Men's basketball at Duke University has a long and storied history. The Blue Devils have made a strong mark on college basketball, appearing in 23 NCAA tournaments, making 12 Final Four appearances, and winning two national championships. Since the formation of the Atlantic Coast Conference, Duke has been equally impressive. The Blue Devils hold a winning mark against every team in the conference except the University of North Carolina, and have won 14 ACC regular-season titles.

In 1906, Duke (then known as Trinity College), played its first intercollegiate basketball game against Wake Forest. Although Wake won the game, it was a fairly impressive outing for the Trinity students, since the game was in its infancy and none of the Trinity players had ever played before. The game as it was played in 1906 is virtually unrecognizable today: the "basket" was truly that, with a bottom that held the ball in after each score. Players would knock the ball loose with a stick. In addition, one of the team's players was the "designated shooter," and would take every shot.

Wilbur Card, who coached Trinity in that first game, was determined to make basketball stay at his school. His teams began competing with local high schools and YMCA teams, and then gradually against other schools such as Guilford College, William and Mary, and Wake Forest. The first game against UNC-Chapel Hill came in 1922. Card, who gave his name to Duke's current gymnasium, coached basketball at the school for seven years, with a record of 30-17.

Duke's program struggled slightly for the next few years, until Edmund Cameron took the helm in 1929. Cameron's Blue Devils helped launch the Southern Conference, where they would play until the Atlantic Coast Conference formed. Duke met with extraordinary success under Cameron. From 1929 until Cameron left in 1942, the team reached a mark of 226-99 under his guidance.

Throughout the 1950s, the team consistently posted winning records under head coach Harold Bradley. The Associated Press Poll, which had just been introduced, frequently ranked Duke among the top twenty teams in the country. The Devils cruised to a 24-6 mark in 1952 behind the leadership of guard Dick Groat. Groat averaged 26 points that year, bettering his 1951 mark of more than 25 points per game. Although Groat was a first-round draft choice of the Fort Wayne Pistons, he elected to play professional baseball instead, and made the All-Star team five times in a fifteen-year career.

In 1960, under head coach Vic Bubas, Duke reached the upper realms of the NCAA basketball tournament for the first time. The Blue Devils made it to the Elite 8, and finished the season ranked in the top twenty. Three years later, led by Art Heyman, the Blue Devils made their first trip to the Final Four, and finished second in the nation. Heyman was drafted by the New York Knicks and went on to a professional basketball career.

After a brief downturn in the early 1970s, the program rebounded under head coach Bill Foster. In 1979 and 1980, Duke played in the NCAA tournament, reaching the Elite Eight once. Foster's successes, however, caused the University of South Carolina to offer him a contract, and he left the team after the 1980 season.

Enter Mike Krzyzewski. When Krzyzewski was first hired as Duke's basketball coach, many fans felt the school had made a big mistake. The Coach was young and unproven. How could he guide a nationally-recognized basketball progam the way Foster, Bubas, and others had done?

Krzyzewski's first three seasons seemed to prove his critics right. The Blue Devils played in the NIT in 1981, then suffered losing seasons in 1982 and 1983. Where Krzyzewski was building the future of the program, however, was on the recruiting trail. In 1982, it all came together with a recruiting class made up of Johnny Dawkins, Mark Alarie, David Henderson, Jay Bilas, and Weldon Williams.

The 1986 Duke team won an NCAA record 37 games, the ACC regular season and Tournament titles and advanced to the Final Four. The squad also won a school-record 21 straight games during the season. (A record since shattered by the 1998-99 squad).

The 1987 Duke team, expected to suffer from the graduation of so many seniors, won 24 games and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament before losing to eventual national champion Indiana. Duke went on to appear in an amazing five straight NCAA Final Fours between 1988 and 1993, winning back-to-back championships in 1991 and 1992.

Duke's incredible run under Coach Krzyzewski continued at the end of the decade. The Coach put together another fine recruiting class consisting of Elton Brand, Shane Battier, William Avery, and Chris Burgess. Aided by veteran Trajan Langdon, the 1998-1999 squad became the first ever to finish the ACC regular season undefeated. The team won the ACC tournament and barely missed winning the national title, losing in the championship game to the University of Connecticut by three points.

Many experts believe that Duke is the "team of the decade" for the 1990s, and there is no reason to believe that its success will not carry into the new millenium. Coach Krzyzewski has signed a long-term contract, and yet another group of top prospects has joined the team. Blue Devils fans seem to have many more years of top-notch basketball ahead of them.

More information on Duke's Championship Seasons
Explore the history of the Blue Devil mascot
Find out more about Cameron Indoor Stadium
View Duke's All-time leaders and records against the ACC