24) 2010 Duke Blue Devils
Record: 35-5, 13-3 in ACC
Without looking it up, can you name a single player from this team? Anyone?
Chances are that you probably can’t. And, like their roster, this group’s tournament run has largely been forgotten – with the notable exception of Gordon Hayward’s shot that didn’t go in.
Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith led a Duke Blue Devils team full of quality college players that simply took care of business all season long. All five of their losses came on the road, three of which were against ranked teams.
They took care of business everywhere else, as you’d expect from a Duke team. They went 17-0 at home and 13-0 on neutral courts throughout the course of the season.
Duke maintained their high level of play throughout the tournament, winning four of their six games by 13 points or more. Yes, they benefitted from a relatively easy draw but, as the saying goes, you can only beat who’s in front of you. The Blue Devils certainly did that.
However, this team really did lack the kind of top-end talent you would normally see from national champions. Mason Plumlee was the only player on the roster that made any significant headway in the NBA. Their best player in Seth Curry sat out all year after transferring from the Liberty Flames. Lance Thomas has also carved out a niche as a role player for the New York Knicks.
Their real legacy may end up being on Mike Krzyzewski’s staff, as both Scheyer and Smith currently occupy the bench next to Coach K.