Originally Posted by
Nugget
While losing is never fun, here's my take on the losses in the Coach K era that were easiest to absorb.
The ones from 89-91 stand out to me because we were such young teams, playing physically superior opponents on the road.
Similarly, the 2009 and 2010 losses at Wisconsin (which just played out of their minds), Wake and Maryland were strong efforts against high quality opponents that had everything to play for at home -- Wake for a #1 ranking and Maryland for the conf. title in one of Vasquez's last home games.
Comments welcomed.
Duke's 25 Least Troubling Losses Under Coach K
(1) 1989-1990 - @ Michigan (113-108) (ot)
(2) 1990-1991 - @ Georgetown (79-74)
(3) 1989-1990 - Syracuse, @ Greensboro (78-76)
(4) 1991 - @ Arizona (103-96) (2ot)
(5) 2009-2010 - @ Wisconsin (73-69)
(6) 2009 - @ Wake Forest (70-68)
(7) 2010 - @ Maryland (79-72)
(8) 1990-1991 - Arkansas, Pre-Season NIT Semis (98-88)
(9) 1990 - @ Clemson (97-93)
(10) 1996-1997 - Indiana, Pre-Season NIT Final (85-69)
(11) 1984 - Maryland, ACC Tournament Final (74-62)
(12) 2005 - @ Wake Forest (92-89)
(13) 1997 - @ North Carolina (91-85)
(14) 1987 - Indiana, NCAA Sweet Sixteen (88-82)
(15) 2007-2008 - Pitt, @ MSG (65-64)
(16) 1992 - @ Wake Forest (72-68)
(17) 2006 - @ Georgetown (87-84)
(18) 2009 - @ North Carolina (79-71)
(19) 1991 - @ N.C. St. (96-91)
(20) 1996 - Wake Forest (57-54)
(21) 2008 - Clemson, ACC Tournament Semis (78-74)
(22) 1998 - @ North Carolina (97-73) (without Elton; cut 20 point deficit to 4 before Carolina pulled away)
(23) 2009 - North Carolina (101-87)
(24) 2003 - Kansas, NCAA Sweet Sixteen (69-65)
(25) 1994 - @ North Carolina (89-78)
I would fill this list with games from the 1995-96 and 2006-2007 seasons, since it was just apparent that we were not that great. Those losses didn't really sit with me the way others before and since have - being bad is certainly more frustrating than being good, but losses when we're bad are, on an individual level, less frustrating than losses when we're good.
Others for me would include the 1999-2000 season opening losses to Stanford and UConn (because we were so young), the 2OT loss to Wake Forest in 2003 (after all, we had 5 players foul out), the 2004 loss to Purdue in Alaska (made easier to get over by the subsequent 18-game winning streak), and the 2003 St. John's loss (because it was just odd - play that game 99 more teams and we win all 99 - and because it was a weekend afternoon game, and those are always somehow easier to deal with).
I can never include a season-ender (like the Kansas and Indiana losses above) - too sad to know that we'll be without Duke basketball for 6-7 months.
Just be you. You is enough. - K, 4/5/10, 0:13.8 to play, 60-59 Duke.
You're all jealous hypocrites. - Titus on Laettner
You see those guys? Animals. They're animals. - SIU Coach Chris Lowery, on Duke