Duke Basketball: 3 takeaways from Coach K’s loss to UNC in final game ever

Duke’s players rose to the occasion, despite not making the title game

To get back to the “pressure” argument about this retirement run, it’s hard to say that it had a negative effect on the players. They got big early wins over Kentucky and Gonzaga, along with winning the ACC regular-season championship for the first time in a decade. The only true setbacks overall came to North Carolina and that can be chalked up to the aspect of the “rivalry”.

Even in the NCAA Tournament run, you can’t say that pressure affected them. In the close games against Michigan State and Texas Tech, Duke saved its best basketball for last, not missing a field goal attempt in the final minutes of either game to hold off for the win. And against Arkansas and their pressure-style defense, the Blue Devils didn’t look fazed at all either.

Just look at the game against North Carolina. The team had some early adversity when center Mark Williams picked up two early fouls and had to sit out the final 14 minutes of the first half. Backup big man Theo John then manage to get four more fouls before halftime as well.

Yet even with the foul trouble, Duke remained in position and managed to foul out Armando Bacot on the other end. They lost to North Carolina not became of some insane internal pressure they couldn’t withstand anymore, but rather just by some unlucky bounces off the rim that didn’t go their way. They weren’t good enough Saturday night and that’s okay because with the exception of UNC and Kansas, neither was anyone else in college basketball.