ACC: Duke Fulfills Its Destiny

This was exactly how it was supposed to end. Jubilation and confetti raining down. The Duke Blue Devils are the 2014-15 NCAA men’s basketball champions. The second Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones, and Justise Winslow stepped foot on campus, anything less would have been a disappointment. Is that fair? Probably not, but that is a reality that we live in when #hottakes are served up instantly when something fails to impress us.

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But, that disappointment will never have to be realized. Duke finished the job, defeating Wisconsin 68-63 Monday night in the national championship game. This team did what it was supposed to do. Despite early-season losses to NC State and Miami and failing to win the ACC regular season or tournament title, Duke won when it mattered most.

There was a time when folks wondered if Mike Krzyzewski could win with so called “one and dones.” While I’d typically argue that it was misplaced criticism, a product of the extreme hate that Duke seems to garner, this criticism used to be grounded in fact.

The “one and done” model had failed for Coach K until this season. Kyrie Irving’s toe injury derailed his only season in Durham. They did reach the Sweet 16, but Irving’s return seemed to disrupt the team chemistry that had developed without him. Or, Arizona was a very good team that season, whatever fits your narrative.

The next attempt came with Austin Rivers. Though he will always be remembered for hitting a game-winning three-pointer against North Carolina, he will also be remembered for losing to No. 15-seed Lehigh in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

In 2014 it was Jabari Parker’s turn. Parker’s Blue Devils were also defeated in the second round of the NCAA tournament, this time by Mercer. Another fantastic freshman, another underachieving season.

The funny thing is those failures had nothing to do with “one and dones.” Those teams were just not good enough to win and exceed the high expectations Duke is usually tasked with overcoming.

This team was.

This group was different, right from the start. There wasn’t just one superstar carrying the “one and done” torch by himself, there were three of them. They also happened to fit on the court together perfectly.

A playmaking point guard, a slashing wing, and an old-school scoring big man. They made each other better, and more importantly, they were not alone. Next to Tyus Jones in the backcourt was a hungry senior named Quinn Cook, who had been a part of the losses to Lehigh and Mercer.

There was a lanky, junior at power forward named Amile Jefferson that played exceptional defense and did the dirty work down low. There was also Matt Jones, a versatile wing that could guard all five positions and had a knack for knocking down big shots, just ask Gonzaga.

The third Plumlee brother to come through Duke, Marshall, provided a high energy back-up for Jahlil Okafor. He’s not the most skilled big man, but you have to give Marshall Plumlee credit, he plays his heart out.

Finally, there is the fourth member of this prestigious freshmen class. Grayson Allen’s playing time varied throughout the season, but against Wisconsin he exploded for 16 points on 5-for-8 shooting. All that pent-up energy from playing limited minutes most of the season was released Monday night.

Allen played like he was being shot out of a cannon, fearlessly attacking Frank Kaminsky and whoever else happened to be in the paint leading to a 5-for-5 night from the free-throw line for Allen.

The four freshmen scored 60 of Duke’s 68 points, with Tyus Jones leading the way at 23. On a night when Winslow and Okafor struggled to get going, the lesser-heralded freshmen stepped up and carried the load. Having players that stepped up when they failed to produce was a luxury Austin Rivers and Jabari Parker did not have during their tournament exits.

Apr 6, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Duke Blue Devils players and head coach Mike Krzyzewski hoist the championship trophy after defeating the Wisconsin Badgers in the 2015 NCAA Men /

This group was a team in the truest sense of the word. Perhaps that is why Coach K called them his favorite team in all his years of coaching. They were led by the freshmen, but it took all of them to win a national championship. Krzyzewski said “eight is enough” all season, referring to his rotation of eight players, and boy was he right.

The dirty little secret is that there is not one way to win a national championship. It is not about rent-a-players vs. four-year guys. It has nothing to do with building a program the right way. Yes, experience matters, talent matters too. Winning an NCAA title during this era is about a team peaking at just the right time, playing their best basketball, and somehow surviving the gauntlet that is the NCAA tournament.

Duke did that better than anyone and they deserve to be champions.

The core of this team will be gone next season. Okafor, Winslow, and most likely Jones will leave early for the NBA Draft. Cook will graduate and may have an outside chance of being drafted in the second round. The rest of the squad will return without the lofty expectations that were placed upon them going into this season.

This team will never play together again, but they are left with the feeling of complete satisfaction that only comes from fully accomplishing your goals.

For Krzyzewski, this cements an already exceptional legacy. This win gives him an impressive five national championships. With wins coming in 1991, 1992, 2001, 2010 and 2015 all five have come in the last 25 years, which is remarkable given the quality of his competition.

He sits alone atop the Division I career wins list and only trails UCLA legend John Wooden for the most national championships.

It is also the fifth NCAA championship for Duke, tying it with Indiana and rival North Carolina for third-most all-time.

One of the most polarizing figures in sports, Coach K is either loved or hated. There is no in between. I’m not entirely sure where the hate comes from. I’ve never met the man personally, I’ve sat in a press conference with him twice and I did not notice horns sprouting under his hair, a forked tongue, or a tail, nor was he carrying a pitchfork. He was exactly like every other basketball coach I’ve encountered.

He yells at referees, scolds his players, embraces them when they perform well, and he plays with his grandkids after the game. Hardly villainous behavior.

Apr 6, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski waves to the crowd after cutting down the net after defeating the Wisconsin Badgers in the 2015 NCAA Men /

Some of the hatred is probably jealously. Some view him as a symbol for the NCAA cartel that makes money off of the labor of unpaid “student-athletes.” He is not Mark Emmert, so that would be an unfair reason to dislike the man. By that logic you should hate every coach in every sport in the NCAA, but I digress. Maybe some people don’t like that he curses, I don’t know.

All I do know is that all that is irrelevant when judging him as a basketball coach.

He now has five national championships, 12 Final Fours, 1,018 wins, and two Olympic gold medals, among other accomplishments. I consider him the best active coach in all of sports. The only other coaches that come close to him is San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich or Connecticut women’s coach Geno Auriemma.

It is unclear how much longer Krzyzewski plans to stay at Duke, but even if he decided to retire tomorrow, you’d have to feel that he has nothing left to prove.

Both Duke and Coach K fulfilled their destiny with that victory over Wisconsin. Not many people get to say they accomplished exactly what they set out to do. Love them or hate them, you have to respect everything Duke basketball has achieved.

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ACC: Duke Fulfills Its Destiny

By Andrew Snyder | Apr 8, 2015

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