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Duke basketball: 50 best players to play for Coach K

By Matthew Travis

Nov 12, 2021; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski prior to a game against the Army Black Knights at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 12, 2021; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski prior to a game against the Army Black Knights at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Best Duke Basketball Players
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – FEBRUARY 09: Head coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils walks onto the court before the start of a game against the Virginia Cavaliers at John Paul Jones Arena on February 9, 2019 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /

There have been dozens and dozens of good basketball players to play at Duke under Coach Mike Krzyzewski, but who are the 50 best?

Mike Krzyzewski sits with only one other person atop the list of greatest college basketball coaches of all time, it’s Coach K, John Wooden, and then everyone else. Not only is he the greatest college basketball coach of all time, but he might just be the greatest college coach in any sport of all time, alongside the likes of Nick Saban, Geno Auriemma, and Pat Summit.

Coach K’s legacy is so impressive, he’s been come to be known as simply “Coach K”, his career 1174 wins are the most of any coach in college basketball history, as are his 97 wins in the NCAA Tournament, his five National Championships are second to only John Wooden, and in addition to all of that, he has an additional 12 ACC Regular Season Titles, 15 ACC Tournament Titles, and has made it to 12 Final Fours.

When you mix all of that, his five ACC Coach of the Year Awards, three Naismith Coach of the Year Awards, and his numerous other impressive honors, you have a man worthy of the title, Greatest Coach of All Time. In addition to his impressive resume as a coach, Coach K has had a plethora of incredibly talented players in his time as the Coach for Duke, but who are the best?

Meet the 50 best players to ever play for Coach K at Duke:

50. Roshown McLeod (1995-1998)

Roshown McLeod started at St. Johns but transferred to Duke ahead of the 1995-96 season, where due to transfer rules, he was forced to sit out for a season and redshirt. So why does McLeod find himself on this list if he only played two seasons for Duke?

Well, McLeod had an impressive two seasons with Duke where he was named to the 1997-98 All-ACC First Team, and also the 1998 ACC All-Tournament Team. 1997-98 was his best of the two seasons he played at Duke as he averaged 15.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.7 blocks, and he helped Duke win the ACC Regular Season Title, the Elite Eight, and the Blue Devils were the runner-up in the ACC Tournament.

While McLeod was only at Duke for two seasons, his two-year average of 13.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game, paired with his accolades, and the team accomplishments during his time at Duke, are good enough to place him on this list.