Duke basketball won four games in four days to win the 2017 ACC Tournament in Brooklyn.
The story of Duke’s 2016-17 season has been told time and time again. They started the offseason as the overwhelming favorite to win the National Championship but were ravaged by injuries to three of their key freshman, Marques Bolden, Harry Giles, and Jayson Tatum.
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But the bouts of adversity didn’t end there. Grayson Allen got suspended for his third tripping incident in a matter of a year, Luke Kennard questioned the team’s togetherness after two close wins over Elon and Tennessee State, and Coach K was sidelined due to a back injury for seven games.
The Blue Devils were carved up by Virginia Tech, Florida State, and Louisville during that time, and surprisingly lost to Dennis Smith and NC State in the Cameron Indoor Center.
However, a couple months later and it’s safe to say that Duke is one of, if not the favorite to win the National Championship in Glendale, Arizona.
Duke is officially back you guys.
Yes, that’s right. The Blue Devils won the 2017 ACC Tournament in Brooklyn by becoming the first team in conference history to win four games in four days. Duke survived a desperate Clemson team on Wednesday despite not playing their best game, rallied down double digits in the second half to beat both the Louisville Cardinals and North Carolina Tar Heels on Thursday and Friday respectively, and once again, came back down as many as eight in the second half to knock off the Notre Dame Irish in the final on Friday.
That’s three top 25 teams…in four days.
Duke Blue Devils Basketball
If that’s not impressive, then I don’t know what is.
After making history in Brooklyn this week, the Blue Devils might earn a number one seed on Sunday (it’s possible after beating North Carolina twice and earning six top 25 wins on the season). But does it truly doesn’t matter where this team is placed in the bracket?
Duke is peaking at the perfect time for a March run and they look like a strong contender to reach the Final Four, and later the National Championship, in Glendale.
Their chemistry that was non-existent in December and January is evident here in March. They’ve gotten much better defending ball screens. Allen has relished his role off the bench. Giles is suddenly a huge piece as a rim protector, rebounder, and energy guy. Frank Jackson has emerged as the team’s point guard. And of course, Tatum, Kennard, and Allen are as lethal of an offensive duo as you will find in the nation.
The Blue Devils’ weaknesses (defense, a lack of a true point guard and depth) all look like strengths this week.
And that has to be scary for the rest of the nation.
By no means is Coach K’s unit a lock to win the chip — Villanova, Kansas, North Carolina, and Gonzaga, among others have the potential to serious damage — but does anyone want to be in the same region as the most talented team in the country when they are scorching hot? Does anyone have the combination of experience, youth, and talent that Duke has?
Next: Five takeaways from Duke versus UNC
Given all the concerns, issues and problems we have been laying out all season long, Duke finally feels like the team we all thought they were going to be in September.