Duke basketball: 5 best seasons in Blue Devils history, ranked

WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 25: Head coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils during the first half during their game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at LJVM Coliseum Complex on February 25, 2020 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /

4. 2014-15 Duke basketball cuts down the nets

We’re talking about champions the rest of the way, so let’s start out with Duke’s most recent title-winning team. The 2014-15 Blue Devils weren’t expected to win it all for most of the season, but a fortunate break in the Final Four cleared the way for Krzyzewski’s fifth title.

This was Coach K’s first great Duke team in the one-and-done era, with Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones, and a young Grayson Allen coming as freshmen. The Blue Devils went 28-3 in the regular season, finishing second in the ACC to Virginia, but their seeding for the NCAA Tournament was in peril for a bit after they were upset by Notre Dame in the ACC Tournament semifinals.

The selection committee respected Duke’s body of work, giving them the top seed in the South Region. The road through the South did involve one scare with the Blue Devils escaping a pesky Utah squad by six, but Duke did get back to the Final Four.

While most expected an epic clash between Duke and a potentially undefeated Kentucky, the matchup never materialized when the Wildcats were knocked off by Wisconsin. The Blue Devils did have to fight off the Badgers in the title game but held on to win by five to win another championship.

Okafor took home plenty of hardware during awards season while Jones ended up being named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player. Duke hasn’t been back to the Final Four since this team won it all, a stretch that showcases how hard it really is to win with a freshmen-led squad in the one-and-done era.