Saoirse Downs
Duke University's men's basketball team, the Blue Devils, has won five national championships, ranking it in a tie with Indiana for fifth among Division I programs. The Blue Devils won their first national championship in 1991, and their other championship wins were in 1992, 2001, 2010 and 2015. Duke has appeared in 11 Championship Games and 18 Final Fours, and has an NCAA-best .755 NCAA tournament winning percentage.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of National Championships won | 5 |
| First Championship | 1991 |
| Years Championship was won | 1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015 |
| Number of Championship Games appeared in | 11 |
| Number of Final Fours appeared in | 18 |
| Number of Atlantic Coast Conference Championships won | 23 |
| Number of Atlantic Coast Conference Regular Season Titles won | 21 |
| Number of Southern Conference Championships won | 5 |
| Number of All-Americans | 36 |
| Number of Academic All-Americans | 14 |
| Number of National Player of the Year awards | 11 |
| Number of players selected in the NBA draft | 71 |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team history
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team has a rich history in NCAA Division I college basketball. The team represents Duke University and competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The Blue Devils are currently coached by Jon Scheyer, who took over after the long tenure of Mike Krzyzewski from 1980 to 2022.
The Blue Devils have won 5 National Championships, appearing in 11 Championship Games and 18 Final Fours. They have an impressive NCAA-best .755 NCAA tournament winning percentage. Duke's first national championship came in 1991 under Coach Krzyzewski, who led them to a second consecutive championship in 1992. The team has since added three more titles in 2001, 2010, and 2015.
Prior to joining the ACC in 1953, Duke experienced success in the Southern Conference, winning five championships. The Blue Devils have continued their dominance in the ACC, claiming 23 conference championships and 21 ACC regular-season titles. Duke has also finished the season ranked No. 1 in the AP poll eight times and holds the record for the most weeks ranked as the number one team by the AP with 145 weeks.
The Blue Devils have a storied rivalry with the North Carolina Tar Heels, facing them twice each year during ACC play. The two teams have a tradition where the losing school's paper must print the masthead in the winning school's colour and display the other school's logo prominently. Duke also has notable rivalries with the Michigan Wolverines and the Maryland Terrapins, although they consider North Carolina their only true rival.
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team has produced numerous notable players and coaches. Eleven players have been named National Player of the Year, and 71 players have been selected in the NBA draft. The team has also had 36 players named All-Americans and 14 players named Academic All-Americans. Many of Coach Krzyzewski's assistants and players have gone on to become successful coaches at major universities and in the NBA.
The Sweet Spot: 15-Footers in Basketball
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Duke's first national championship
Duke University's men's basketball team, the Blue Devils, won their first national championship in 1991. This was the team's fourth straight Final Four appearance and their second straight appearance in the national championship. The Blue Devils were coached by Mike Krzyzewski, who had been at Duke since 1980.
The Blue Devils beat Kansas 72-65 in the final. Before that, they had defeated UNLV 79-77 in the Final Four—a rematch of the 1990 final, in which Duke had lost by 30 points. The 1991 Duke team was led by Christian Laettner, who averaged 20 points per game and set a national championship game record by scoring 18 points and going 12-for-12 from the free-throw line. Other key players included Bobby Hurley, Grant Hill, and Thomas Hill.
The Blue Devils held the number one ranking in the AP Top 25 poll throughout the 1991-92 season, losing only twice. They won their second consecutive national championship in 1992, this time by defeating Michigan in the final.
Fau Basketball Triumphs: A Recap of Their Winning Streak
You may want to see also
Explore related products
![Utah National Parks [Map Pack Bundle] (National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81EKgTMZqDL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
Duke's coach Mike Krzyzewski
Duke University's basketball team, the Blue Devils, has won five national championships in total. Duke's coach for 42 seasons, from 1980 to 2022, was Mike Krzyzewski, also known as "Coach K". During his tenure, Krzyzewski led the Blue Devils to five national titles, 13 Final Fours, 15 ACC tournament championships, and 13 ACC regular-season titles.
Krzyzewski is widely regarded as one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all time. He is a three-time inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and has also been inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame and the United States Olympic Hall of Fame.
Krzyzewski's success at Duke began in 1991 when the Blue Devils won their first-ever national championship. This was followed by a second consecutive national championship in 1992. The Blue Devils won three more national championships under Krzyzewski in 2001, 2010, and 2015.
In addition to his success at Duke, Krzyzewski has also coached the United States national team, leading them to six gold medals as head coach. He was an assistant coach for the "Dream Team" at the 1992 Olympics and later led the US men's basketball team to gold medals at the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Olympics. He also won gold at the 2010 and 2014 FIBA World Cup.
Devane's Basketball Journey: A Rising Star
You may want to see also
Explore related products
![Pisgah Ranger District Map [Pisgah National Forest] (National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map, 780)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81OiN8Wn3WL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
![Pacific Crest Trail [Map Pack Bundle] (National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71eTpv-y3aL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
Duke's women's basketball team
Duke University's women's basketball team, the Blue Devils, has never won a national championship. However, the team has been a national powerhouse during the 1990s and 2000s, reaching the NCAA Sweet Sixteen 19 times and the Elite Eight 12 times in their history. The Blue Devils have also made it to the Final Four five times, most recently in 2006.
The Blue Devils played their first season in 1974-75, initially as a club sport, finishing second in the state with a 6-7 record. The team was coached by Emma Jean Howard, who was also hired as a physical education teacher. In 1975, the women's athletic department merged with the men's, and the following year is considered the official first season of the varsity program. Howard remained head coach for three years, after which Duke hired Debbie Leonard to take over the team as they moved up to Division I.
The Blue Devils' most successful period came under coach Gail Goestenkors, who led the team from 1992-2007. During her tenure, the Blue Devils made four Final Four appearances and two appearances in the NCAA Championship game. In the 2005-06 season, the team averaged a nation-leading 86 points per game, and scored 90+ points in 12 games. They also achieved a 20-0 start to the season, including wins over No. 1 Tennessee, No. 4 Maryland, and No. 16 Texas. Despite this success, they were unable to win the national championship, losing to Maryland in the 2006 final.
The Blue Devils have continued to be a strong team, reaching the NCAA Tournament 27 times and winning 5 ACC Championships, the second-most in the ACC. In 2025, the Blue Devils reached the Elite Eight for the first time since 2013, where they faced the South Carolina Gamecocks, led by Dawn Staley.
The Olympic Basketball Shot Clock: How Much Time?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
![Colorado 14ers South Map [San Juan, Elk, and Sangre de Cristo Mountains] (National Geographic Topographic Map Guide, 1303)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91q86lMU-yL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
![Colorado 14ers [Map Pack Bundle] (National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81LHkq2yM4L._AC_UY218_.jpg)
Duke's other athletic achievements
Duke University's athletic achievements extend beyond its five national championships in basketball. Before joining the ACC, Duke won the Southern Conference championships five times. The Blue Devils have also finished the season ranked No. 1 in the AP poll eight times and are the all-time leader in total weeks ranked as the number one team by the AP with 145 weeks. They also have the third-longest streak in the AP Top 25 in history, with 200 consecutive appearances from 1996 to 2007.
Duke's basketball team made its first appearance in the Final Four in 1963 and won its first-ever national championship in 1991, under coach Mike Krzyzewski. They won their second consecutive national championship in 1992, beating Michigan in the final. Duke has appeared in 11 Championship Games and 18 Final Fours. Eleven Duke players have been named the National Player of the Year, and 71 players have been selected in the NBA draft.
Duke University has also received national recognition for its achievements in inclusion through its Special Olympics College Clubs, which promote meaningful social inclusion by bringing together students with and without intellectual disabilities. The university has also been recognised for its inclusive sports and activities for students with and without disabilities through the Special Olympics Unified Champion School® program.
Outside of basketball, Duke University's football team appeared in the 1938 Rose Bowl, with proceeds from their appearance helping to fund the Indoor Stadium, which opened in 1940.
High School Basketball Nationals: Do They Exist?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Duke has won 5 national championships, with their first in 1991.
Duke has appeared in the Championship Games 11 times.
11 Duke players have been named the National Player of the Year.
71 players from Duke have been selected in the NBA draft.
