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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Mandatory Credit: Craig Jones/ALLSPORT /

3. 2000-01 gives Duke basketball a third national title

This team was Duke’s third national championship squad under Krzyzewski, and it fittingly is the third-best Duke team we’ve ever seen. Two players from the dominant 1998-99 team, Shane Battier and Nate James teamed with a talented young roster to form another great Blue Devils’ roster.

The ACC was a war for Duke in that season as they finished in a tie with North Carolina atop the regular-season standings. The bitter rivals split their matchups, with each winning on the other’s home floor, and the Blue Devils claimed the rubber match in the ACC Tournament title game.

That strong performance earned the Blue Devils a no. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, where they were never really challenged. Duke easily reached the Final Four, where they toppled conference rival Maryland to get to the title game against Arizona.

That contest was the closest game Duke played in the tournament, but it was still a ten-point victory for the Blue Devils. The win was especially sweet for Battier, who had played a prominent role on the Duke team that easily could have won it all in 1999.

Battier swept the majority of the national Player of the Year awards while Jason Williams emerged as a star over the course of this season. The core of this team made another run to the NCAA Tournament in 2002 and was upset in the Sweet 16, falling by a point to Indiana, potentially denying them a shot at another title.