NCAA Basketball: North Carolina the worst preseason No. 1 team of all time
By Joey Loose
21. 2005-06 Duke
Again, Duke has high expectations often so it’s not a surprise that we’re going to see the Blue Devils several times on today’s list. Four years later, there was a fresh crop of talent in Durham with the same high expectations. The difference this time was that this Duke squad was not coming off a national title; their expectations were heightened because of the talent Krzyzewski had put together on this squad, with one person stealing much of that spotlight.
Senior guard J. J. Redick averaged 26.8 points per game and was the star of the college basketball season. Forwards Shelden Williams and Josh McRoberts were both future NBA players who contributed at a high level, with Williams averaging better than a double-double in his senior campaign and McRoberts being the top-ranked freshman recruit. Throw in modest contributions from guards like Sean Dockery and Greg Paulus and this Duke squad had more than enough talent to cut down the nets in early April.
After a 17-0 start, the Blue Devils would lose just three games, including their final two of the regular season. They’d bounce back and win the ACC Tournament, with Redick winning multiple awards and setting the collegiate record for 3-pointers in a career. A top-seed in the NCAA Tournament, they dispatched of 16-seed Southern and 8-seed George Washington, but this is another Duke squad that was upset in the Sweet Sixteen.
With a poor shooting night from Redick, the Blue Devils fell to 4-seed LSU, led by Glen Davis and company, a team that would make the Final Four a few days later. Redick’s collegiate career came to an end without a national title, as both he and Williams were lottery picks a few months later.