2000-01 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team
Encyclopedia
The 2000–01 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team was a Division I college basketball team that competed in the Atlantic Coast Conference
. Under the leadership of All-American duo Shane Battier
and Jason "Jay" Williams
, coach Mike Krzyzewski's Blue Devils won their third national championship in program history.
and William Avery
and had nearly led Duke to a championship two years earlier
. (Brand and Avery, along with Corey Maggette
would become the first Duke underclassmen to leave early for the draft
that year.) Despite losing the reigning ACC Player of the Year
Chris Carrawell
to graduation, the Blue Devils still retained sophomores Jason Williams, Mike Dunleavy, Jr.
, and Carlos Boozer
and welcomed the addition of freshman Chris Duhon
to their lineup.
in what would become the first of four contests between these two ACC rivals that year. With Duke trailing by 10 points with 54 seconds left in regulation, Williams scored eight points, including two three-pointers, in a 13-second span and James hit two free throws to send this game into overtime. In overtime Battier blocked a layup by Juan Dixon
at the baseline with 4 seconds left to preserve a 98–96 victory.
However, the Blue Devils stumbled in the next game at home against their archrival, fourth-ranked North Carolina
by a score of 85–83. A month later, Maryland would avenge their previous home loss to Duke when the No. 16 Terrapins defeated the No. 2 Blue Devils 91–80 on Shane Battier's Senior Night in Cameron Indoor Stadium. After center Carlos Boozer had to leave with a foot injury in that game, coach Krzyzewski decided to change his game strategy, favoring a smaller, quicker lineup by having Duhon start at point guard and moving Williams over to shooting guard. His plan was successful in his next game at North Carolina, when Duke defeated the No. 4 Tar Heels 95–81 to claim a share of the regular season championship. With many pundits having written Duke off after Boozer's injury, the new-look Blue Devils in fact went on to win all 6 of its following games before Boozer rejoined the team in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.
as a No. 2 seed. In the tournament semifinals, they met Maryland for the third time this season. In another thrilling contest, after Maryland had rallied from a 14-point, second-half deficit, the Blue Devils defeated the Terrapins 84–82 when Nate James
tipped in the game-winner with 1.3 seconds left to advance to the title game against North Carolina. In the third game between Duke and UNC that season, the Blue Devils emerged victorious as ACC Tournament champions by the score of 79–53 and received a No. 1 seed in the East Regional of the NCAA Tournament
.
, from Greensboro to Philadelphia to Minneapolis, where they met Maryland for the fourth time that season, this time in the Final Four with a berth in the championship game at stake. Finding themselves down 39–17 with 6:57 to play in the first half and down 49–38 at the half, Duke went on to stage a comeback against the Terrapins and win 95–84 to advance to the championship game. Duke's 22-point deficit and 11-point halftime deficit marked the largest comeback in Final Four history.
Facing fifth-ranked Arizona
led by Gilbert Arenas
and Richard Jefferson
and coached by Lute Olson
, who had lost his wife to cancer earlier during the season, Duke was able to stave off a comeback attempt in the second half and clinch the title by a final score of 82–72. With his third national championship, coach Mike Krzyzewski tied his mentor Bob Knight for third place behind Adolph Rupp
(4) and John Wooden
(10). Battier was named the NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player
.
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
. Under the leadership of All-American duo Shane Battier
Shane Battier
Shane Courtney Battier is an American professional basketball player . He most recently played with the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association. He has also been a member of the U.S...
and Jason "Jay" Williams
Jay Williams (basketball)
Jason David Williams , professionally known as Jay Williams, is a former American professional basketball player with the NBA Chicago Bulls. He last signed with the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League, but was waived by the Toros on December 30, 2006 to rehabilitate a nagging injury...
, coach Mike Krzyzewski's Blue Devils won their third national championship in program history.
Roster
Expectations
Shane Battier entered his senior season as the remaining member of Duke's heralded recruiting class of 1997 which included Elton BrandElton Brand
Elton Tyron Brand is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association...
and William Avery
William Avery (basketball)
William "Will" Franklin Avery Jr. is an American professional basketball player.-NBA:Avery, a 6 ft 2 ¾ in point guard from Duke University, was selected 14th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 1999 NBA Draft after his sophomore year, when he became one of the first players...
and had nearly led Duke to a championship two years earlier
1999 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1999 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 11, 1999, and ended with the championship game on March 29 at Tropicana Field in St....
. (Brand and Avery, along with Corey Maggette
Corey Maggette
Corey Antoine Maggette is an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association, for the Charlotte Bobcats. He excelled at Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Illinois, where he was an All-American in basketball and also an Illinois high school state track finalist in long...
would become the first Duke underclassmen to leave early for the draft
1999 NBA Draft
The 1999 NBA Draft was held on June 30, 1999 at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. It was the first draft in which four players from the same college were picked in the first round, with Elton Brand , Trajan Langdon , Corey Maggette and William Avery being selected out of Duke University...
that year.) Despite losing the reigning ACC Player of the Year
ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year
The Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is a basketball award given to the men's basketball player in the Atlantic Coast Conference voted by members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association as the most outstanding player...
Chris Carrawell
Chris Carrawell
Chris Carrawell is an American professional basketball player who was selected by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2nd round of the 2000 NBA Draft. Carrawell attended high school at Cardinal Ritter College Prep and played collegiately at Duke University.-External links:**...
to graduation, the Blue Devils still retained sophomores Jason Williams, Mike Dunleavy, Jr.
Mike Dunleavy, Jr.
Michael Joseph "Mike" Dunleavy, Jr. is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association...
, and Carlos Boozer
Carlos Boozer
Carlos Austin Boozer, Jr. is an American professional basketball player with the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association...
and welcomed the addition of freshman Chris Duhon
Chris Duhon
Chris Nicholas Duhon is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic. Duhon was a point guard for the Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team from 2000 to 2004, the Chicago Bulls from 2004 to 2008, and the New York Knicks from 2008 to 2010, and presently plays for the Orlando...
to their lineup.
Regular season
On January 27, 2001, the second-ranked Blue Devils played at eighth-ranked Maryland TerrapinsMaryland Terrapins men's basketball
The Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition...
in what would become the first of four contests between these two ACC rivals that year. With Duke trailing by 10 points with 54 seconds left in regulation, Williams scored eight points, including two three-pointers, in a 13-second span and James hit two free throws to send this game into overtime. In overtime Battier blocked a layup by Juan Dixon
Juan Dixon
Juan Dixon is an American professional basketball player. Dixon led the University of Maryland Terrapins to their first NCAA championship in 2002 and earned Most Outstanding Player honors at the 2002 Final Four.-Early life:...
at the baseline with 4 seconds left to preserve a 98–96 victory.
However, the Blue Devils stumbled in the next game at home against their archrival, fourth-ranked North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball
The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is considered one of the most successful programs in NCAA history...
by a score of 85–83. A month later, Maryland would avenge their previous home loss to Duke when the No. 16 Terrapins defeated the No. 2 Blue Devils 91–80 on Shane Battier's Senior Night in Cameron Indoor Stadium. After center Carlos Boozer had to leave with a foot injury in that game, coach Krzyzewski decided to change his game strategy, favoring a smaller, quicker lineup by having Duhon start at point guard and moving Williams over to shooting guard. His plan was successful in his next game at North Carolina, when Duke defeated the No. 4 Tar Heels 95–81 to claim a share of the regular season championship. With many pundits having written Duke off after Boozer's injury, the new-look Blue Devils in fact went on to win all 6 of its following games before Boozer rejoined the team in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.
Conference Tournament
Duke finished the regular season with a 26–4 record entering the ACC Tournament2001 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2001 Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament took place from March 8-11, 2001 in Atlanta, Georgia at the Georgia Dome. Duke won the tournament for the third year in a row, defeating arch-rival North Carolina in the championship game. Duke's Shane Battier won the tournament's Most...
as a No. 2 seed. In the tournament semifinals, they met Maryland for the third time this season. In another thrilling contest, after Maryland had rallied from a 14-point, second-half deficit, the Blue Devils defeated the Terrapins 84–82 when Nate James
Nate James (basketball)
Nate James is an retired American basketball player and a current assistant coach at Duke University.-College career:James, a 6'6" swingman out of Saint John's at Prospect Hall, played for coach Mike Krzyzewski at Duke from 1996 to 2001. After appearing sparingly as a freshman, James suffered a...
tipped in the game-winner with 1.3 seconds left to advance to the title game against North Carolina. In the third game between Duke and UNC that season, the Blue Devils emerged victorious as ACC Tournament champions by the score of 79–53 and received a No. 1 seed in the East Regional of the NCAA Tournament
2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 2001 with the play-in game, and ended with the championship game on April 2 in...
.
NCAA tournament
The Blue Devils would travel the same path they took nine years ago when they claimed their last championship in 19921991-92 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team
The 1991–92 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team was a Division I college basketball team that competed in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Led by All-American Christian Laettner, Duke won its 2nd national championship in as many years to become the first repeating team since UCLA's seven-year...
, from Greensboro to Philadelphia to Minneapolis, where they met Maryland for the fourth time that season, this time in the Final Four with a berth in the championship game at stake. Finding themselves down 39–17 with 6:57 to play in the first half and down 49–38 at the half, Duke went on to stage a comeback against the Terrapins and win 95–84 to advance to the championship game. Duke's 22-point deficit and 11-point halftime deficit marked the largest comeback in Final Four history.
Facing fifth-ranked Arizona
Arizona Wildcats men's basketball
The Arizona Wildcats basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of NCAA Division I. They are currently coached by Sean Miller.Arizona has a long and rich...
led by Gilbert Arenas
Gilbert Arenas
Gilbert Jay Arenas, Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association . He plays as a point guard and shooting guard....
and Richard Jefferson
Richard Jefferson
Richard Allen Jefferson is a 6 ft 7 in American professional basketball player currently playing for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association...
and coached by Lute Olson
Lute Olson
Robert Luther "Lute" Olson is a retired American men's basketball coach. He was most recently head coach at the University of Arizona for a period of 25 years. He was also head coach at the University of Iowa for 9 years and California State University, Long Beach for one season...
, who had lost his wife to cancer earlier during the season, Duke was able to stave off a comeback attempt in the second half and clinch the title by a final score of 82–72. With his third national championship, coach Mike Krzyzewski tied his mentor Bob Knight for third place behind Adolph Rupp
Adolph Rupp
Adolph Frederick Rupp was one of the most successful coaches in the history of American college basketball. Rupp is fourth in total victories by a men's NCAA Division I college coach, winning 876 games in 41 years of coaching...
(4) and John Wooden
John Wooden
John Robert Wooden was an American basketball player and coach. Nicknamed the "Wizard of Westwood", he won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period — seven in a row — as head coach at UCLA, an unprecedented feat. Within this period, his teams won a record 88 consecutive games...
(10). Battier was named the NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player
NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player
At the conclusion of the NCAA men's and women's Division I basketball championships , the Associated Press selects a Most Outstanding Player. The MOP need not be, but almost always is a member of the Championship team, especially since the third place game was eliminated after 1981...
.
2000–01 schedule and results
Accomplishments
- 3rd national championship in school history (1991, 1992, 2001)
- 2nd appearance in national championship game in three years (1999, 2001)
- 3rd straight No. 1-ranking in final regular season AP poll, and 1st No. 1-ranked team to win the national championship since UCLA in 1995.
- Duke set an NCAA record by winning its 133rd game over a four-year period. The Blue Devils (133–15) broke the record set by KentuckyKentucky Wildcats men's basketballThe Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, representing the University of Kentucky, is the winningest in the history of college basketball, both in all-time wins and all-time winning percentage. Kentucky's all-time record currently stands at 2058–647...
from 1995–98 and 1996–99. - Duke is the first team to be seeded No. 1 over four consecutive seasons since the NCAA began seeding teams in 1979.
- Duke swept all the major National Player of the Year Awards:
- Jason Williams was named the NABC Player of the Year.
- Shane Battier claimed the AP National Player of the Year, Oscar Robertson TrophyOscar Robertson TrophyThe Oscar Robertson Trophy is given out annually to outstanding men's college basketball players by the United States Basketball Writers Association . The trophy is considered to be the oldest of its kind and has been given out since 1959...
, Wooden Award, Naismith AwardNaismith College Player of the YearThe Naismith College Player of the Year is an annual basketball award given by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to the top men's and women's collegiate basketball players. It is named in honor of the inventor of basketball , Dr. James Naismith....
, and Adolph Rupp TrophyAdolph Rupp TrophyThe Adolph F. Rupp Trophy is an award given annually to the top player in men's Division I NCAA basketball. It is considered one of the top awards in college basketball. The recipient of the award is selected by an independent panel consisting of national sportswriters, coaches, and sports...
awards.
- Shane Battier won the NABC Defensive Player of the YearNABC Defensive Player of the YearThe NABC Defensive Player of the Year is an award given annually by the National Association of Basketball Coaches to recognize the top defensive player in United States college basketball...
award for the third straight time. - Shane Battier tied an NCAA record for victories (131) for a four-year period set by Kentucky's Wayne TurnerWayne TurnerWayne Keon Turner is an American professional basketball player. He played high school basketball at Beaver Country Day School in Brookline, Massachusetts...
. - Jason Williams set a Duke single-season scoring record with 841 points, previously held by Dick GroatDick GroatRichard Morrow Groat is a former two-sport athlete best known as a shortstop in Major League Baseball. He played for four National League teams, mainly the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals, and was named the league's Most Valuable Player in after winning the batting title with a .325...
(831) in 1951. - Shane Battier and Jason Williams were consensus All-American First Team selections.
- Shane Battier was an Academic All-American First Team selection for the 2nd straight year.
- Three players received All-ACC honors:
- Shane Battier, Jason Williams (1st Team)
- Nate James (3rd Team)
- Two players from the 2001 squad (Battier and Jason Williams) had their jerseys retired by Duke.
- Duke set records with the most three-pointers made (407) and attempted (1,057) in a single season by a college basketball team.