’s NCAA Champions

540 North Trade Street Winston-Salem, NC 27101 Phone 336-831-0769 Vol. 6, No. 7 March-April 2015 SENIOR EDITOR John Roth ‘80 ADVERTISING Patrick Streko General Manager

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Lane Cody Associate General Manager Ian Haynes Account Executive CIRCULATION Amanda Hobbs STAFF WRITERS Al Featherston ‘74, Leslie Gaber Barry Jacobs ‘72, Johnny Moore Jim Sumner ‘72, Lewis Bowling COVER PHOTO Jon Gardiner PRINTING RR Donnelley GoDuke The Magazine (ISSN 10668241) is published by IMG with editorial offices at 3100 Tower Blvd., Suite 404, Durham, NC 27707. Published monthly except August for 11 issues per year. Subscription price is $29.95. Periodical postage paid at Winston-Salem, NC, and additional mailing office. Postmaster send change of address to GoDuke The Magazine, 540 North Trade Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101. Advertising & Editorial Call 919-286-1498

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TEAMS 2015 Men’s Basketball 2014 Women’s Golf 2014 Men’s Lacrosse 2013 Men’s Lacrosse 2010 Men’s Lacrosse 2010 Men’s Basketball 2009 Women’s Tennis 2007 Women’s Golf 2006 Women’s Golf 2005 Women’s Golf 2002 Women’s Golf 2001 Men’s Basketball 1999 Women’s Golf 1992 Men’s Basketball 1991 Men’s Basketball 1986 Men’s Soccer

TRACK & FIELD Curtis Beach 2014, 12 Juliet Bottorff 2011 Shannon Rowbury 2007 Bob Wheeler 1971 Joel Shankle 1955 GOLF Anna Grzebien 2005 V. Nirapathpongporn 2002 Candy Hannemann 2001

FENCING Becca Ward 2012,11,09 Jeremy Kahn 1996 TENNIS Mallory Cecil 2009 Vanessa Webb 1998 BOXING Ray Matulewicz 1937,36 Danny Farrar 1936

DIVING Nick McCrory 2014,13,11,10 Abby Johnston 2011 JON GARDINER

The Defense Never Rested

After yielding an early flurry of threes, the Blue Devils went into lock-down mode vs. Sparty in the NCAA semis

he meeting crept toward dawn — nothing unusual about that. Head coach Mike Krzyzewski and his staff typically work well into the wee hours of the morning following Duke games, dissecting every angle while prepping for their next engagement with detail and purpose. The only difference this time was the nature of the predicament that faced the Blue Devil braintrust. Their team had just lost at home for the first time in three years, by 16 points to Miami, after losing by 12 at N.C. State two days before. It was only January 13, but seemingly overnight the No. 4 team in the nation stood squarely at the crossroads of its season with a 2-2 conference record and a trip to No. 6 Louisville on the immediate horizon. Their team was having little difficulty putting points on the scoreboard — it would rank among the nation’s best in scoring, shooting and offensive efficiency all season long — but keeping opponents in check had become an escalating concern. The Wolfpack and Hurricanes had pinned 87 and 90 points on the Blue Devils with opportunistic transition plays, an avalanche of three-pointers and countless unfettered drives into the lane. As the coaches met they knew the course of the season was at stake if the defense didn’t improve. A drastic adjustment was needed, and nothing could have been more drastic than the suggestion to consider playing zone. Krzyzewski has been a proponent of pressure man-to-man defense his entire 40-year career, and he was surrounded at his conference table by a staff of assistants who had been indoctrinated with that philosophy during their own Blue Devil playing days. “I think all of us were a little surprised,” recalled associate head coach Jeff Capel. “Surprised that he would be receptive to it, but then not surprised from the standpoint of, Coach has never been a guy that’s like ‘It’s my way.’ It’s which way is the best thing for the team. And at

that moment he felt like that was the best thing for our team. “We had played zone maybe three or four possessions this year, so we needed to work on it. The main thing was we needed our guys to believe in it. And WE had to believe in it. So we went to work on it.” “The overall thing about defense is to have five guys playing as one, and playing hard, and talking,” Krzyzewski said. “There are a lot of different defenses. For years, and we still believe that man-to-man is still that main defense. But how do you get everybody to talk and be as one? What we found was that at times our defense, man-to-man, was not playing as one.” So Duke installed a 2-3 zone defense for the Louisville game, claimed a pivotal 11-point road win and began charting a new course that would see the Blue Devils lose only two more games — both to Notre Dame — the rest of the year on their trajectory toward the NCAA crown. That new course featured continual thinking outside the man-to-man box on the defensive end of the floor, as an array of zones and zone presses found their way into Duke game plans. It was an approach unlike any other in Krzyzewski’s career, triggered primarily by the reality that his eight-man scholarship roster was so young and inexperienced, but also so versatile. “You’re dealing with a group that hasn’t become embedded in the habits of your primary offense or defense. You’re trying to get them embedded,” he explained. “Because you can’t get them to the level of some of the previous teams, you have to do some other things to compensate for some of the weaknesses you might show, and that’s what we’ve tried to do.” “It’s been different,” noted sophomore Matt Jones, one of the club’s top off-the-ball defenders. “I know last year we were all man, but to have a unique team like we do this year and to go through everything that

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Matt Jones puts the heat on Wisconsin in the NCAA final at Indianapolis we’ve been through, we’ve had to change it up a little bit. To do that, and for it to be very successful for us, I feel like everybody has embraced it and tried to make it work.” In other words, the players bought in completely to the notion that their defensive strategy could change dramatically from one game to the next. Against Louisville it was a 2-3 zone with the point of pickup near the top of the key to keep the ball out of the middle. The Cardinals shot only 29 percent for the game and missed 21 of their 25 three-pointers, playing directly into the Blue Devils’ hand. A couple weeks later, Duke went to a 3-2 zone to better handle Virginia’s big wings and also attacked the Cavaliers’ pack-line defense with aplomb, knocking UVa from the ranks of the unbeaten. It proved to be another seminal moment, coming on the heels of a disappointing loss at Notre Dame and the dismissal of Rasheed Sulaimon that reduced the roster to eight. The Blue Devils were down to seven healthy bodies when Clemson came to town, thanks to an ankle injury suffered by center Jahlil Okafor, but the defense never rested. Krzyzewski tabbed Matt Jones to start, creating a smaller but quicker lineup that threw an aggressive 2-2-1 zone press at the Tigers. With Justise Winslow’s versatility playing a major role, Duke turned Clemson over 14 times and scored 19 fastbreak points to gain one of its most satisfying victories of the season. Okafor, of course, returned, but Jones stayed in the lineup and Amile Jefferson began coming off the bench — a rotation that remained in place for the remainder of the season. But the defensive game plans continued to evolve. In late February against Syracuse, the Blue Devils used their

traditional man-to-man but complemented it with a “rover” in the form of Tyus Jones. He frequently played off his man and instead clogged up the lane, which assisted Quinn Cook’s defense on his former roommate Michael Gbinije as well as Okafor’s work on Rakeem Christmas, who fouled out in the middle of the second half. In the regular season finale at North Carolina, Duke went back to a zone press that at times resembled a run-and-jump — a touch of irony given that the Dean Smith Center namesake essentially invented that defensive tactic during his legendary career at UNC. Jefferson, starting the second half with Duke behind, was the key protagonist in taking the Tar Heels out of their normal offensive rhythm. The Blue Devils then went in a completely different direction defensively for their ACC Tournament opener (and rematch) with N.C. State by employing a hybrid matchup zone of sorts that was designed to have four Duke players pressuring the Wolfpack’s three guards. With State struggling to figure out exactly what was going on, the game was essentially over at halftime with Duke on top 49-22. Most satisfying for the Blue Devils was that the strategy was installed and absorbed the morning of the game — as Duke didn’t know its opponent until State defeated Pitt in the second round of the tourney. It couldn’t have been more effective, as Trevor Lacey (who torched Duke for 21 points in Raleigh) was held to 2-of-7 shooting and Cat Barbour (who blistered Pitt for 34 the night before) was held scoreless before getting injured midway through the second half. “We have a lot of versatile guys, guys who can do different things,”

5 Out of 5 Duke Doctors Agreeâ&#x20AC;Ś Winning is Good Medicine Congratulations to Coach K and team for another heart-stopping NCAA Championship win from all of us at Duke Medicine.

The national championship secured, Coach K commends his team in the locker room following their celebration on the floor said Jefferson. “Coach trusts us from one possession to go man and then the next three possessions we’re in zone. We can zone press, man press — it’s because we have a lot of like guys who can play different positions. We can switch a lot, which makes it easier for us to go from man to zone, then maybe into a trapping man and back into a zone press. It started in the Louisville game, where we found we could do a lot of different things on the defensive end and have success.” At the heart of many of the defensive tactics was the need to contain the ball, limit penetration and keep Okafor in the vicinity in the paint. “We have a big guy who every team is going to want to involve in ball screens,” said assistant coach Nate James. “To protect him we’ll go zone or use a defense that will limit him and keep him from having to run out away from the basket. We need the big guy in the game. We don’t want him involved in a hundred ball screens in a game. Those defenses we’ve played helped not only him but our entire team work together.” And working together was really the ultimate objective every time Duke tweaked its defensive approach, nurturing that version of basketball utopia where five guys play as one. “Over the years we’ve done that primarily on the offensive end,” Krzyzewski acknowledged. “When you say tweaking, it’s not like we’re some researchers here who are so smart or whatever, but you look for ways of changing your offense to keep up with the progression of how

your players are developing. That’s what we’ve tried to do with the defense, too. “Our defense man-to-man right now is way better than it has been at any time in the season,” he noted on the eve of postseason play. “Some of that is that it’s fresher. We’ve done other things and then come back to it. But what’s developed over the whole time is our togetherness on defense, and our talk. Keeping that in mind no matter what we’re doing has been our primary goal.” No question Duke’s defense reached its zenith in the NCAA Tournament, where the Blue Devils played mostly man-to-man on their trek to the championship. They allowed just 56.3 points per game in the six contests, limited opponents to 38 percent shooting from the field and 28 percent from three-point range, and outscored them 91-54 in points off turnovers. In the advanced analytics that now pervade college basketball discussion in some precincts, Duke was one of the most efficient offensive teams in the country, joining Wisconsin and Gonzaga at the top of the points-per-possession metric. But at the end of the day — and season — the Devils’ defense proved just as effective. It held the Zags to 52 points to get Duke to the Final Four, then made all the plays necessary down the stretch against Wisconsin to win it. Trailing by six and patchworking its lineup with 12 minutes to go, Duke limited the Badgers to 5-for-19 shooting and 12 points the rest of the way — staying together, operating as one, claiming the ultimate prize.

“The overall thing about defense is to have five guys playing as one, and

playing hard, and talking. There are a lot of different defenses.” Mike Krzyzewski

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> Blue Devil of the Month

By Leslie Gaber

Tyus Jones

JON GARDINER

n a team that featured plenty of size and frontcourt talent, it was one of Duke’s smaller players — six-foot guard Tyus Jones — who delivered some of the biggest performances when it mattered most. Playing with senior captain Quinn Cook in the backcourt and surrounded by teammates who already knew what he was capable of, Jones wasted little time in stepping into his role. In just the third game of the season and the Blue Devils’ first against a ranked opponent, he turned in 17 points, four assists and zero turnovers in an 81-71 victory over Michigan State. In Duke’s first meeting with Wisconsin in December — which also marked the team’s first road game against a ranked opponent — Jones again played a prominent role. The rookie helped spur a 6-0 Blue Devil run that pushed the margin to nine with three minutes left on the clock. Playing in front of numerous friends and family who made the trip from his hometown of Apple Valley, Minn., he totaled 22 points and four assists with just one turnover while leading Duke to 65 percent shooting on the day. Displaying the poise and maturity of an older player, Jones continued to shine under pressure. He poured in 21 points against reigning national champion Connecticut before a pro-Huskies crowd at the Izod Center in the Meadowlands. In January, he logged backto-back 22-point showings in wins over Pittsburgh and St. John’s, the latter of which marked the 1,000th victory of head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s career. “He’s good. You start out with that,” Krzyzewski said of his young point guard. “One of the reasons we waited three years to get him is because I thought he had special qualities, not just special talents. It shows up in big games and big moments.” Jones and Cook teamed up to spark a furious Duke rally at No. 2 Virginia in early February, ending the Cavaliers’ 21-game home winning streak with a 69-63 victory at John Paul Jones Arena. Both connected on key three-pointers late, helping the Blue Devils close out the game on a 16-5 run to knock off the previously undefeated Cavaliers. If Jones hadn’t already solidified his status as a clutch performer, his two games against Tobacco Road rival North Carolina certainly did. Duke let a 13-point lead get away in the February meeting in Cameron Indoor, and the Tar Heels capitalized, going up by 10 with less than four minutes to play in regulation. Jones tallied nine straight points in response, with his driving layup in the final minute tying up the game at 81. Despite a back-and-forth overtime period, the Blue Devils emerged victorious, 92-90. “I’m just trying to make a play,” Jones said afterward in the locker room. “My brothers believe in me, to have the ball in my hands, and that gives me all the confidence in the world, knowing that they have confidence in me. That’s all I need is their confidence. I’m just trying to make a play and just being a competitor, hating to lose.” He proved clutch again when the rivalry was renewed in Chapel Hill less than a month later, scoring 17 of his 24 points in the second half to key an 84-77 Duke victory. After the Blue Devils overcame a poor shooting start, it was Jones who took over to help erase a seven-point deficit early in the second period. He drained a trey following a North Carolina turnover and after another takeaway, found Cook for another dagger from deep. In doing so, the freshman became the first Duke player to record at least 20 points and seven assists in each of his first two games against the Tar Heels. Teammate Jahlil Okafor knew of Jones’ potential from the beginning, as the two were famously recruited as a package deal by many college basketball powerhouses. Choosing Duke, they agreed, gave them the best chance to chase their dreams of a national title. “It started off with basketball, with us wanting to win a national

title,” Okafor said to Jeff Eisenberg of Yahoo Sports. “He’s a point guard, I’m a big man and we complemented each other really well when we were on the same team in practice. Then we also got extremely close off the floor and he became like my brother. I’ve always said if you take basketball out of the equation, I’d still want to go to college with Tyus.” Jones’ performance in the NCAA Tournament, then, came of little surprise. He averaged 13 points, 4.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game during Duke’s run to the program’s fifth title and shot 91.7 percent from the free throw line (22-of-24), sinking all seven of his attempts in the championship game. His late-game heroics were on display one final time against the Badgers, as he unleashed two treys inside the final five minutes to help the Blue Devils outscore Wisconsin by 14 points over the final 13 minutes of the game. “He’s going to get a lot better, but people have already seen him and know how he handles himself, especially in pressure situations and in the biggest games,” Krzyzewski said. For Jones, who most recently joined fellow freshmen Jahlil Okafor and Justice Winslow in declaring for the 2015 NBA Draft, taking this year’s team as far as it could go was the goal from the start. “I just wanted to be a part of a special team,” he says. “I knew Grayson (Allen), Justise and Jah even before we got to campus. I just trusted Coach K and everyone on the staff with all my heart. I believed in everything that they told me. I just wanted to help, you know, contribute to such a special group. I wanted to go somewhere where I knew we would win.”

> The Numbers Game

Final Four appearances for Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, matching the all-time record set by former UCLA coach John Wooden. The Wooden dozen spanned 14 years (1962-75) and included 10 championships. The Coach K dozen has spanned 30 seasons (1986-2015) and includes five titles.

.857

Coach K’s career winning percentage in the Elite Eight, or NCAA Regional Championship game. He has guided Duke to the Elite Eight 14 times and won 12 of those games to advance to the Final Four. His only two losses came in 1998 to Kentucky and in 2013 to Louisville; both opponents went on to win the national title.

657

Points scored by Jahlil Okafor during the 2014-15 season, the second most ever by a Duke freshman, following Jabari Parker’s 670 total in 2013-14. Okafor’s scoring average of 17.3 points per game ranks third all-time among Duke freshmen, behind Parker (19.1) and Johnny Dawkins (18.1 in 198283 season).

Points scored by Duke freshmen in the NCAA championship game vs. Wisconsin, out of the Blue Devils’ total of 68, including all 37 in the second half. Tyus Jones led with 23, followed by Grayson Allen with 16, Justise Winslow with 11 and Jahlil Okafor with 10. Duke’s remaining 8 points came from Quinn Cook (6) and Amile Jefferson (2).

Games in which a freshman led Duke in scoring in 2014-15, out of 39 games played. Okafor topped the Blue Devils’ scoring chart 14 times, Jones 8, Winslow 6 and Allen 1. Duke was the only team in NCAA Division I this year to have three freshmen average scoring in double figures (Okafor 17.3, Winslow 12.6, Jones 11.8).

Players in Duke history to total at least 100 three-pointers made and 100 assists in the same season, most recently by Quinn Cook this year (102 threes, 103 assists). Jon Scheyer turned the trick for the 2010 NCAA champs (110 threes, 194 assists), while Jason Williams did it for the 2001 champs (132-237) — and again in 2002 (108-187).

Number of 30-win seasons posted by Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, more than any other coach. This year’s 35-4 mark matches the 2001 NCAA title team (35-4) and the 2010 NCAA title team (35-5) for the third most wins in one Duke season. The winningest Duke teams were the NCAA finalists of 1986 (37-3) and 1999 (37-2).

28.3

TV viewers, in millions, for the NCAA championship game between Duke and Wisconsin, making it the most watched NCAA final in 18 years (since Kentucky-Arizona averaged 28.4 million in 1997). Overall this was the most watched NCAA Tournament in 22 years, with an average of 11.3 million viewers per game (best since 12.7 million in 1993).

That moment you realize you are going to the Final Four...

PHOTOS FROM NCAA REGIONAL IN HOUSTON BY JON GARDINER AND DUKE BLUE PLANET

...Then it starts to sink in for captains Amile Jefferson and Quinn Cook in the locker room

Student-athletes who teamed up to sing the national anthem prior to the Duke-Michigan State game at the Final Four, including Blue Devil football player Deion Williams (a rising senior DE), Wisconsin basketball player Vitto Brown, Kentucky women’s soccer player Kennedy Collier and Michigan State women’s soccer player Michelle Dear.

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Front Row Seat To History

JON GARDINER

Celebrating a tenure of important, enduring accomplishment

By Barry Jacobs

ports has its own peculiar vocabulary of excess, words so overused, so profligately applied they almost cease to have meaning. “Great” and “superstar” spring immediately to mind. Readers can probably think of others. For today’s purposes we’ll stick with another hallmark of hyperbole — the notion that some achievement, no matter how transitorily impressive, is “historic.” One might argue all sorts of things are historic; that doesn’t mean they’re important. There’s no denying, however, that what’s been going on lately with Duke men’s basketball — lately being an elastic term stretching back 30 years, and as current as the 2014-15 season — is both important and enduring. A blizzard of statistics can be brought to bear to measure what Mike Krzyzewski has accomplished as head coach at Duke, the parsing of stats now a mania unto itself in sports. These numbers speak most boldly to the persistence of excellence: 1,018 career victories, more than any man who ever coached at the major-college level. Twenty straight NCAA Tournament appearances by the Blue Devils, the best ongoing streak, and 31 total, tied for the all-time record. A dozen trips to the Final Four, tied for the most ever by a coach. Fourteen 30win seasons, a record. Nine times taking Duke to the NCAA champion-

ship game, second-most ever. Seven visits to the Final Four in the nine seasons from 1986 through 1994, a run bested only by UCLA’s John Wooden. Thirteen ACC titles, tied for the top with UNC’s Dean Smith, including a record five straight from 1999 through 2003. And of course five national championships, all Duke has ever won and more than any coach except Wooden, who had 10 in an era when the path to the top was less arduous on and off the court. Krzyzewski noted of the 2015 national champs, as he has of previous Blue Devil teams, that routinely high expectations tended to dull appreciation for their struggles and triumphs. Observers “look at it as a total picture of Coach K and Duke instead of this team,” he says. “That’s what I mean when I’ve said I wish I could change some of that for my team.” Too late — a stunning wealth of achievement long ago sent expectations beyond the coach’s control. The record is too persuasive to be minimized. Consider that Krzyzewski has taken teams to the Final Four, and to the national championship game, in four different decades. He’s won NCAA titles with squads dominated by seniors and with this year’s team heavily reliant on freshmen. And that’s just the contrast from 2010 to 2015.

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We bring all this up not merely to celebrate a tenure that qualifies as great by any measure, but to appreciate Krzyzewski’s achievements while he’s still on the Duke bench. Knowing history is unfolding before your eyes is a rare gift, one to be savored. There’s no evidence the 68-year-old is going anywhere. He surprisingly admits the 2015 team is his favorite yet, and responded to a reporter’s question by promptly declaring the pleasure of winning a fifth title spurred no thoughts of exiting the stage while on top. Still, the idea of stepping aside is not totally foreign. Mickie Krzyzewski, the coach’s wife and a supportive bulwark throughout his career, concedes the family batted around the idea of retirement after the confounding disappointment of stumbles to open the 2012 NCAA Tournament against Lehigh and the 2014 NCAAs against Mercer. For his part, one of Krzyzewski’s most notable traits is his ability to see things as they are, not as he might wish them to be. “I have no anxiety about what I don’t have, like you don’t have 12 scholarship players,” he

ly intensifies his pregame jitters. Compared to earlier in his career, “I think in some respects there’s more anxiety concerning a game,” Krzyzewski says of his current feelings. “It means even more, I think, for me…Because you don’t have as many games left, I’m very anxious, I have a lot of anxiety before a game. That hasn’t lessened for me. If anything, it’s increased.” Surveying where he stands in his career, Krzyzewski adds that he takes different satisfaction in team and player achievements than he might have as a younger coach. “There’s an end. When you’re 45 and you’re going well — if you can be 45 and have two losing seasons, then you might see an end — but if it’s going well you feel this is going to keep going,” he says. “In a lot of respects you’re more appreciative (now) of a win, how guys play, how they respond.” Perhaps that nuanced appreciation in part explains Krzyzewski’s enjoyment of the near-seamless way the eight-scholarship core of the 2015

says. So it is that to the degree a person can, Krzyzewski concedes his own mortality, even as he insists he doesn’t feel his age. By the measure of human lifetimes, 68 is nearer the end than the beginning, a recognition that affects the way Krzyzewski feels about coaching, if not how he actually goes about the only job he’s known for the past 40 years. “I’m always nervous before a game,” he acknowledged in January. Not scared nervous, Krzyzewski hastened to add, but nervous like a wedding planner who orchestrates many fluid elements in pursuit of a happy outcome. “There are a lot of things going on, and when you want it to be good you’re nervous,” he explains. Remarkably, even as the outward trappings of success grow mountainous, Krzyzewski finds the recognition that time is running out actual-

Blue Devils stuck together, stayed focused on their goals, accepted guidance, and responded to adversity as it arose. Krzyzewski took especial delight in the way Duke played and won at Louisville after its first two setbacks of 2015 — consecutive mid-January losses to N.C. State and Miami, the latter the sole defeat at Cameron in three seasons. The Hurricanes, he admitted, “knocked us out.” The rest of the basketball world fixated on the zone defense the Devils used extensively at the Yum! Center against the perimeter-challenged Cardinals. Krzyzewski saw more. He saw his team play fearless ball, and marked it as a turning point in the season. Results bear out his assessment: Duke lost only twice more in its final 22 games, finishing 35-4. When the Blue Devils finally stopped playing, and winning, history, the kind that endures, had been made.

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JON GARDINER

Devilish Dynamo Freshman Grayson Allen was ready, willing and more than capable of creating a spark at the Final Four By Bradley Amersbach

ith the clock stopped at 13:58 in the first half of the last and biggest college basketball game of the 2015 season, Duke freshman Grayson Allen stepped onto the floor at Lucas Oil Stadium for his first action of the night. He would remain on the court for two minutes and 43 seconds before teammate Tyus Jones would check back in. Over that span, Allen would score four points, two coming on a layup off of an Amile Jefferson steal and two others at the free throw line. Although those four points would seem somewhat routine at the time, Allen’s effort and determination to contribute in the early stages of the game would serve as a sign of what was to come for the guard out of Jacksonville, Fla. Prior to the NCAA Tournament, Allen was averaging less than nine minutes a game, while scoring 4.1 points on 42.7 percent shooting from the field. In 10 games, Allen saw five or fewer minutes on the floor, but over the 29 contests that preceded the NCAA Tournament, he showed glimpses of his athleticism and showcased an ability to perform extraordinary feats on both ends of the floor. In the season opener against Presbyterian, Allen scored 18 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field, adding three assists and three steals in 18 minutes of action. One game later, Allen scored nine points on 3-of-5 shooting from the floor, while also registering two steals in a 109-59 rout against Fairfield. His aggressive and tenacious approach to the game was on full display that night, as Allen fouled out in the second half with just over a minute remaining in the game. The disqualification, his first of two on the season, demonstrated the vigor and intensity with which he played the game. And the 9,314 fans that were in attendance during the second regular season game of the campaign were witness to Allen’s enthusiasm and willingness to sacrifice his body for the betterment of

the team. Allen’s role in the rotation diminished as the season progressed, however, as demonstrated by the team’s third game — a hard-fought contest against 19th-ranked Michigan State in which he saw just one minute of action. Allen’s minutes would remain limited for the next 22 games, as he saw more than 15 minutes on the court just twice over that span. It was during the final home game of the season, when Duke welcomed Wake Forest to Cameron Indoor Stadium, that Allen’s full offensive repertoire was once again on display, much to the enjoyment of the Duke faithful. Allen said after the game that he didn’t consider his eye-opening performance dominating, but rather that he just came in and hit open shots. “And when the shots started falling, everything else fell into place,” he noted. The shots certainly fell for Allen on that night, as he racked up a game-high 27 points on 9-of-11 shooting, including a 4-of-5 performance from beyond the arc. At one point in the game, Allen had scored more points by himself than the entire Wake Forest team combined, prompting the student section to chant, “Grayson’s winning.” Fans were once again treated to the passion that Allen had exhibited earlier in the year. These brief peeks into Allen’s athletic prowess wowed the spectators, but for his teammates, it was something they saw on a daily basis in practice, and expected from him anytime he stepped onto the court. “I personally had a feeling he was going to kind of explode and get going one game, just because in practice he had been on fire,” Tyus Jones explained following Allen’s performance against Wake Forest. “He had been shooting the lights out, and I see each game he’s getting more confident.” Games like the Wake Forest contest showed how significantly a con-

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fident Allen could contribute for the Blue Devils. But the confidence wasn’t solely developed internally. Allen relied on his teammates and coaches to provide the feedback necessary to prepare him for big moments in games, as well. “Coach has told me all year to stay ready and practice,” Allen said. “These other seven guys have really given me confidence. They’ve been supporting me all year, to be in the position where you’re coming off the bench, and these guys still support me and put confidence in me. I knew I was capable of (performing well), just because of what they’ve been telling me all year.” Allen got his first taste of postseason play in an ACC Tournament quarterfinal matchup with N.C. State in Greensboro. Allen saw the second-most number of minutes he would play all season, 21, in a lopsided victory that night. He scored 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting. He also fouled out for the second time, but competing in a single-elimination format, against an opponent that had previously beat the Blue Devils, allowed him to experience the pressures that come along with postseason competition. “It was great,” Allen said. “I dreamed about coming to Duke, and part of that dream was playing in the ACC Tournament. To be there and play in the game is almost surreal. (My mindset was) aggression, offensively and defensively. I might have been a little bit over aggressive defensively, fouling out, but that’s what coach had been telling me.” The following night, Duke fell to Notre Dame, with Allen registering 11 minutes of action and scoring zero points on 0-of-3 shooting. Allen’s confidence never waned, however, even after he shot 0-of-3 again in Duke’s first NCAA Tournament game against Robert Morris. In the three games that followed, including matchups against San Diego State, Utah and Gonzaga, Allen contributed a combined eight points on 3-of-7 shooting from the field. He never hung his head or showed any signs of discouragement, using the encouragement and confidence that his teammates and coaches instilled in him to bolster his own performances on the court. As the team continued to power through the opposition in the NCAA Tournament, Allen bided his time, waiting for his chance to help the cause in a way that only he was capable. In Duke’s Final Four contest against Michigan State, the Blue Devils got off to a slow start and the Spartans grabbed an early 14-6 lead. Allen entered the game with Duke down six, but after a three-point play by Justise Winslow, Allen collected a defensive rebound on Michigan State’s next possession and drew contact on the offensive end to earn two shots at the line. Allen knocked down both free throw attempts, bringing Duke within a point of tying the Spartans, successfully helping shift the momentum back in Duke’s favor. The Blue Devils never trailed again in the contest. “For me, I’m in the Final Four, and I might not ever have another chance to be here, so I just wanted to come out and give it all I had, leaving it all on the floor,” Allen said following Duke’s 81-61 win over the Spartans, advancing the Blue Devils to the national championship game. During the game, Allen used a myriad of approaches to help energize his team on the floor, from diving for loose balls rolling out of bounds to collecting a rebound off a missed shot attempt and driving baseline for an emphatic dunk. In both instances, a noticeable boost in excitement from his teammates and coaches occurred. In 17 minutes of play Allen scored nine points, but it was his ability to infuse a greater level of dynamism — a trait that doesn’t show up in the box score — that was Allen’s greatest contribution. It was also the added element that was needed to help lift Duke past Wisconsin in the national championship game. The title game proved as evenly matched a contest as any fan of the sport could have hoped for, leaving both teams looking for an X-factor that would provide the extra edge necessary to earn a slight advantage.

Allen took it upon himself to be that added element, competing the only way he knew how — with intensity and aggressiveness that was incomparable. At the start of the second half, with the score tied at 31, Wisconsin went on a 17-8 run that saw the Badgers’ lead balloon to nine points with just over 13 minutes remaining. The moment, for many teams, could have served as the light going out on the dream of earning a national championship. But for Allen and his teammates, who had been in this position before, all that was needed were a few adjustments and some added energy to help get the team back in the game. “I felt like we didn’t have nearly as much energy as we needed out there,” Allen said. “I didn’t feel that we were out of the game at all because we had been down nine or more at certain times in the season. I just wanted to bring energy and for me, that’s what the yelling was about and diving for the ball. Bringing the energy just happened to be scoring in this game. I really wanted to get them fired up and bring some life to the team to bring them back into the game.” Coming out of a timeout, with the team down nine, Allen hit a much-needed three for the Blue Devils, pulling them within six. On the following Wisconsin possession, he stole the ball, and after a missed Quinn Cook layup and a Jefferson offensive board, the ball landed back in Allen’s hands. He promptly drove to the rim and finished through contact, drawing the foul and completing a threepoint play. “I saw openings to drive,” Allen analyzed afterwards. “Quinn has been a great shooter for us all year. They were really staying on him and not helping off. That was able to give us open lanes to attack the basket. I just wanted to stay aggressive and go up and try to draw a foul.” At that point, the shift in momentum was obvious. Duke was back in the game. Allen was serving as the spark off the bench that the team needed to help believe that the comeback could be completed. “We weren’t playing as tough as we needed to, and Grayson made a point to bring that toughness, and to bring that energy,” sophomore guard Matt Jones said. “I felt like his play changed the momentum of the game.” The shift in momentum allowed Duke to battle back, tying the game at 54-54. Although Wisconsin would take the lead one last time, Tyus Jones hit a crucial three with 4:08 remaining that put Duke up for good. After the game, many of Allen’s teammates credited him for helping guide Duke to its fifth national championship. “He put us on his back and put us in a position to win,” Matt Jones said. “We all knew how good he was. He is always one of the best players in practice every day. He never takes practice off and is one of our hardest workers.” Even though the performance was on a much larger stage, Allen knew what he was capable of achieving, and he had the confidence to do so, thanks to his teammates and those around him. “It’s so amazing,” Allen said. “These other seven guys have had confidence in me, and when I started making plays, they kept looking for me. When you’re surrounded by this many great guys, it makes it easy for you.” Allen allowed the euphoria and thrill of winning a national championship to rain over him for about 48 hours. Just days after cutting down the nets in Indianapolis, he was already thinking about next season. “I think I am (ready to take a leadership role) if that’s what is needed,” Allen said. “I’ve learned a ton from Quinn and being in this program helps a lot. Coach K produces great leaders. I think if the team needs that from me, I’ll definitely be able to do that.” Allen’s role on next year’s team is yet to be determined, but there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that he is more than capable of contributing on the big stage when the lights are brightest.

JON GARDINER

Jahlil Okafor

Tyus Jones

Justise Winslow

Coping With A New Reality The 2015 NCAA title team stands as Coach K’s crown jewel of the one-and-done era

By Al Featherston

etween 1986 and 1999, Mike Krzyzewski compiled one of the great NCAA Tournament records in history. Over those 14 seasons, he won two national titles, reached eight Final Fours, nine Elite Eights and 10 Sweet 16s. His NCAA record was an astounding 47-11 (81.0 percent) But Krzyzewski had a huge advantage over many of his colleagues during that span. Almost alone of the big-time programs, Duke never lost a player to early entry into the NBA. While UNC, Michigan, Indiana, Kansas and UCLA all lost key undergraduates to the draft, K’s stars stayed — he got four years out of Johnny Dawkins, Danny Ferry, Christian Laettner, Grant Hill and all the rest. All of that changed after the 1999 Duke team won 37 games and reached the national title game. Three players off that team left early for the NBA – sophomores Elton Brand and Will Avery and freshman Corey Maggette. That ushered in another era for Duke basketball. For the next decade, K would occasionally lose a player early — juniors Jason Williams, Carlos Boozer and Mike Dunleavy after the 2002 season; freshman Luol Deng after the 2004 Final Four season; junior Shav Randolph after the 2005 season; sophomore Josh McRoberts after the 2007 season; and junior Gerald Henderson after the 2009 season. Duke still won at a high rate in NCAA play during this decade, with two more national titles, three Final Fours and nine Sweet 16s. Coach K’s NCAA record for those 11 seasons remained at a lofty 27-9 (75.0 percent).

During that span, Coach K still had remarkable luck keeping his best players around. Shane Battier stayed four seasons as did J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams. He got three years out of Jason Williams — who would have been the No. 1 pick in the draft had he come out in 2001 — as well as Boozer and Dunleavy. After Duke won the 2010 national title, two junior stars off that team, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith, could have turned pro, but both elected to come back for their senior seasons at Duke. But the Duke basketball world was about to change once again. Coach K was about to enter the one-and-done era. It’s difficult to define when the one-and-done era actually began. There were high school kids jumping straight to the pros as early as Moses Malone in the early 1970s. The high school pipeline actually helped reduce one-and-dones. The kids who opted for college usually stayed at least a few years. There were exceptions, including Maggette in 1999 and Deng in 2004, but it’s hard to remember any Duke player being recruited as a one-and-done during this time. Both Maggette and Deng made surprise decisions to go pro after one year. No one expected that when they signed with Duke. The number of one-and-dones exploded when the NBA closed the high school pipeline after the 2004 draft. But I think what we now see as the one-and-done phenomena actually began with John Calipari and his 2010 Kentucky Wildcats. It wasn’t that Kentucky had four freshmen picked in the first round of the 2010 draft — it was that Calipari actually

Austin Rivers 2012

Kyrie Irving 2011

Jabari Parker 2014

recruited John Wall, Demarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe and Daniel Orton feature a one-and-done talent, 2013. to come to Kentucky for one year and then bolt for the draft, clearing the But just as doubts were being raised about Duke’s ability to enjoy roster for a new crop of freshman phenoms. postseason success in the one-and-done era, the freshman-dominated The new era came to Duke in 2010-11 when Krzyzewski recruited 2015 team surged to the NCAA championship, with all four freshmen Kyrie Irving with the clear understanding that the brilliant point guard playing key roles in the title run. was only likely to stay at Duke for one year. A year later, he added potenK’s NCAA record in his personal one-and-done era improved to 11-4 tial “one-and-done” Austin Rivers, followed by Jabari Parker in 2013-14 (73.3 percent). The Duke coach has made it clear that he’s trying to blend and by Jahlil Okafor, Justise Winslow and Tyus Jones this season. That one-and-done talent with talented players who will stay three and four wasn’t necessarily the plan for Jones when he signed, but after leading years. the Blue Devils to the national championship he opted to join his two “We’re going to try and recruit the best players we can and then see classmates in declaring for the draft. what happens,” Krzyzewski told Dan Patrick of ESPN radio. “SomeKrzyzewski admitted that he built times you bring in kids who expect to be his 2011 team around Irving’s incredible one-and-done and they stay.” point guard skills. Irving’s toe injury afHe pointed out that’s what happened “You’ve got to just keep going at it and trying ter eight games forced the Duke coach to to Kentucky and made the Wildcats such to recruit the guys you think would be good for a formidable team this season. Presumed revamp in midseason, but those first eight games provided a glimpse of how good one-and-dones such as Willie CauDuke. If you really fall in love with a certain Duke could be by combining the veteran ley-Stein and the Harrison twins stayed to talents of players such as Smith and Sinblend with a new crop of talented freshkid who you want, whether he’s there for one gler with an incandescent one-and-done man. year or four, really go after him talent such as Irving. “Kentucky is not a young team,” he The 2012 team wasn’t exactly built said. “They are a mix of young and old and hopefully you get him.” around Rivers, but he emerged as the best players, who are all very talented.” player on that team and became the first That’s what Krzyzewski achieved Mike Krzyzewski freshman in Duke history to earn firstthis season, blending the talents of senior team All-ACC honors. Parker topped that Quinn Cook, junior Amile Jefferson and accomplishment in 2014, when he became the first freshman in ACC sophomore Matt Jones with his four precocious freshmen. history to earn consensus first-team All-America honors. He’s also made other adjustments to cope with one-and-done players. Both of those teams were very successful — with one exception. “One of the things that you try to do in recruiting — when we knew Each flamed out in the opening game of the NCAA Tournament. The Parker is going to go and Okafor is going to go — you try to get to know No. 2 seeded 2012 Blue Devils were ousted by Lehigh, while the No. 3 them at a higher and deeper level before you get them,” Krzyzewski told seeded 2014 Blue Devils fell to Mercer in their opening game. ESPN’s Andy Katz last fall. “The summer is huge. You have to set the Duke has done well since entering the one-and-done era. The Blue tone right away — the level of work they have to do and how hard they Devils have averaged exactly 30.0 wins a season between 2011 and have to work. You’re trying to cram in four years in nine months. 2015. Every Duke team has been ranked in the top 10 and the Devils “Sometimes it works out and sometimes you lose in the first round. have earned two No. 1 seeds, two No. 2 seeds and a No. 3 seed. But in That’s the culture we’re in right now.” the first four years of that span, Duke reached just one Elite Eight and The 2015 team is Krzyzewski’s crown jewel in the one-and-done era. two Sweet 16s — with the Elite Eight coming in the only year that didn’t In beating Wisconsin in the title game in Indianapolis, the four freshmen

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combined to score 60 of Duke’s 68 points, the most by a freshman contingent in championship game history. Of course, next season will be a challenge, with Krzyzewski having to replace the four best players off the 2015 team (the three freshmen and senior Quinn Cook). He has two more premier freshmen and a transfer lined up for next season, but while recruits Chase Jeter and Luke Kennard are five-star prospects, neither is projected to be a one-and-done talent. That won’t discourage Coach K from pursuing other potential oneand-dones. He’s chasing at least one more 2015 prospect with one-anddone ambitions and several more in the 2016 recruiting class. “You’ve got to just keep going at it and trying to recruit the guys you think would be good for Duke,” Krzyzewski said. “If you really fall in love with a certain kid who you want, whether he’s there for one year or four, really go after him and hopefully you get him. We’ve gotten a few of those that we’ve really wanted.” And while it might not be as fun for Coach K as the earlier era when his stars stayed four years, he knows that era is as dead as the one-handed set shot and the eight-team ACC. Krzyzewski is nothing if not a realist. The one-and-done era is here and he’s going to make it work at Duke.

Exit Interviews Tyus Jones

“Coming to Duke was a dream of mine and being a part of such a special team was amazing. I knew coming in I would be a part of a great team, but I never envisioned I would be a part of such an incredible family. That is what has made winning a national championship such an amazing experience. I am faced with the tough decision of returning to a place I love or pursuing my next dream. With the support and guidance of my family, my coaches, my teammates, and Duke University, I have decided to start my professional career. Even though I am entering the NBA Draft, I will forever be a Duke Blue Devil.”

Jahlil Okafor

“As early as I can remember, I’ve fantasized and dreamed of the day that I could play professional basketball. I recall at the age of six, promising my mom and dad that when I made it to the NBA I would buy them both different colored trucks. They would laugh with me in support and encouraged me to dream big and work hard. With that being said and now at the age of 19, my dream is still alive. My freshman year has been an amazing experience to say the least. It exceeded my expectations. I love Cameron and Duke University. I can’t thank my coaches, teammates and family enough for making this year so special and helping me grow on and off the court. With Coach K’s and my family’s blessing, I will be fulfilling my lifelong dream and proudly entering my name into the NBA Draft.” Justise Winslow “This year at Duke University, my dreams and aspirations have literally come true. Since I was a kid in third grade playing for the Houston Jaguars, I envisioned one day playing at the collegiate level and winning a championship. Fast-forward 10 years and my dream became a reality. The friendships and relationships I’ve formed with those (in) the Duke and Durham community have been even better than winning the national championship. With that being said, my family and I have decided that I should declare for the NBA Draft this year. Considering the success and growth that I have experienced over this past year as a player and as a person, I believe it is time to take the next step on my career path and play at the highest level.”

JON GARDINER

Senior Quinn Cook, Coach K and freshman Tyus Jones embrace following NCAA victory over Wisconsin

Compliance

Quiz

The Duke Compliance Office is responsible for education and enforcement of NCAA rules. NCAA rules are vast and complex, and we hope you read the information below as an introduction to a few of the issues that could arise as you root for the Blue Devils. If you have any questions about NCAA rules, please contact the Compliance Office at 919613-6214. We truly appreciate your continued support of Duke University and Duke Athletics. Always remember to ask before you act. Question: After winning the men’s basketball national championship, the players, coaching staff, support staff and their families celebrated in the basement of the hotel, with food and drinks paid for by Duke. Prior to the big game, the players received multiple gifts from the NCAA, and the families were provided a stipend to cover their travel expenses. In the following weeks, Duke provided expenses for student-athletes and their family members to attend several recognized national award ceremonies around the country. Have any violations occurred? Answer: No. Duke may provide families occasional celebratory food and drinks and actual expenses to attend national award presentations and banquets. As part of a pilot program, the NCAA provided travel expenses for each student-athlete’s family to attend the Final Four this year. Duke and the NCAA are permitted to provide participation and championship awards to student-athletes in all sports. There is a lot of flexibility in what the NCAA and Duke can offer, but the rules still remain fairly strict regarding what a fan or outside group may provide. Always remember to ask before you act.

Duke Compliance 919-613-6214 28

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Full Circle

Indianapolis is sometimes referred to as the Circle City, a nickname that jibed with Duke’s two visits this season — and the ring that was waiting at the end of the line Indianapolis was plastered with placards proclaiming “The Road Ends Here” when the Blue Devils arrived for the Final Four. For Duke, the road also began there. Game 3 of the season featured a matchup with Michigan State in the State Farm Champions Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Freshman point guard Tyus Jones dropped a huge clue as to how this year would go when he overcame a scoreless first half to put down 17 points in the second, pacing the first significant win.

Start Here

The first title of the year came at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, when the Blue Devils tamed alum Johnny Dawkins’ Stanford squad — the future NIT champs — to win the Coaches Vs. Cancer Classic. Senior Quinn Cook claimed MVP honors with 18 points and 5 assists in the final. Duke-Wisconsin, Round 1, took place in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge on the Badgers’ home floor, where they win almost 90 percent of their games. The pregame synopsis: a 2014 Final Four team with most of its players back vs. a youthful Duke squad in its first true road game. The postgame synopsis: youth is served as the Devils hit 15-of-21 shots in the second half to win by 10.

Duke’s annual December trip to the New York City metropolitan area pitted the Blue Devils against the defending NCAA champion Connecticut Huskies. It wasn’t pretty — as Duke’s season-high in turnovers and season-low in field goals might attest — but the future champs beat their predecessors on the throne by 10.

How’s this for an ACC opener — season and career? 28 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks and 14-of-17 free throws in a decisive home victory over Boston College. Welcome to the conference, Jahlil Okafor, eventual ACC player of the year.

H H H

Back-to-back defeats seem to come along once in a blue moon for the Blue Devils. Mid-January brought a basketball lunar eclipse with a 12-point loss at NC State and a 16-point loss to Miami at Cameron, ending Duke’s 41-game home winning streak.

Recipe for snapping a two-game losing streak: take the lead with a 17-2 run and make it stand up with a surprising zone defense while your opponent misses 15 of 16 shots. That’s what happened during a pivotal stretch in the first half of Duke’s visit to sixth-ranked Louisville, where the Blue Devils picked up their most important triumph of the season.

Down 10 with 8:30 to play, Duke enjoyed a game-changing 15-1 run and overtook St. John’s at Madison Square Garden to present Coach K with his 1,000th career victory.

Up 10 midway through the second half, the wheels came flying off and the Blue Devils suffered a gut-wrenching loss at Notre Dame. The next day, junior Rasheed Sulaimon was dismissed from the team, reducing the roster to eight scholarship players for the remainder of the season.

End Here

H For more on the NCAA Tournament segment of the circle, turn the page H During a year of constantly changing defenses, from man to zone to traps to presses, the Blue Devils threw a defensive masterpiece at NC State in the ACC Tournament, atoning for their early-season loss with a clinical 24-point rout. Marshall Plumlee sparkled by throwing down six dunks for a career-high 12 points in win No. 29 of the season. Duke fell to eventual conference champion Notre Dame for a second time in a hardfought ACC semifinal, but there were six more victories to come in the final tournament of the season. Duke completed a season sweep of North Carolina by winning in Chapel Hill to close the regular season. Guards Tyus Jones and Quinn Cook had their fingerprints all over this one, combining for 44 points, 8 assists, just 1 turnover, 3 steals and a 14-for-14 showing at the free throw line. Matt Jones and Grayson Allen were a combined 2-for-11 from the floor — but their two makes came back-to-back from behind the three-point line to give Duke the lead for good and extend it.

Duke had only one scholarship senior to honor on Senior Night, and the rest of the Blue Devils made sure their big brother Quinn Cook went out with a win, giving him a four-year record of 61-4 at Cameron. But the big takeaway was freshman Grayson Allen with a game-high 27 points in 24 minutes off the bench. He topped his previous season high by halftime, when he had outscored visiting Wake Forest 19-15.

If eight is enough, how about seven? With Jahlil Okafor sidelined by an ankle injury suffered vs. UNC, the Blue Devils were down a man for Clemson’s visit to Cameron. No matter — they zone-pressed the Tigers to death, scored 19 points on fastbreaks and rolled to a 22-point win behind everyone’s nightmare matchup, Justise Winslow, who posted a 20-13 double-double with four steals.

We had to wait until Feb. 18 for the first Battle of the Blues, but we were rewarded with another classic in the timeless rivalry. In a game that went back-and-forth and featured eight lead changes, North Carolina appeared in control with a 79-72 advantage and only 1:38 remaining. But Duke finished regulation on a 9-2 run — with Tyus Jones scoring all 9 — to force overtime en route to a 92-90 victory.

H H

Ten days after the loss in South Bend, the rematch with Notre Dame was no match at all. The Blue Devils enjoyed their most impressive half of the season, hitting 81 percent of their shots (17-of-21). At the 3:52 media timeout it was 43-13. Halftime was 50-24 and the final was 90-60. Complete domination at both ends of the floor.

Eight Is Enough. That was an underlying theme when Duke arrived in Charlottesville for its third road game in seven days. When the Devils missed their first 9 three-pointers and trailed by 11 in the second half, a second straight loss appeared imminent. Then they got hot late, with Matt Jones, Quinn Cook and Tyus Jones nailing threes, and finished the game on an 11-0 run to hand the Cavaliers their first loss of the season.

SIX SAVORY SIDEBARS ON DUKE’S NCAA TOURNEY JOURNEY 4

Keeping Up With Another Jones

50 Shades Of Foreshadowing

Mr. Jefferson’s Signature

To three, or not to three? That was the question at NRG Stadium on the off-day between the Sweet 16 and the Elite 8, prompted by the fact that in 11 NCAA Tournament games (regionals, Final Four) across eight years, the combined shooting percentage of all teams from three-point range on the elevated court in the middle of a football field stood at a paltry 30.4 percent. Duke’s Matt Jones, another Texan back in his home state, tuned out that conversation and drained 4-of-7 from downtown H-town en route to 16 points as Duke topped Gonzaga to punch its ticket to the Final Four. Jones’ biggest three broke a 38-all tie and gave the Blue Devils the lead for good early in the second half. Worth noting: In 24 NCAA team performances at NRG there have been only four 40 percent shooting nights from beyond the arc — three of them by Duke (vs. Purdue and Baylor in ’10 and vs. Gonzaga in ’15).

Marshall Law

Before he became the third sibling in his family to win a national title with the Blue Devils, junior center Marshall Plumlee delivered one of his finest performances during Duke’s first NCAA stop on the road to the Final Four. Playing 19 minutes off the bench, Plumlee posted the first double-double of his career with 10 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Robert Morris at Charlotte. Worth noting: Beginning with the Florida State game in February, Plumlee closed the year by hitting 17 of his last 21 field goals.

Jah-Dropping Accuracy

Described as one of the Best in the West on the defensive end of the floor, San Diego State had no answer for one of the Best in the Nation. Freshman Jahlil Okafor dominated the paint with 26 points on 12-of-16 shooting to lead the Blue Devils past the Aztecs and on to the Sweet 16. Okafor should be able to conjure up some fond memories on his first NBA visit to Time Warner Cable Arena, where in two NCAA games he wowed Charlotte with 47 points on 21-of-27 shooting.

Poetic Justise

Justise Winslow’s Houston homecoming began when his sister greeted him with fried chicken from Frenchy’s upon his arrival at the team hotel. The next day he celebrated his 19th birthday with an open practice before a throng of familiar faces at NRG Stadium, barely five miles from his house and high school. Then, finally, it was time to get down to business against Utah in the South Region semifinals, where Justise reigned supreme: 21 points, 10 rebounds and a pair of blocks in 37 minutes — not to mention the jumper, free throw and high five from Coach K with 3:42 left that gave the Blue Devils an insurmountable nine-point lead. 32

Duke’s 20-point win in the national semifinals started off as a runaway in the other direction, with Michigan State knocking down four early three-pointers to claim a 14-6 lead in the opening four minutes. Duke’s defense then locked in and allowed only 11 more points the rest of the half to turn the tide. In a neat bit of foreshadowing for Monday night’s championship game, Grayson Allen came hustling in off the bench and, in the midst of his nine points and five rebounds, gave us one of those moments destined to go down in Duke Final Four lore. He missed a three from the left corner but followed his shot, collected the rebound and soared for an unmolested one-handed jam.

Tyus Jones earned the MOP and Grayson Allen earned the rest of the plaudits, but Duke may not have taken down the Badgers in the national championship game if not for the play of junior co-captain Amile Jefferson. With Winslow and Okafor sidelined by foul trouble in the second half, Duke went extended minutes with the smallest lineup it used all season. Jefferson was left to contend with national player of the year Frank Kaminsky and turned in a laudable effort, finishing the night with seven rebounds, three blocks and a steal — and earning every strand of his piece of the net.

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Tale of the Titles COMPARING DUKE’S FIVE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS

2015

2010

2001

NCAA Run To Title (seeds): Robert Morris 16 @Charlotte San Diego State 8 @Charlotte Utah 5 @Houston Gonzaga 2 @Houston Michigan State 7 @Indianapolis Wisconsin 1 @Indianapolis Final Four MVP: Tyus Jones

NCAA Run To Title (seeds): Arkansas Pine Bluff 16 @Jacksonville California 8 @Jacksonville Purdue 4 @Houston Baylor 3 @Houston West Virginia 2 @Indianapolis Butler 5 @Indianapolis Final Four MVP: Kyle Singler

NCAA Run To Title (seeds): Monmouth 16 @Greensboro Missouri 9 @Greensboro UCLA 4 @Philadelphia Southern Cal 6 @Philadelphia Maryland 3 @Minneapolis Arizona 2 @Minneapolis Final Four MVP: Shane Battier

Top Scorer: Jahlil Okafor 17.3 Top Rebounder: Jahlil Okafor 8.5

Top Scorer: Jon Scheyer 18.2 Top Rebounder: Brian Zoubek 7.7

Top Scorer: Jason Williams 21.6 Top Rebounder: Shane Battier 7.3

1992

1991

NCAA Run To Title (seeds): Campbell 16 @Greensboro Iowa 9 @Greensboro Seton Hall 4 @Philadelphia Kentucky 2 @Philadelphia Indiana 2 @Minneapolis Michigan 6 @Minneapolis Final Four MVP: Bobby Hurley

NCAA Run To Title (seeds): NE Louisiana 15 @Minneapolis Iowa 7 @Minneapolis Connecticut 11 @Pontiac St. John’s 4 @Pontiac UNLV 1 @Indianapolis Kansas 3 @Indianapolis Final Four MVP: Christian Laettner

Top Scorer: Christian Laettner 21.5 Top Rebounder: Christian Laettner 7.9

Top Scorer: Christian Laettner 19.8 Top Rebounder: Christian Laettner 8.7

Final Record: 35-4 Final AP Ranking: 4 ACC Season: 15-3, lost in semifinals NCAA Seed: 1 Experience Factor: 9* Team Scoring Average: 79.3 Opponent Scoring Average: 64.2

Final Record: 34-2 Final AP Ranking: 1 ACC Season: 14-2, won tournament NCAA Seed: 1 Experience Factor: 14* Team Scoring Average: 88.0 Opponent Scoring Average: 72.6

Final Record: 35-5 Final AP Ranking: 3 ACC Season: 13-3, won tournament NCAA Seed: 1 Experience Factor: 18* Team Scoring Average: 77.0 Opponent Scoring Average: 61.0

Final Record: 35-4 Final AP Ranking: 1 ACC Season: 13-3, won tournament NCAA Seed: 1 Experience Factor: 11* Team Scoring Average: 90.7 Opponent Scoring Average: 70.5

Final Record: 32-7 Final AP Ranking: 6 ACC Season: 11-3, lost in final NCAA Seed: 2 Experience Factor: 12* Team Scoring Average: 87.7 Opponent Scoring Average: 73.4

*Experience Factor determined by adding years of experience for the starting five during the NCAA Tournament (1 for a freshman, 2 for a sophomore, 3 for a junior and 4 for a senior).

> Big Three 3-Point Challenge Duke Basketball supports the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Big Three 3-Point Challenge and “Live Fearless” campaign If you attended a men’s or women’s home basketball game last season, chances are you saw video of Coach K or Coach P on the Cameron Indoor Stadium scoreboard, challenging Duke fans to text in support of Duke Children’s Hospital. In addition, courtside signs and TV and radio commercials asked fans to “Text to score for our charity,” and to out-hustle Wolfpack and Tar Heel fans in the process. It was all part of the third Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) Big Three 3-Point Challenge. And where but the Triangle — with Duke, UNC and NC State eternally battling for supremacy — could such a unique charitable competition even be attempted? “These basketball powerhouses are competitors all year long and the BCBSNC Big Three 3-Point Challenge engages athletes and fans to use their rivalry for a greater good,” said Reagan Greene Pruitt, director of brand strategy and marketing communications at BCBSNC. “The Challenge was a unique opportunity for friendly competition that provided everyone with bragging rights and made a positive impact on our communities.”

court. The two-part contest tallies text support from fans and three-point shots scored by each team during the ACC regular season. The school whose men’s and women’s teams sink the most three-point field goals, and whose fans generate the most texts, wins a larger donation from BCBSNC to the charitable organization of their choice. To be fair, second- and third-place count, too; the charities of all three schools receive funds at the end of the season.

Coach Joanne P. McCallie issues her own challenge: “Live Fearless” For the first time, the 2015 Big Three Challenge included the three Triangle women’s teams. This not only engaged more fans, it brought an even bigger commitment from the coaching staffs and athletic departments at the three schools. “As soon as I heard about the Big Three Challenge, I knew I wanted to add my voice and get involved,” said Duke coach Joanne P. McCallie. In addition to proChallenge accepted: moting the Big Three $38,000 for Duke Challenge, Coach P Children’s Hospital became involved as a and $100,000 overall spokesperson for the After three successBCBSNC campaign ful years, the results that challenges us all to of the BCBSNC Big “Live Fearless.” Three Challenge speak Living fearless for themselves. Thanks means really living life to the enthusiastic sup— taking it all in, and port of the coaches, acmaking the most of it. tive fan participation in Lauren Nudy (right), BCBSNC Marketing Communications Strategist, presented Karen McClure, Director, Working hard, playing texting, and hot shoot- Special Programs, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and Volunteers, with Duke Children’s Hospital’s hard, and being your ing by Duke players share of the 2015 Big Three 3-Point Challenge proceeds best you. That message from beyond the arc, resonated with the Duke BCBSNC has made donations totaling more than $38,000 to Duke Chil- women’s coach, both professionally and personally. dren’s Hospital. Coach P wasn’t the first Duke basketball personality to join the Live “Duke basketball, and especially Coach K and Coach P, are such ef- Fearless campaign. At LiveFearlessNC.com, you can also find Christian fective and willing ambassadors for us,” said Ann M. Reed, M.D., chair Laettner telling his own story. Christian speaks with sincerity and humor of the Department of Pediatrics and physician-in-chief, Duke Children’s about his working-class childhood in western New York, his own interHospital. “With Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina stepping pretation of “being tough and determined,” and the moment no Duke fan up with creative thinking and strong financial support through this fan can ever forget: “the shot” against Kentucky. contest, it’s a win-win all around.” Challenged by the coaches, the fans responded. More than 39,000 “You’ve got to follow your passions, without any fears or texts were sent this year alone. Each one scored a point for the sender’s reservations” favorite team and charity. In her Live Fearless video, Coach P defines coaching as “the business Over the last three seasons, the Big Three 3-point Challenge has re- of developing people and empowering others.” She talks about leadsulted in donations from BCBSNC of nearly $100,000 to local nonprofit ership, and tells a personal story about the support she received from organizations, including UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center Coach K during her difficult first year as the head coach at Duke. She and the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, in addition to Duke Children’s Hospital. speaks with emotion, about her philosophy of coaching and of life. “It’s about passion,” she says. “About following your passions, makMore texts, more three’s, more donations ing great choices and finding out exactly what you can do in this life.” Scoring in the Big Three Challenge takes place both on and off the You can view Coach P’s Live Fearless story at LiveFearlessNC.com.

FEARLESS IS GETTING LOST ON PURPOSE

With the name trusted for 80 years and the freedom to choose a plan that’s right for you, you can go where life takes you.

LiveFearlessNC.com ®, SM Marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. U10755b, 4/15

> The Final Round

Beyond March Madness: What Really Matters In Intercollegiate Sports By Kevin White and Bob Bowlsby This is the season of March Madness and the NFL Draft, placing college basketball and football squarely in the national spotlight once again. Both of us join millions of other Americans in cheering for our favorite schools and players but, as observers who have been involved with intercollegiate sports for many years, we’re also concerned by some numbers that won’t show up on television screens along with the statistics on rebounds or touchdowns. For instance: fewer than 2 percent of the young men who play intercollegiate basketball and football go on to play their sports professionally. And another: Those sports account for a relatively small percentage of those who compete in intercollegiate sports. The vast majority of student-athletes compete in Olympic sports such as swimming, volleyball or wrestling, or in sports that typically don’t produce revenue. Largely because of football and basketball, however, the world of college athletics is in turmoil. Schools across the country are dealing with conference realignment, lawsuits, unionization efforts and the so-called “autonomy movement.” The latter is led by the most powerful football-playing conferences and institutions, which seek greater flexibility from complex rules that generally apply to all intercollegiate athletes at all schools. The autonomy movement has produced some positive changes for

student-athletes — such as scholarships that cover the full cost of attendance and a more generous approach to meals — but these changes are not free. Institutions that adopt them are likely to spend several million dollars more annually on their athletic programs. Despite public misperceptions that Division I programs are awash in cash, the reality is these changes will further strain budgets that are already tight. When this happens, administrators will need to find new sources of revenue or face painful choices. In the worst case, this could mean cutting back on other sports. Although football and basketball are the most visible faces of intercollegiate athletics, we cannot allow ourselves to forget that the development of professional athletes, or for that matter of Olympic athletes, is not the principle goal of collegiate athletics. For more than 125 years, participation in athletics has been part of the fabric of American higher education. Student-athletes at our schools “double major” in academics and athletics, as complementary elements of their maturation. Indeed, one of the explicit missions of the institutions that make up the NCAA is the development of leadership qualities among student-athletes, to help them prepare for their lives “after the game.” Once they graduate and their particular athletic skills — acing a serve, nailing a dismount — recede in importance, student-athletes benefit throughout their lives from the enduring traits of cooperation, diligence and leadership they developed during training and competition. They become better employees, parents and citizens. The business community has long been aware of the valuable traits and skills former student-athletes bring to the workplace. In the latest of a long list of examples, a recent article on a prominent business website was titled, “Why Your Next Employee Should Be a Student Athlete.” The author, Stephanie Vozza, observed that student-athletes are experienced at working in teams and achieving results, and also tend to be resilient, strong communicators and masters of time management. These skills cannot be attributed solely to college athletics, of course, but they are undeniably developed and polished by that experience. We cannot allow this experience to be marginalized, reduced or eliminated for thousands of young people. As the autonomy movement directs ever more resources toward football and men’s basketball, we must be vigilant to ensure the cost of increased benefits does not imperil all that is good and positive about broad participation in college athletics. Even as we cheer through March Madness and track the futures of our favorite college football players, we must not overlook or abandon the contribution of college athletics to the Olympic movement and, even more important, to the lives of generations of participants. Those contributions don’t get the spotlight but are what matters most. Kevin White is vice president and director of athletics at Duke University. Bob Bowlsby is the commissioner of the Big 12 Conference.