NCAA
How many times has Duke won the NCAA championship?
With the impending retirement of their coach, Duke is expected to play with a lot of intensity tonight. What is their record of winning March Madness?
There’s a lot at stake in tonight’s Final Four showdown between the Duke Blue Devils and the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Duke is likely to give it all they’ve got, as their star coach Mike Krzyzewski is about to retire after this season. What is the Blue Devils’ record of winning March Madness?
Duke: Blue-blooded team
Duke has one of the most successful men’s college basketball programs, which has been in existence since 1906.
The team first reached the Final Four in 1963, and this Saturday marks their 17th appearance in the semifinals, the third-highest number of all time. Thirteen of these were achieved under the leadership of coach Mike Krzyzewski , who now holds the record for most Final Four games in NCAA history.
The Blue Devils have an outstanding record in the semifinals, winning 11 out of their 16 outings. They last reached this round in 2015, when they trounced Michigan State 81-61 to reach the national championship. Their second to the last appearance took place five years before that, when they dominated West Virginia 78-57 to moved on to the finals.
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Duke's March Madness championship record
The first time that Duke won March Madness was more than 30 years ago, when they defeated the Kansas Jayhawks 72-65 to win the championship in 1991. They went on to beat Michigan 71-51 the following year, clinching back-to-back titles.
Their third win was against against Arizona in 2001 (82-72). They won their fourth trophy in a close 61-59 victory over Butler in 2010, and they were last champions in 2015, when they prevailed over Wisconsin, 68-63.
Duke has made it to the finals 11 times, and holds a 5-6 record. They stand at 5-4 under Coach K, and in their last two outings in the Final Four, they eventually went on to win the national championship games.
If this trend continues, coach Krzyzewski could be getting the ultimate send-off and retire as a six-time champion.
Duke and North Carolina meet each other in the Final Four at Caesars Superdome at 8:49 p.m. ET / 5:49 pm. PT.