Boy, was I wrong about Duke...AGAIN.
Posted Mar 13, 2005, 8:45 PM ET

OK, Coach K...I get the point.

Throughout this entire college basketball season, I have questioned Duke's status as an "elite team" on the national scale. I'm well-versed in the Blue Devils' tradition, championships and great coaching... But this Duke team doesn't blow me away.

Even after the perfect 15-0 start, I wasn't buying into Duke as one of the nation's elites. No way was I putting Duke in the same class as an Illinois or even North Carolina. I kept pointing to a front-loaded ACC schedule, a weaker-than-normal non-conference schedule, a brutal stretch run in February and of course the madness in March.

So, what did Coach K and his Devils do? ...They stuck it in my ear and laughed all the way to a number one seed in the NCAA Tourney. It didn't surprise me that Duke was average during a stretch of 7-5 leading into the ACC Tourney, and it shouldn't surprise anybody that Coach K's teams get better as the season evolves. We've seen this story before in Durham, and we're lucky to be able to watch one of the greatest coaches in history mold this Duke team into another beast on the hardwood.

UNC fans were licking their chops heading into the first showdown with K in Durham. K outcoached Roy, dictated tempo, and his guys held on for a thrilling one-point win.

The second meeting was Senior Day in Chapel Hill, and once again UNC fans were convinced that this was going to be an old-fashioned woodshed job. Even though Rashad McCants was out...so was Sean Dockery for Duke. It didn't matter; it was time for Roy to show K how the future of ACC basketball was going to be played.

Wrong.

While the Heels rallied to win by outscoring Duke 11-0 in the final three minutes...the point was made again by Coach K and Duke. These Blue Devils are well-coached and tough. North Carolina won their first outright ACC regular season Championship since 1993 and proceeded to cut down the nets, but it was Duke that gathered momentum for the upcoming ACC Tourney.

A week later, Duke was cutting down the nets at the ACC Tournament. Despite being the #3 seed, Duke won their 15th ACC Championship - tying them all-time with UNC. Coach K won his 9th conference title; it was Duke's 6th ACC Championship in the past 7 years, and the Blue Devils have played in 8 consecutive ACC title games.

Remarkable.

I know Duke won the title by beating teams seeded 11th, 7th and 5th...but that's not Duke's fault. They played the teams that they were scheduled to play...and they won. The last time an ACC team won the tournament title by not playing any of the top 4 seeds was back in 1978...and that team was Duke.

By virtue of winning the ACC Tournament, Duke locked up another #1 seed in the NCAA Tourney and literally kicked out fellow ACC member Wake Forest into a #2 seed. Once again, Duke is listed as one of the "elite teams" as we get ready for March Madness.

Coach K...I'm sorry I ever doubted you.

But for whatever it is worth, I'm not picking you to make it to St. Louis...yet somehow, I know you'll prove me wrong again. Keep in mind: if Duke wins their first two games of the NCAA Tournament, Coach K will surpass a guy named Dean Smith in all-time NCAA Tourney wins.

Let the Madness begin.