10 Most Painful Duke NCAAT Losses

[DukeTrinity11]

What's your list?

Here's mine:

1. 1999 Final
2. 1994 Final
3. 1998 Elite 8
4. 2002 Sweet 16
5. 2004 Final 4
6. 2011 Sweet 16
7. 2019 Elite 8
8. 2006 Sweet 16
9. 2018 Elite 8
10. 2017 2nd Round

The heartbreak makes all our triumphs all the more sweeter! :D

[CDu]

What's your list?

Here's mine:

1. 1999 Final
2. 1994 Final
3. 1998 Elite 8
4. 2002 Sweet 16
5. 2004 Final 4
6. 2011 Sweet 16
7. 2019 Elite 8
8. 2006 Sweet 16
9. 2018 Elite 8
10. 2017 2nd Round

The heartbreak makes all our triumphs all the more sweeter! :D

I'm gonna guess 1986 gets a lot of votes too.

[OldPhiKap]

10. It's
9. not
8. possible
7. to
6. rank
5. they
4. all
3. hurt
2. equally
1. 1986

[robed deity]

10. It's
9. not
8. possible
7. to
6. rank
5. they
4. all
3. hurt
2. equally
1. 1986

'86 seems to be the winner here, but for me (I was only 5 and barely remember watching that), it's '99, then '04 (ugh UConn), small gap, then '98, big gap, then probably a tie between '94 and this year.

[moonpie23]

10.
9.
8.
7.
6.
5.
4.
3.
2.
1. 1999

[HereBeforeCoachK]

Two words:

Eighty

Six

[wsb3]

Two words:

Eighty

Six

Yes...

[kako]

Depends on the kind of pain.

I'd submit 1990 was extremely painful. Totally blown out, completely outplayed, embarrassed and humiliated in the final game. Duke was down huge to UNLV with most of the 2nd half remaining. We looked like those cupcakes they play in a late December game right before finals. Nothing went right. I remember Laettner getting an and-1. Someone tried to give him a high five, but missed and hit him in the eye. UNLV looked like they were just toying with us. I remember I stopped watching, lying on the couch with a pillow over my head just listening. When I thought it couldn't get worse, they announced that Duke was in danger of losing by the biggest margin in the championship game since UNC lost to UCLA by 23. I started watching again, just praying to bring down the margin in garbage time. Nope. UNLV won going away. Duke lost by 30. '90 was a low point - 4 Final Fours in 5 years, and 0-4. Duke can't win the big one, they said. Pain, pain, pain all around.

People often ask if it's better to lose in a blowout or lose at the buzzer. The answer is both totally suck when it's the final game of the season. They are just different kinds of pain.

But all of that made '91, beating an undefeated UNLV team in the semis, all the sweeter.


9F

[Highlander]

Caveat - 1986 is my earliest Duke memory.

10. 2006 - LSU (smh)
9. 2011 - Arizona (just a buzzsaw game)
8. 1994 - Arkansas (soo close)
7. 2019 - MSU (the end of Zion)
6. 2012 - Lehigh (2/15 upset)
5. 2014 - Mercer (3/14 upset)
4. 1999 - UConn (soo close)
3. 1990 - UNLV (buzzsaw/embarrassment. After 4 of the last 5 FF's, threw gas on the "K can't win a title" trope)
2. 2004 - UConn (we got hosed)
1. 1986 - Louisville (most deserving Duke team to not win a championship)

[Matches]

Triggered so hard by this thread. Not sure I can list 10, but here goes:

1. 1999
2. 2002
3. Mercer
4. 2019
5. 2006
6. 2004
7. 1989
8. 1986
9. 2017
10. Lehigh

Honorable mention to 1997, 2000, 2005, 2011 and 2018.

[RPS]

4. 1990
3. 1978
2. 1999
1. 1986 (easy choice)

[kako]

Caveat - 1986 is my earliest Duke memory.

10. 2006 - LSU (smh)
9. 2011 - Arizona (just a buzzsaw game)
8. 1994 - Arkansas (soo close)
7. 2019 - MSU (the end of Zion)
6. 2012 - Lehigh (2/15 upset)
5. 2014 - Mercer (3/14 upset)
4. 1999 - UConn (soo close)
3. 1990 - UNLV (buzzsaw/embarrassment. After 4 of the last 5 FF's, threw gas on the "K can't win a title" trope)
2. 2004 - UConn (we got hosed)
1. 1986 - Louisville (most deserving Duke team to not win a championship)

While I'd probably agree that '86 was right up there with painful losses, I respectfully submit the '99 team was the most deserving Duke team not to win a championship. 32 wins in a row leading up to the UConn game, going in with a record of 37-1...

9F

[soflabluedevil]

Caveat - 1986 is my earliest Duke memory.

10. 2006 - LSU (smh)
9. 2011 - Arizona (just a buzzsaw game)
8. 1994 - Arkansas (soo close)
7. 2019 - MSU (the end of Zion)
6. 2012 - Lehigh (2/15 upset)
5. 2014 - Mercer (3/14 upset)
4. 1999 - UConn (soo close)
3. 1990 - UNLV (buzzsaw/embarrassment. After 4 of the last 5 FF's, threw gas on the "K can't win a title" trope)
2. 2004 - UConn (we got hosed)
1. 1986 - Louisville (most deserving Duke team to not win a championship)

1-1999 team ran out of gas (mentally more than physically) as no rest for starters over the season so we could win games by 32, not 26
2-2019 offense was guys practicing for nba one on one game
3-2004 fantastic coaching job; refs did everything they could to take it away from us and we still almost won
4-1986 would have been great and well deserved for that team to win
5-1994 fantastic coaching job; if Lang's fingernail longer it's a block and we win

[Highlander]

While I'd probably agree that '86 was right up there with painful losses, I respectfully submit the '99 team was the most deserving Duke team not to win a championship. 32 wins in a row leading up to the UConn game, going in with a record of 37-1...

9F

They are definitely 1&2 of Duke teams on that list, no argument there.

I've personally always been at peace with the 1999 team because they won _everything_ else except for the NC. In fact, they were rarely even challenged that season, winning almost every game by double digits. UConn finished 34-2 on the year, and they were (IIRC) the only other team to be ranked #1 that season. They were easily the best team Duke played all season. I was 22 at the time and at the game, and it capped off a pretty incredible weekend in Tampa. As I walked down the bleachers I remember thinking "I'm not going to let myself be disappointed by a 37-2, 19-0 conference, ACC champion and FF level season because we lost a close game to the #2 team in the country."

To contrast, in 1986, I was 10 years old. That team was filled with seniors who had paid their dues for four years. They started from the bottom of the conference and worked their way up to the top in an era where they were playing the likes of Michael Jordan, Len Bias, and Ralph Sampson on a weekly basis. They were a team that was guard heavy, but this was before the three point shot. In the FF they were paired against a tough Kansas team in the FF which took a lot out of them. As a result, Duke was gassed and lost the final by three points on two late free throws. I quite literally cried myself to sleep that night.

To put it another way...

Duke '99 was Ivan Drago.
Duke '86 was Rocky Balboa.

[Matches]

1-1999 team ran out of gas (mentally more than physically) as no rest for starters over the season so we could win games by 32, not 26


We have very different recollections of the 1999 season. I'm an old fart so maybe my memory is suspect, but I recall the bench playing a ton that year, precisely because we had so many blowouts. I think (?) we only had nine guys on scholarship that season (plus Matt Christensen who was redshirting), but 8 of them played a LOT and the 9th (Domzalski) didn't grow splinters either.

[devildeac]

Every. Damn. One.

[mattyoung18]

1999 1999 1999

[MartinNessley]

1999 and it is not even close.

[zippy_the_cat]

Can't believe nobody has mentioned 1979. Semi-finalist the year before, returned all the key guys, added Gene Banks, flushed in their opening game by a 10 seed the same afternoon UNC was losing to a nine seed. Probably the darkest day ever in local hoops.

[devildeac]

Can't believe nobody has mentioned 1979. Semi-finalist the year before, returned all the key guys, added Gene Banks, flushed in their opening game by a 10 seed the same afternoon UNC was losing to a nine seed. Probably the darkest day ever in local hoops.

Only one of those losses that day made it dark for me...

[jimmymax]

Another not mentioned, but especially painful for me, was Hurley's last game in 1993. Turns out Jason Kidd was pretty good. I was listening on the radio, driving back to Durham on I-95, and didn't get to see the game, which somehow makes it more memorable. It was tough to take after the '91-'92 runs.

[kako]

To put it another way...

Duke '99 was Ivan Drago.
Duke '86 was Rocky Balboa.


Again with all due respect...

'78 was Rocky Balboa!

9F

[zippy_the_cat]

Only one of those losses that day made it dark for me...

Sure, but it's been a rare year in North Carolina for many decades now for hoops to be over after the first day of the tourney. Makes for a long spring, summer and fall.

[Natty_B]

1999 is my no. 2 (after 1986) with the caveat that I've only been a fan during the K era. I recently read, in an article about the historically awful Pac-12 18-19 bball season, that the 98-99 ACC was one of the worst major conference seasons since the start of the shot clock era. Only three ACC teams got bids (and UNC was bounced in round 1 - haha). This tidbit gave me a little bit of closure 20 years later.

My no. 3 is 2002. It's a loss that got worse with age, as four dudes had very good NBA careers and Williams would have too, losing to a trash Indiana team after blowing a lead and that bizarre ending.

[wsb3]

1. 1986 By far...
2. 1999 These top two belong in a category all by themselves
3. 1978
4. 1964 (Only one I cried afterwards but I was only 7)
5. 1989 If Brickey does not get hurt I believe that was the first NC
6. 1988 That Horrible start we got off to that doomed us. I believe we were the better team
7. 1998
8. 1966 Verga gets sick
9. 1994
10.2004

[wsb3]

Another not mentioned, but especially painful for me, was Hurley's last game in 1993. Turns out Jason Kidd was pretty good. I was listening on the radio, driving back to Durham on I-95, and didn't get to see the game, which somehow makes it more memorable. It was tough to take after the '91-'92 runs.

That was a hard one. Didn't Coach K break down in the press conference, not from losing the game but over having to say bye to Hurley, Thomas Hill?

[Bay Area Duke Fan]

2018 and 2019. Most recent, so they hurt the most. Such amazing individual talents; came so close to going to Final Four.

[Highlander]

Again with all due respect...

'78 was Rocky Balboa!

9F

I was still in diapers in 1978, so I'll take your word for it. :)

[Rich]

Depends on the kind of pain.

I'd submit 1990 was extremely painful. Totally blown out, completely outplayed, embarrassed and humiliated in the final game. Duke was down huge to UNLV with most of the 2nd half remaining. We looked like those cupcakes they play in a late December game right before finals. Nothing went right. I remember Laettner getting an and-1. Someone tried to give him a high five, but missed and hit him in the eye. UNLV looked like they were just toying with us. I remember I stopped watching, lying on the couch with a pillow over my head just listening. When I thought it couldn't get worse, they announced that Duke was in danger of losing by the biggest margin in the championship game since UNC lost to UCLA by 23. I started watching again, just praying to bring down the margin in garbage time. Nope. UNLV won going away. Duke lost by 30. '90 was a low point - 4 Final Fours in 5 years, and 0-4. Duke can't win the big one, they said. Pain, pain, pain all around.

People often ask if it's better to lose in a blowout or lose at the buzzer. The answer is both totally suck when it's the final game of the season. They are just different kinds of pain.

You were lucky. I forced my buddy to drive down to Durham from DC with me to watch the game on the big screen in Cameron. What a freaking nightmare! To add insult to injury, his car got broken into (smashed window) in one of the Duke lots and they stole his leather coat. We drove 3 hours home that night, shivering from a continuous cold blast of wind blowing through the broken window. What an awful road trip!

[Highlander]

1. 1986 By far...
2. 1999 These top two belong in a category all by themselves
3. 1978
4. 1964 (Only one I cried afterwards but I was only 7)
5. 1989 If Brickey does not get hurt I believe that was the first NC
6. 1988 That Horrible start we got off to that doomed us. I believe we were the better team
7. 1998
8. 1966 Verga gets sick
9. 1994
10.2004

Forgot completely about 1998. Regional Final in Tampa. Duke had the game well in hand up 17 (69-52) with about 9 minutes to go, only to have UK go on a 20-2 run. Duke used its last timeout with just under 6 minutes to go and subsequently stretched the lead to 79-75. But Kentucky went on a 10-2 run with some clutch rebounding and three point shooting and led 85-81 with about 17 seconds left. Duke hit a 3 to cut to 1 and had the ball down 2 with 4.5 to go, but Avery's desperation three at the buzzer was well off the mark. I was at that game too and sat there in stunned silence. UK would go on to win the NC.

[zippy_the_cat]

1. 1986 By far...
2. 1999 These top two belong in a category all by themselves
3. 1978
4. 1964 (Only one I cried afterwards but I was only 7)
5. 1989 If Brickey does not get hurt I believe that was the first NC
6. 1988 That Horrible start we got off to that doomed us. I believe we were the better team
7. 1998
8. 1966 Verga gets sick
9. 1994
10.2004

1978 to be fair was kind of a Cinderella run for a program that'd been down for more than a decade. Yeah, they could've won it, but they never closed the seam Goose Givens exploited all game long. What sucked was that that year didn't translate into a sustained run of success when with that roster it clearly should've. The only bright spot to it is that it paved the way for the hiring of Coach K.

[J4Kop99]

Fortunately I was too young for the '86 loss..

For me it is:

2004 (ref screw job makes it worse than 1999 for me)
1999 & 2019 (Grouped together because both teams were the absolute best in the country and both should have won the title -- unmet potential, I agree 1999 was more painful)
1994 (losing by a fingernail)
2006 (see comments below -- + loved JJ and Shelden)
2002 (loved the team, it was the better team and lost in such an odd fashion)


--That 2006 loss was underrated and brutal. Damn Tyrus Thomas. Such a joke.


Edit: 2003 isn't getting much mention but that loss to Kansas was a very tough one to watch. Redick 1-11. Shut Hinrich down but Collison goes off.

[fan345678]

I don't remember '86, so here are mine:

1. 2002- my senior year and we should have gone back-to-back
2. 1999- my freshman year and 2001 alleviated the pain, plus UNC didn't do much those years to make it worse
3. 2011- made especially painful because Arizona basically went nuts for one game and then the whole tourney field opened up for UConn
4. 2019- it's fresh and feels wasteful
5. 2017- got stuck playing a road game, looked terrible with some guys sick, and just knew UNC would end up winning it all
6. 2004- we got hosed and would have definitely beaten GT two days later
7. 2013- It seemed like we had really put things together in the tournament, then ran into an inspired Louisville who then faced a 9-seed and 4-seed in the Final Four and had their title vacated.
8. 1994- Can't complain about the season, but missed the chance to win a title in Charlotte right after UNC had won
9. 2018- First weekend of the tourney seemed like we had figured it out, then we lost it
10. 1989- Seton Hall? Really?

[Saratoga2]

Caveat - 1986 is my earliest Duke memory.

10. 2006 - LSU (smh)
9. 2011 - Arizona (just a buzzsaw game)
8. 1994 - Arkansas (soo close)
7. 2019 - MSU (the end of Zion)
6. 2012 - Lehigh (2/15 upset)
5. 2014 - Mercer (3/14 upset)
4. 1999 - UConn (soo close)
3. 1990 - UNLV (buzzsaw/embarrassment. After 4 of the last 5 FF's, threw gas on the "K can't win a title" trope)
2. 2004 - UConn (we got hosed)
1. 1986 - Louisville (most deserving Duke team to not win a championship)


Agaqinst UCONN when the referees fouled out virtually our entire starting team. It looked like collusion to me as we had a wonderful team that year.

[fuse]

The only winning move in this thread is not to play.

🤬😭😤😰😨😱🤢🤮😫😩

[OldPhiKap]

The only winning move in this thread is not to play.

��������������������

"Hmmm . . . Global Thermonuclear War . . . ."

[CameronBlue]

Another not mentioned, but especially painful for me, was Hurley's last game in 1993. Turns out Jason Kidd was pretty good. I was listening on the radio, driving back to Durham on I-95, and didn't get to see the game, which somehow makes it more memorable. It was tough to take after the '91-'92 runs.

I seem to recall that Cherokee Parks' foot (ankle, high sprain?) factored heavily into the outcome.

I'm going to say 2011 because I really thought that Duke was the best team in the country coming out of the ACC Tournament and an impressive showing in the final against the scourge of human excrement that flows out of Chapel Hill. Nolan Smith had worked damn hard to become the player he was. He had struggled in the role of point guard the year prior to the extent that K quickly turned most of the ball handling chores over to Scheyer and an NC ensued. The following year when Kyrie went down it was Nolan who lifted the team as he fashioned himself into a damn fine college point guard. Duke had a lot of talent on that team but it was Nolan's team by the time the NCAAs rolled around. When Kyrie returned for the NCAAs I think it is an arguable point that Nolan lost his way a bit. Had Kyrie not returned would Duke have beaten UA? It's an impossible point to prove. Arizona was an extremely hot team. We'll never know unfortunately.

[-jk]

Duke hoops has been really good for a really long time. They all hurt...

-jk

[TKG]

1978. I was in high school. Saw our boys win the East Region in Providence. Got to watch the shoot around (on the off day between Penn and Villanova) from the floor. A loose ball rolled my way and Spanarkel told me to “shoot it”. Those weren’t just players to a high schooler, they were hoop gods walking among us.

[MarkD83]

1995 because after making it to the NCAA championship in 4 of the previous 5 years Duke lost too many to even make a post season tournament.

[sagegrouse]

In chron order -- gee, it's more than ten:


UCLA, 1964 -- I thought we were gonna win!
Kentucky, 1966 -- If Verga is well, we win in a walk.
Louisville, 1986 -- Yikes. We couldn't lose this game!
Seton Hall, 1989 -- Ugh -- 17 point lead and then Brickey gets injured.
Arkansas, 2004 -- We were gonna win and then Arkansas fumbled the ball, distracting Lang.
UConn, 1999* -- Taught me a lesson. Never assume a win.
Indiana, 2002 -- C'mon, man! This was Indiana and we were the best team in the country. Dunk it, Boozer! Make the FT, JWill!
UConn, 2004* -- Total screw job.
Arizona, 2011 -- zona makes two impossible three-pointers to keep the game close at the half. Miss 'em and we win and keep winning.
Louisville, 2013 -- Kevin Ware game. What can I say?
South Carolina, 2017 -- worst offensive team in college hoops had their best half of the season. Stuff happens, but really. (And, BTW, I blame the North Carolina "Bathroom Bill" for sending us to Greenville.
Kansas, 2018 -- We had a three point lead and the ball with under a minute to go. Still woulda won in OT if ref had called "charge!"


* Sage was there.

This year I am more philosophical -- we trailed ND State by a bunch; we beat UCF by one and shoulda lost; we beat VPI by two and the game shoulda gone to OT. Michigan State was tougher than we were.

[G man]

2004

[jv001]

1. 1986 By far...
2. 1999 These top two belong in a category all by themselves
3. 1978
4. 1964 (Only one I cried afterwards but I was only 7)
5. 1989 If Brickey does not get hurt I believe that was the first NC
6. 1988 That Horrible start we got off to that doomed us. I believe we were the better team
7. 1998
8. 1966 Verga gets sick
9. 1994
10.2004

Mine are:
1. 1986
2. 1964
3. 1999
4. 1966
5. 1994
6. 2004
7. 1998
8. 2019
9. 2018
10 2011

GoDuke!

[HereBeforeCoachK]

1. 1986 By far...
2. 1999 These top two belong in a category all by themselves
3. 1978
4. 1964 (Only one I cried afterwards but I was only 7)
5. 1989 If Brickey does not get hurt I believe that was the first NC
6. 1988 That Horrible start we got off to that doomed us. I believe we were the better team
7. 1998
8. 1966 Verga gets sick
9. 1994
10.2004

86 by far, yes....

Your thoughts about 88 and 89 are interesting. The hack play by Seton Hall on Brickey was irritating, and turned that game against Duke. As for 88, that 14-0 deficit was a killer....that said, IIRC, Strickland had a 3 go almost all the way down, would have given us a late lead, but it somehow spun out. We never recovered.

[mattyoung18]

That was a hard one. Didn't Coach K break down in the press conference, not from losing the game but over having to say bye to Hurley, Thomas Hill?

Yeah K was literally crying in that post game .So was I. I would pick Hurley as a starting Pg over anybody.I loved watching his toughness.

[JNort]

Duke hoops has been really good for a really long time. They all hurt...

-jk

Perhaps one of the most beautiful things ever typed on this board.

[awhom111]

The only winning move in this thread is not to play.

🤬😭😤😰😨😱🤢🤮😫😩

Seriously. If anyone wants a trip down memory lane about the opposite topic, we had this thread from years ago:
https://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?32568-Your-Most-Emotionally-Satisfying-Duke-Wins

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

10. It's
9. not
8. possible
7. to
6. rank
5. they
4. all
3. hurt
2. equally
1. 1986

Hear! Hear! I also second all those in the 60's. Back then the only way to get into the NCAA tournament was to win the conference tournament... Duke moved on under some pretty challenging circumstances. Vic Bubas brought life to the program in a way that was new and exciting.

[dukelifer]

1986- the rest pale by comparison. Best team- hardest semi- and then faltered in the second half of the final game. Not fair. Very sad- even today.

[NYBri]

Every. Damn. One.

They. All. Cause. Pain.

[indy1duke]

So many losses. It is hard to win it all and all losses were painful since it ends our season. It is most painful when you perceive the refs or injuries have screwed the team.

1. 2004 because we outplayed UConn and had the game won were it not for the refs fouling out all our big guys and only calling four fouls on Emeka Okafor, their center. I carefully rewatched that game and noted the game times where Okafor committed his other four fouls that were not called and posted the results on DBR. We would have played and beaten Ga Tech in the championship game. *
2. 2002 when Jayson missed the tying foul shot but Boozer got fouled at the buzzer on the put-back that would have won the game. The IU player admitted to fouling Boozer. Quite a different scenario from the Arkansas/UVA game where Guy was awarded three foul shots. *
3. 1998 in St. Petersburg where we had a 17 point lead in the second half of the regional finals and couldn’t stop Wayne Turner from driving to the basket even though we had Wojo to defend him. Coach K didn’t believe in zone back then. That was a great team with Brand, Battier etc. *
4. 1999 in St. Pete where we lost to a very good UConn team. Once again the refs strongly determined the outcome by not calling any fouls on UConn trying to defend Brand. It didn’t help that Avery was ineffective playing against his older former high school teammate Ricky Moore or that Trajan couldn’t get a call on the last play of the game. *
5. 2011 because of the darn toe injury to Kyrie that robbed him from playing most of the season, a season that Coach K has said we might have gone undefeated. We never seemed in synch when Kyrie returned.
6. 1986 because we were the best team in the country and caught an unlucky draw in the semi-finals against an excellent and physical Kansas team. We ran out of steam in the second half against Louisville. If Bilas had only jumped for that rebound Ellison would not have gotten it and won the game.*
7 1989 we were up big and then Robert Brickey injured his knee. That really took the air out of the team. I think that team could have won it all.
8. 2006 we had a great team led by JJ and Shelden, offensive and defensive players of the year. We could not adapt to the reffing. LSU played very physical defense meaning pushing, shoving, grabbing and holding. The refs swallowed their whistles and we got manhandled. *
9. 2017 because that incoming class of Giles, Tatum, Bolden was so promising but sustained so many injuries that they never fulfilled the high expectations. Then after winning the ACC tournament in four games they ran into USC in Greenville, a home game for USC, but we just played poorly and lost. The best news was when I ran into a local Greenville basketball fan who told me about this amazing local high school player who really liked Duke, one Zion Williamson. *
10. 2019 because I loved this team and Zion restored my love of college basketball and I hated to see it come to an end. *

* these were the games I was fortunate to attend in person even though we lost.

[BandAlum83]

1986
1986
1986
1986
1986
1986
1986
1986
1986
1986

[devildeac]

So many losses. It is hard to win it all and all losses were painful since it ends our season. It is most painful when you perceive the refs or injuries have screwed the team.

1. 2004 because we outplayed UConn and had the game won were it not for the refs fouling out all our big guys and only calling four fouls on Emeka Okafor, their center. I carefully rewatched that game and noted the game times where Okafor committed his other four fouls that were not called and posted the results on DBR. We would have played and beaten Ga Tech in the championship game. *
2. 2002 when Jayson missed the tying foul shot but Boozer got fouled at the buzzer on the put-back that would have won the game. The IU player admitted to fouling Boozer. Quite a different scenario from the Arkansas/UVA game where Guy was awarded three foul shots. *
3. 1998 in St. Petersburg where we had a 17 point lead in the second half of the regional finals and couldn’t stop Wayne Turner from driving to the basket even though we had Wojo to defend him. Coach K didn’t believe in zone back then. That was a great team with Brand, Battier etc. *
4. 1999 in St. Pete where we lost to a very good UConn team. Once again the refs strongly determined the outcome by not calling any fouls on UConn trying to defend Brand. It didn’t help that Avery was ineffective playing against his older former high school teammate Ricky Moore or that Trajan couldn’t get a call on the last play of the game. *
5. 2011 because of the darn toe injury to Kyrie that robbed him from playing most of the season, a season that Coach K has said we might have gone undefeated. We never seemed in synch when Kyrie returned.
6. 1986 because we were the best team in the country and caught an unlucky draw in the semi-finals against an excellent and physical Kansas team. We ran out of steam in the second half against Louisville. If Bilas had only jumped for that rebound Ellison would not have gotten it and won the game.*
7 1989 we were up big and then Robert Brickey injured his knee. That really took the air out of the team. I think that team could have won it all.
8. 2006 we had a great team led by JJ and Shelden, offensive and defensive players of the year. We could not adapt to the reffing. LSU played very physical defense meaning pushing, shoving, grabbing and holding. The refs swallowed their whistles and we got manhandled. *
9. 2017 because that incoming class of Giles, Tatum, Bolden was so promising but sustained so many injuries that they never fulfilled the high expectations. Then after winning the ACC tournament in four games they ran into USC in Greenville, a home game for USC, but we just played poorly and lost. The best news was when I ran into a local Greenville basketball fan who told me about this amazing local high school player who really liked Duke, one Zion Williamson. *
10. 2019 because I loved this team and Zion restored my love of college basketball and I hated to see it come to an end. *

* these were the games I was fortunate to attend in person even though we lost.

Okafor only got called for 3 fouls that game. Three. Our bigs were called for 2 each the first half (IIRC) and 3 each in the second half. Pisses me off even more and I'm not going back to verify the # of fouls called on us each half. :mad::mad:

[Edouble]

So many losses. It is hard to win it all and all losses were painful since it ends our season. It is most painful when you perceive the refs or injuries have screwed the team.

1. 2004 because we outplayed UConn and had the game won were it not for the refs fouling out all our big guys and only calling four fouls on Emeka Okafor, their center. I carefully rewatched that game and noted the game times where Okafor committed his other four fouls that were not called and posted the results on DBR. We would have played and beaten Ga Tech in the championship game. *
2. 2002 when Jayson missed the tying foul shot but Boozer got fouled at the buzzer on the put-back that would have won the game. The IU player admitted to fouling Boozer. Quite a different scenario from the Arkansas/UVA game where Guy was awarded three foul shots. *
3. 1998 in St. Petersburg where we had a 17 point lead in the second half of the regional finals and couldn’t stop Wayne Turner from driving to the basket even though we had Wojo to defend him. Coach K didn’t believe in zone back then. That was a great team with Brand, Battier etc. *
4. 1999 in St. Pete where we lost to a very good UConn team. Once again the refs strongly determined the outcome by not calling any fouls on UConn trying to defend Brand. It didn’t help that Avery was ineffective playing against his older former high school teammate Ricky Moore or that Trajan couldn’t get a call on the last play of the game. *
5. 2011 because of the darn toe injury to Kyrie that robbed him from playing most of the season, a season that Coach K has said we might have gone undefeated. We never seemed in synch when Kyrie returned.
6. 1986 because we were the best team in the country and caught an unlucky draw in the semi-finals against an excellent and physical Kansas team. We ran out of steam in the second half against Louisville. If Bilas had only jumped for that rebound Ellison would not have gotten it and won the game.*
7 1989 we were up big and then Robert Brickey injured his knee. That really took the air out of the team. I think that team could have won it all.
8. 2006 we had a great team led by JJ and Shelden, offensive and defensive players of the year. We could not adapt to the reffing. LSU played very physical defense meaning pushing, shoving, grabbing and holding. The refs swallowed their whistles and we got manhandled. *
9. 2017 because that incoming class of Giles, Tatum, Bolden was so promising but sustained so many injuries that they never fulfilled the high expectations. Then after winning the ACC tournament in four games they ran into USC in Greenville, a home game for USC, but we just played poorly and lost. The best news was when I ran into a local Greenville basketball fan who told me about this amazing local high school player who really liked Duke, one Zion Williamson. *
10. 2019 because I loved this team and Zion restored my love of college basketball and I hated to see it come to an end. *

* these were the games I was fortunate to attend in person even though we lost.

Really love this post. Minor quib... to me, this is like calling Lew Alcindor "Kareem" when referencing his college career at UCLA.

[jdk]

1994 - I was maybe 8 years old, so I cried. We had that game. It was right down the road in Charlotte. Grant Hill would have been the greatest ever had he pulled in 3 championships in 4 years.
1999 - I didn't think we could lose. The whole game I was thinking, "we're about to start our run." I remember with about 2 minutes left or so, it finally hit me: WE MIGHT ACTUALLY LOSE THIS. And then I was in panic mode, followed by numbness. William Avery was just a shell of himself that game, playing in the shadow of his "big brother" Ricky Moore. I punched a guy at school the next day who came up to gloat.

Those were the two worst ones.

2004 should be up there based on how close we were to redeeming 1999 against the guys we used to call UConnvict. I was away from NC at the time, and had recently gone through personal loss (some of you may remember; thanks for the kind words you all sent my way). I was excited about the potential of banner #4, but also numb to the whole season. Watching the game at a party, someone, an OSU student who was watching the FF with me, thought we were robbed, and asked how I wasn't throwing the remote through the television. But I had grown up a lot since 1999, and again, personal loss, so it put the game in perspective.

That one started to hurt more over the years because it was our last FF until 2010. Then 2010 happened, probably my favorite team of them all (I had followed them since the open practice in 2006) and it was like a burden had been lifted.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Seriously. If anyone wants a trip down memory lane about the opposite topic, we had this thread from years ago:
https://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?32568-Your-Most-Emotionally-Satisfying-Duke-Wins

There have been some pretty solid wins since that thread too. :)

[wsb3]

86 by far, yes...

Your thoughts about 88 and 89 are interesting. The hack play by Seton Hall on Brickey was irritating, and turned that game against Duke. As for 88, that 14-0 deficit was a killer...that said, IIRC, Strickland had a 3 go almost all the way down, would have given us a late lead, but it somehow spun out. We never recovered.

I probably place more emphasis on those because we had not won a NC at that point & it was not a given that one day we would be saying we had won 5. That is also why the initial championship (91) will never be topped for me as my favorite.

I hate also that we did not win a NC while Danny Ferry was playing. He won back to back player of the year, 88,89. A great college basketball player.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

I probably place more emphasis on those because we had not won a NC at that point & it was not a given that one day we would be saying we had won 5. That is also why the initial championship (91) will never be topped for me as my favorite.

I hate also that we did not win a NC while Danny Ferry was playing. He won back to back player of the year, 88,89. A great college basketball player.

I agree that some of the losses before 91 were tough, because of course we never knew if we'd ever get one...let alone 5 (and counting) and let alone being generally the best program for three decades...so in addition to the normal loss pain, there was the "lost opportunity to finally win one" fret on top of that.

And 98-99 losses were tough for various reasons, because we never knew if we'd win another one after the back to backs. I remember thinking K had really rounded a corner after 2001...won with two different teams (the first 2 were virtually the same team) and in two different decades. Then 2010 added another decade (or 2015 did depending on when you start your decades)...another corner rounded. We've certainly rounded corners in rarified air as Duke fans...

[mark34]

1. 1986: my freshman year and really my intro to college basketball. I punched a hole in a wall and roamed the quads, drunk and sad
2. 1999: I brought my Dad to the final 4. It was a terrible city and venue for Final 4. I can still hear U-C-O-N-N as Trajan lost the dribble
3. 2014: Mercer. I took my son and his duke fan friend out of school to watch on a big screen at my office with pizza. ugh that hurt
4. 2012: Lehigh.. seriously?
5. 2004: UCONN again? I was there. I hate them. It was ours.
6. 2006: LSU. I missed the first half due to traffic getting to the stadium, and it was just an awful feeling game and atmosphere
7. 1994: Arkansas. So so close...
8. 1996: Eastern Michigan. I lived in Ypsilanti Michigan after Duke. I could never imagine we would ever lose to that school

I think the rest is recency bias.
9. 2018
10. 2017
then 2019 and 2016

really, I just hate when Duke loses.

[rsvman]

Caveat: I only started being a fan of Duke basketball in 1997.

Here are the losses that I remember and that really pained me, in no particular order:

UConn in 2004 (jobbed by refs; JJ should've been shooting free throws. Relatively easy championship game if we win this one)

UConn in 1999 (what more can be said about this?)

Kentucky in 1998 (I hate losing big leads)

Mercer/Lehigh/VCU (these are essentially fused in my mind; kind of surprised nobody has previously mentioned the VCU loss, our first "big upset" loss)

Indiana (besides the missed free throw and the missed foul call, shortly before that the Indiana player "ran the sideline" before he threw the ball in...you can't do that! Should've been Duke ball)

LSU (JJ missing a lot of shots; Big Baby and some other long, thin guy killing us)

West Virginia (am I the only person who remembers this game? So many missed three pointers! And some guy on WV going Bootsy on us. Might've even been a non-starter, if memory serves)

Villanova (or this one? Another painful shooting performance)

Arizona (because that team was really good, and Arizona played out of their minds, then reverted to the mean)

[wsb3]

really, I just hate when Duke loses.

Amen...

[KenTankerous]

I have this ongoing discussion with my UofL and UofK loving family on which we actually kinda agree:

The agony of defeat is FAR worse than the thrill of victory.

Please dispel this feeling that 2010, 2015 somehow make 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009... 2019 all better? Especially 2019. Duke was by far the most talented.

I'm whinging and should just stop...

[RPS]

The agony of defeat is FAR worse than the thrill of victory.

The academic literature is fully on board (https://thedecisionlab.com/bias/loss-aversion/) with you.

[Bigwayne17]

This thread brings back a lot of sad memories for me. We had a loss to Indiana with that red-headed kid sometime in the early 2000s. I remember being at a middle school birthday party watching that one with a bunch of my middle school buddies. :(

Wasn’t the LSU loss the end of JJ’s career? Watched that one in my dorm room freshman year at N.C. State....:(

I remember losing to Kentucky in ‘98...watching at my grandparents house while waiting for my parents to pick me up after their shift at the textile plant. :(

Watching the ball skip away from Trajan in ‘99 :(

But the one that started it all for me as a little Duke fan....1994. The house I grew up in....as a 6 year old little boy I cried uncontrollably far into the night before I was able to go to sleep. My mother tried her best to comfort me, but the loss was difficult for me at that time.

[sagegrouse]

But the one that started it all for me as a little Duke fan...1994. The house I grew up in...as a 6 year old little boy I cried uncontrollably far into the night before I was able to go to sleep. My mother tried her best to comfort me, but the loss was difficult for me at that time.

I was 50, and it was difficult to me. I don't recall crying, but I did my share of whining --"ten-point lead with seven minutes to play" -- "fluke play when we had Arkansas shut down and were gonna win on the last possession."

[wavedukefan70s]

This thread brings back a lot of sad memories for me. We had a loss to Indiana with that red-headed kid sometime in the early 2000s. I remember being at a middle school birthday party watching that one with a bunch of my middle school buddies. :(

Wasn’t the LSU loss the end of JJ’s career? Watched that one in my dorm room freshman year at N.C. State...:(

I remember losing to Kentucky in ‘98...watching at my grandparents house while waiting for my parents to pick me up after their shift at the textile plant. :(

Watching the ball skip away from Trajan in ‘99 :(

But the one that started it all for me as a little Duke fan...1994. The house I grew up in...as a 6 year old little boy I cried uncontrollably far into the night before I was able to go to sleep. My mother tried her best to comfort me, but the loss was difficult for me at that time.
1994 was the angriest I have ever been.mr Clinton ruined my experience.i was 23 years old .had my career job saved money for great seats .I treated my father to the game .after years of him taking me to Cameron. I had done it.i felt like I was finally a grown man.anyway here comes Mr Clinton and his security. They dampened my experience.to say the least.

You know I'm still pretty darn angry over that .I'll probably die angry over it.gthc has two meanings for me.

To be honest I shed a few tears of relief in Columbia this year.

Quite a few years I've walked out the house to take a drive after we have lost.

[Turk]

TL; DR

"Why don't you give me a nice paper cut and pour lemon juice on it?!?"

[Dukehk]

1999 was definitely the worst of the lot.

Jay Williams vs. Indiana was pretty bad too. Such a winnable game.

Zion and co. vs msu is up there. We were the best team in college basketball, but just ran into a whole bunch of circumstances that eventually worked against us.

[mark34]

TL; DR

"Why don't you give me a nice paper cut and pour lemon juice on it?!?"

Ha. Exactly.

[OldPhiKap]

TL; DR

"Why don't you give me a nice paper cut and pour lemon juice on it?!?"


Ha. Exactly.

This thread has made me feel mostly dead all day.

[DevilYouKnow]

It's a 36 way tie.

[devildeac]

TL; DR

"Why don't you give me a nice paper cut and pour lemon juice on it?!?"

" 'Cause I'd rather get a hundred thousand paper cuts on my face
Than spend one more minute with you..."

[ranantha1]

Had that game won, choked it away and would have crushed GA Tech in the final. Duhon's heave at the end only made it worse.

[gotoguy]

1986 I loved those boys.

1989 I grew up in Illinois following the Illini, my father played varsity basketball there 1945 and
1946, the year after Vic Bubas left to join Everett Case at NC State. Brickey gets hurt then the
the Flying Illini lose to Michigan in the nightcap.

2005 Bruce Webber's Illini, Bill Self's recruits lose to a team which will go unnamed with at least 5
ineligible players. The feelings after that game, believe me, approached what I would feel if
the Devils lost to UNCheat in a final.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

Had that game won, choked it away and would have crushed GA Tech in the final. Duhon's heave at the end only made it worse.

Out of curiosity, what was your life/fan status in 86? Or 78?

[Rogue]

1964 ,, my first National Championship game. Such Heart break. We'd lost Arty from '63, but Jeff Mullins was hitting on all cylinders .

1966,, was my favorite team. ( favorite till 1991 lol ) Bob Verga and the flu. I will always believe we were better than Ky.. Not sure if we were better than Texas Western. I hated Ky..

1986 ,, I truly still believe we were the best team. And as we know, the best team doesn't always win a 6 game tourney .

1978 ,, was magical . Jim Spanarkel had an amazing Sr year.. It was the first great Duke team where I was older than those playing.

[ranantha1]

Out of curiosity, what was your life/fan status in 86? Or 78?

I became a fan in '94 when i started grad school at Duke.

[noworries]

Personally, 2002 and 2011 are at the top for me...the recent years losses aren't as bad since graduating from UVA back in '13 and the Hoos having their fair share of bad postseason losses....those ones hurt worse.

[sagegrouse]

My Novocaine injection is wearing off. Is there a chance to get rid of this painful thread (to which I contributed while numbed)?

[HereBeforeCoachK]

I became a fan in '94 when i started grad school at Duke.

Fair enough. 94 was a tough one, missed it by a Tony Lang manicure perhaps. Ended my dreams of tee shirts saying
91 Duke
92 Duke
93 Fluke
94 Duke
(the cheats won in 93 with the 6th timeout from Webber)

and a little more history and perspective that at least some of us around here believe:
94 was a chance to really nail down a dynasty status even more than Duke already had...it was the 7th Final Four in 9 seasons, an amazing feat. But 94 doesn't happen without 91-92, and 91-92 couldn't happen without 86, and in a way, 78 set the stage for K and thus all of this.

[Tripping William]

If we can’t lock this thread down completely, can we please (please?) stop talking about ‘94? It’s still way, way, way too effing soon. Muchas gracias!

[Nugget]

I couldn't help myself so blew it out to a list of the Top 50 toughest losses (NCAA tournament and otherwise) of the Coach K-era.

It broke out to me into about 5 clear tiers -- and, personally, I don't think it's a close call that 86 was much tougher to handle than 99, particularly given the (even bigger than it was) cr**-storm that would have ensued about Corey Maggette had we won:

Tier 1: undoubtedly the toughest

(1) 1986 - Louisville, National Championship (72-69)

Tier 2: national title for sure, and we had the best team

(2) 1999 - U.Conn, National Championship (77-74)

Tier 3: win this one and we would (probably) have won the national title, and Duke was either cheated by the refs, blew it, was unlucky or victimized by an extraordinary play by the opponent

(3) 1994 - Arkansas, National Championship (76-72)
(4) 2004 - U.Conn, Final Four (79-78)
(5) 2002 - Indiana, Sweet Sixteen (74-73)
(6) 1998 - Kentucky, Elite Eight (86-84)
(7) 2006 - LSU, Sweet Sixteen (62-54)
(8) 2011 - Arizona, Sweet Sixteen (93-77)
(9) 2019 - Michigan St., Elite Eight (68-67)
(10) 1990 - UNLV, National Championship (103-73)

Tier 4: next toughest NCAA Tournament losses

(11) 1993 - Cal, NCAA 2nd Round (82-77)
(12) 2018 - Kansas, Elite Eight (85-81) (ot)
(13) 2012 - Lehigh, NCAA 1st Round (75-70)
(14) 1989 - Seton Hall, Final Four (87-75)
(15) 2017 - S. Carolina, NCAA 2nd Round (88-81)
(16) 2005 - Michigan St., Sweet Sixteen (78-68)
(17) 2000 - Florida, Sweet Sixteen (87-78)
(18) 2014 - Mercer, NCAA 1st Round (78-71)
(19) 1988 - Kansas, Final Four (66-59)
(20) 2007 - VCU, NCAA 1st Round (79-77)

Tier 5: Nos. 21-50

(21) 1984 - North Carolina, home (78-73) and away (96-83) (2ot) (lose both after leading late)
(22) 2008 - West Virginia, NCAA 2nd Round (73-67)
(23) 2009 - Villanova, Sweet Sixteen (77-54)
(24) 1989 - North Carolina, ACC Tournament Final (77-74) (height of Dean-K antagony)
(25) 2006 - North Carolina (83-76) (JJ and Shelden’s Senior Day)
(26) 1997 - Providence, NCAA 2nd Round (98-87)
(27) 2003 - Kansas, Sweet Sixteen (69-65)
(28) 2001 - Maryland (91-80) (what happened after obscures how tough it was in the moment – e.g., “It’s Over” and Battier’s Senior Night)
(29) 1994 - North Carolina (87-77) (Grant Hill’s Senior Day)
(30) 2001 - North Carolina (85-83) (Battier fouls Haywood 30 ft from basket with :01 to go)
(31) 1992 - @ North Carolina (75-73) (#1 Duke gets 1st loss and court-stormed)
(32) 1995 - North Carolina (102-100) (2 ot)
(33) 1989 - North Carolina (91-71) (#1 Duke gets crushed at Cameron)
(34) 2004 - Maryland, ACC Tournament Final (95-87) (ot)
(35) 2005 - @ North Carolina (75-73) (UNC goes on 11-0 run last 3 minutes)
(36) 1995 - Virginia (91-88) (2ot) (Duke blows 23 point 2nd half lead at Cameron)
(37) 1996 - @ North Carolina (73-72) (upset spoiled by late tip-in and Price missed J at buzzer)
(38) 1983 - Virginia, ACC Tournament 1st Round (109-66)
(39) 2009 - @ Clemson (74-47)
(40) 1983 - Wagner (84-77)
(41) 1995 - Wake Forest (62-61)
(42) 1989 - Arizona (@ Meadowlands) (77-75)
(43) 1996 - Eastern Michigan, NCAA 1st Round (75-60)
(44) 1985 - Boston College, NCAA 2nd Round (74-73)
(45) 2000 - St. John’s (83-82)
(46) 2018 - @ St. John’s (81-77)
(47) 1986 - @ North Carolina (95-92) (first game at Dean Dome)
(48) 2013 - @ Miami (90-63) (#1 Duke gets routed)
(49) 2017 - N.C. St. (84-82)
(50) 1996-97 - Michigan (62-61)

This was the next 30 or so that I considered; i.e., Honorable mention (chronological order):

1984 - Washington, NCAA 1st Round (80-78)
1987-1988 - @ Arizona (91-85)
1988 - N.C. State (77-74)
1988 - Maryland (72-69)
1990 - North Carolina (87-75)
1990 - Georgia Tech, ACC Tournament Semis (83-72) (Phil Henderson calls team “crybabies”)
1991 - North Carolina, ACC Final (96-74) (embarrassing, but we won the NCAAs)
1993 - Georgia Tech, ACC Tournament 1st Round (69-66)
1994 - Wake Forest (69-68)
1994 - Virginia, ACC Tournament 1st Round (66-61)
1995 - Maryland (94-92)
1995 - @ UCLA (100-77)
1997 - N.C. State, ACC Tournament 1st Round (66-60)
1998-1999 - Cincinnati (Great Alaska Shootout) (77-75)
1999-2000 - Stanford and U.Conn, Pre-Season NIT (80-75 and 71-66)
2000 - Maryland (98-87)
2001 - @ Virginia (91-89)
2000-2001 - Stanford (at Oakland) (84-83)
2002 - @ Florida St. (77-76)
2002 - @ Virginia (87-84)
2002 - @ Maryland (87-73)
2003 - @ St. John’s (72-71)
2003 - @ Wake Forest (94-80) (2 ot)
2006 - @ Florida St. (79-74)
2007 - Va Tech (69-67)
2007 - Florida St. (68-67)
2010 - @ Georgetown (93-77) & N. C. State (88-74) (blowouts forgotten bc we won NCAAs)
2011 - @ St. John’s (93-78)
2013 - Maryland, ACC Quarterfinal (83-74)
2013 - Louisville, Elite 8 (85-63)
2015 - @ NC St. (87-75); Miami (90-74) (blowouts forgotten bc we won NCAAs)
2016 - Kentucky (74-63)
2016 - Syracuse (64-62)
2016 - Oregon, Sweet 16 (82-68)
2018 - North Carolina, ACC Tournament Semis (74-69)

[MarkD83]

Nugget listed 80 Duke losses all while Coach was / is Duke's coach.

Coach K only has 300 losses while at Duke so keep going and rank all of them :)

Perhaps the better thread is ranking all 1063 of the wins.

The 5 national championship wins are 1 to 5.
UNLV in the final 4 is next.
The 12 elite 8 wins are next (vs Ky is number 1 in this group)
The other 8 national semi-final wins are next
The 15 ACC championship game wins are next
The 47 wins against UNC are next (some of these were ACC championship wins so there may be some duplicates)
The regular season wins to become the coach with the most wins, the 1000 win, the most wins in Duke history are next.

So I am up to about 95 wins....only 968 more to rank.....

[HereBeforeCoachK]

Nugget, SPORKS to you for good work, solid opinions!

[Highlander]

94 was a chance to really nail down a dynasty status even more than Duke already had...it was the 7th Final Four in 9 seasons, an amazing feat. But 94 doesn't happen without 91-92, and 91-92 couldn't happen without 86, and in a way, 78 set the stage for K and thus all of this.

Kenny Dennard claims in an interview on the DBR podcast that Coach K planned to leave Duke for an NBA job if we won in 1994, having achieved everything he wanted in the College game. Mickie was actually looking forward to moving on. However, the loss meant he wasn't leaving.

So, could have been a blessing in disguise if true.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

Kenny Dennard claims in an interview on the DBR podcast that Coach K planned to leave Duke for an NBA job if we won in 1994, having achieved everything he wanted in the College game. Mickie was actually looking forward to moving on. However, the loss meant he wasn't leaving.

So, could have been a blessing in disguise if true.

Well if that's true, it was indeed a blessing in disguise. Might I add that of course neither you nor I can confirm, and while I loved Dennard and that 78 team, and I think this theory is suspect. I would also add that as blessings go, it was a helluva disguise.....:cool:

[fc3]

In chron order -- gee, it's more than ten:


UCLA, 1964 -- I thought we were gonna win!
Kentucky, 1966 -- If Verga is well, we win in a walk.
Louisville, 1986 -- Yikes. We couldn't lose this game!
Seton Hall, 1989 -- Ugh -- 17 point lead and then Brickey gets injured.
Arkansas, 2004 -- We were gonna win and then Arkansas fumbled the ball, distracting Lang.
UConn, 1999* -- Taught me a lesson. Never assume a win.
Indiana, 2002 -- C'mon, man! This was Indiana and we were the best team in the country. Dunk it, Boozer! Make the FT, JWill!
UConn, 2004* -- Total screw job.
Arizona, 2011 -- zona makes two impossible three-pointers to keep the game close at the half. Miss 'em and we win and keep winning.
Louisville, 2013 -- Kevin Ware game. What can I say?
South Carolina, 2017 -- worst offensive team in college hoops had their best half of the season. Stuff happens, but really. (And, BTW, I blame the North Carolina "Bathroom Bill" for sending us to Greenville.
Kansas, 2018 -- We had a three point lead and the ball with under a minute to go. Still woulda won in OT if ref had called "charge!"


* Sage was there.

This year I am more philosophical -- we trailed ND State by a bunch; we beat UCF by one and shoulda lost; we beat VPI by two and the game shoulda gone to OT. Michigan State was tougher than we were.



Hey Sage, you live in Steamboat? My wife and I watched the 99 FF in a sports bar on Lincoln Ave. She pretty much had to drag me out of there to keep me from getting in a fight with the entire bar. Not that I'm the bar fighting type, but drunk and stupid go a long way when you're the only Duke fan in a bar on that particular occasion.

As for the list, it's all about '86 for me, even though I was a junior in high school at the time. That one broke my heart like none other. But I wonder if Duke had won that year, if K would have had the long term success at Duke that followed.

[Billy Dat]

Kenny Dennard claims in an interview on the DBR podcast that Coach K planned to leave Duke for an NBA job if we won in 1994, having achieved everything he wanted in the College game. Mickie was actually looking forward to moving on. However, the loss meant he wasn't leaving.

So, could have been a blessing in disguise if true.

Yeah, that's a huge "What If?" because we know the trouble K ran into the following year with his health. Had he flamed out in the pros as a result, he probably winds up back in college somewhere else, who knows where...Kentucky hired Tubby in 1997....perish the thought. Maybe Big Blue Nation wouldn't have accepted him so soon after '92 but I bet they may have thought about it.

Also, wasn't K kind of perturbed at the incoming Nan Keohane presidency, the thought that Duke was somehow going to de-emphasize sports, etc.? That all seems to have gotten worked out.

[Nugget]

Kenny Dennard claims in an interview on the DBR podcast that Coach K planned to leave Duke for an NBA job if we won in 1994, having achieved everything he wanted in the College game. Mickie was actually looking forward to moving on. However, the loss meant he wasn't leaving.

So, could have been a blessing in disguise if true.

The linked article from May 1994 indicated Coach K was in reasonably-serious consideration of taking the Portland Trailblazers job, so perhaps not having won that title might have been a factor in the decision not to go to Portland.

And, in hindsight, it certainly has been a blessing in disguise for Duke.

https://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-xpm-19940528-1994-05-28-9405280141-story.html