# 2000–01 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team

The 2000–01 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team represented Duke University during the 2000–01 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, and were coached by 21st-year head coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Duke won the 2001 Atlantic Coast Conference tournament and defeated Monmouth, Missouri, UCLA, USC, Maryland, and Arizona to win their third national championship in Duke's history, under the leadership of All-American duo Shane Battier and Jason "Jay" Williams.

## Expectations

Shane Battier entered his senior season as the remaining member of Duke's heralded recruiting class of 1997 which included Elton Brand and William Avery and had nearly led Duke to a championship two years earlier. (Brand and Avery, along with Corey Maggette would become the first Duke underclassmen to leave early for the draft that year.) Despite losing the reigning ACC Player of the Year Chris Carrawell to graduation, the Blue Devils still retained sophomores Jason Williams, Mike Dunleavy Jr., and Carlos Boozer and welcomed the addition of freshman Chris Duhon to their lineup.

## Regular season

On January 27, 2001, the #2 Duke Blue Devils played at #8 Maryland Terrapins in what would become the first of four contests between these two ACC powerhouses. With Duke trailing by 10 points, with 54 seconds left in regulation, Williams scored eight points. These points included two 3 pointers in a 13-second span. James hit two free throws to send this game into overtime. In overtime, Battier blocked a layup by Juan Dixon at the baseline with 4 seconds left to preserve a 98 to 96 victory.
However, the Blue Devils stumbled in the next game at home against their rival, 4th ranked North Carolina by a score of 85 to 83. A month later, Maryland would avenge their home loss to Duke when the No. 16 Terrapins defeated the No. 2 Blue Devils 91 to 80 on Shane Battier's Senior Night in Cameron Indoor Stadium. After center Carlos Boozer had to leave with a foot injury in that game, Coach Krzyzewski decided to change his strategy, favoring a smaller, quicker lineup by having Duhon start at point guard and moving Williams over to shooting guard. His plan was successful in Duke's next game at North Carolina, when Duke defeated the No. 4 Tar Heels 95 to 81 to claim a share of the regular season championship. The Blue Devils went on to win 6 of its games following Boozer's injury. Then Boozer rejoined the team in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.

## Conference tournament

Duke finished the regular season with a 26–4 record entering the ACC tournament as a No. 2 seed. In the tournament semifinals, they met Maryland for the third time this season. In another thrilling contest, after Maryland had rallied from a 14-point, second-half deficit, the Blue Devils defeated the Terrapins 84 to 82 when Nate James tipped in the game-winner with 1.3 seconds left to advance to the title game against North Carolina. In the third game between Duke and UNC that season, the Blue Devils emerged victorious as ACC tournament champions by the score of 79 to 53 and received a No. 1 seed in the East Regional of the NCAA tournament.

## NCAA tournament

The Blue Devils would travel the same path they took nine years ago when they claimed their last championship in 1992, from Greensboro to Philadelphia to Minneapolis, where they met Maryland for the fourth time that season, this time in the Final Four with a berth in the championship game at stake. Finding themselves down 39 to 17 with 6:57 to play in the first half and down 49 to 38 at Halftime, Duke went on to stage a comeback against the Terrapins and win 95–84 to advance to the championship game. Duke's 22-point deficit and 11-point Halftime deficit marked the largest comeback in Final Four history until 2022, when Kansas overcame a 15-point halftime deficit to defeat North Carolina in the National Championship Game.
Facing fifth-ranked Arizona led by Gilbert Arenas and Richard Jefferson and coached by Lute Olson, who had lost his wife to cancer earlier during the season, Duke was able to stave off a comeback attempt in the second half and clinch the title by a final score of 82–72. With his third national championship, coach Mike Krzyzewski tied his mentor Bob Knight for third place behind Adolph Rupp (4) and John Wooden (10). Battier was named the NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player.

## 2000–01 schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Regular season ||||||
| November 14, 2000* 9:00 pm, ESPN | No. 2 | Princeton | W 107-59 | 1–0 | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, North Carolina |
| November 17, 2000* 7:00 pm, ESPN | No. 2 | Villanova | W 98–85 | 2–0 | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, North Carolina |
| November 22, 2000* 9:00 pm, ESPN | No. 2 | vs. Texas Preseason NIT | W 95–69 | 3–0 | Madison Square Garden (11,449) New York City |
| November 24, 2000* 9:00 pm, ESPN | No. 2 | vs. Temple Preseason NIT | W 63–61 | 4–0 | Madison Square Garden (12,989) New York |
| November 25, 2000* 9:00 pm, HTS | No. 2 | Army | W 91–48 | 5–0 | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, North Carolina |
| November 28, 2000* 9:00 pm, ESPN | No. 1 | vs. No. 9 Illinois ACC–Big Ten Challenge | W 78–77 | 6–0 | Greensboro Coliseum (17,966) Greensboro, North Carolina |
| December 2, 2000* 7:00 pm, ESPN | No. 1 | at No. 17 Temple | W 93–68 | 7–0 | First Union Center (19,455) Philadelphia |
| December 5, 2000* 7:00 pm, FSS/HTS | No. 1 | Davidson | W 102–60 | 8–0 | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, North Carolina |
| December 9, 2000* 9:00 pm, ESPN | No. 1 | Michigan Rivalry | W 104–61 | 9–0 | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, North Carolina |
| December 19, 2000* 10:00 pm | No. 1 | at Portland | W 97–64 | 10–0 | Rose Garden (15,341) Portland, Oregon |
| December 21, 2000* 9:00 pm, FSN/HTS | No. 1 | vs. No. 3 Stanford Pete Newell Challenge | L 83–84 | 10–1 | The Arena in Oakland (19,804) Oakland, California |
| December 30, 2000* 1:30 pm, RJ | No. 3 | North Carolina A&T | W 108–73 | 11–1 | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, North Carolina |
| January 4, 2001 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 3 | at Florida State | W 99–72 | 12–1 (1–0) | Tallahassee–Leon County Civic Center (4,337) Tallahassee, Florida |
| January 7, 2001 1:30 pm, RJ | No. 3 | Clemson | W 115–74 | 13–1 (2–0) | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, North Carolina |
| January 10, 2001 9:00 pm, ESPN | No. 2 | at North Carolina State | W 84–78 | 14–1 (3–0) | Entertainment & Sports Arena (18,263) Raleigh, North Carolina |
| January 13, 2001 3:30 pm, ABC | No. 2 | No. 10 Virginia | W 103–61 | 15–1 (4–0) | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, North Carolina |
| January 16, 2001* 7:30 pm, ESPN2 | No. 2 | No. 25 Boston College | W 97–75 | 16–1 | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, North Carolina |
| January 20, 2001 12:00 pm, ESPN | No. 2 | at Georgia Tech | W 98–77 | 17–1 (5–0) | Alexander Memorial Coliseum (10,000) Atlanta |
| January 24, 2001 9:00 pm, RJ | No. 2 | No. 9 Wake Forest | W 85–62 | 18–1 (6–0) | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, North Carolina |
| January 27, 2001 8:00 pm, ESPN | No. 2 | at No. 8 Maryland | W 98–96 $^{OT}$ | 19–1 (7–0) | Cole Field House (14,500) College Park, Maryland |
| February 1, 2001 9:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 2 | No. 4 North Carolina | L 83–85 | 19–2 (7–1) | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, North Carolina |
| February 4, 2001 1:00 pm, RJ | No. 2 | Florida State | W 100–58 | 20–2 (8–1) | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, North Carolina |
| February 7, 2001 9:00 pm, ESPN | No. 3 | at Clemson | W 81–64 | 21–2 (9–1) | Littlejohn Coliseum (10,700) Clemson, South Carolina |
| February 11, 2001 3:30 pm, ABC | No. 3 | North Carolina State | W 101–75 | 22–2 (10–1) | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, North Carolina |
| February 14, 2001 7:00 pm, ESPN | No. 3 | at No. 12 Virginia | L 89–91 | 22–3 (10–2) | University Hall (8,242) Charlottesville, Virginia |
| February 18, 2001* 12:00 pm, CBS | No. 3 | at St. John's | W 91–59 | 23–3 | Madison Square Garden (19,580) New York |
| February 21, 2001 7:00 pm, ESPN | No. 4 | Georgia Tech | W 98–54 | 24–3 (11–2) | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, North Carolina |
| February 24, 2001 1:00 pm, CBS | No. 4 | at No. 24 Wake Forest | W 82–80 | 25–3 (12–2) | Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum (14,400) Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
| February 27, 2001 8:00 pm, RJ | No. 2 | No. 16 Maryland | L 80–91 | 25–4 (12–3) | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, North Carolina |
| March 4, 2001 3:30 pm, ABC | No. 2 | at No. 4 North Carolina | W 95–81 | 26–4 (13–3) | Dean Smith Center (21,750) Chapel Hill, North Carolina |
| ACC tournament ||||||
| March 9, 2001 7:00 pm, ESPN | (7) No. 3 | vs. (7) North Carolina State Quarterfinals | W 76–61 | 27–4 | Georgia Dome (40,083) Atlanta |
| March 10, 2001 4:15 pm, ESPN | (2) No. 3 | vs. (3) No. 11 Maryland Semifinals | W 84–82 | 28–4 | Georgia Dome (40,083) Atlanta |
| March 11, 2001 1:15 pm, ESPN | (2) No. 3 | vs. (1) No. 6 North Carolina Finals | W 79–53 | 29–4 | Georgia Dome (40,083) Atlanta |
| NCAA tournament ||||||
| March 15, 2001* 7:45 pm, CBS | (1 E) No. 1 | vs. (16 E) Monmouth First Round | W 95–52 | 30–4 | Greensboro Coliseum (18,932) Greensboro, North Carolina |
| March 17, 2001* 1:15 pm, CBS | (1 E) No. 1 | vs. (9 E) Missouri Second Round | W 94–81 | 31–4 | Greensboro Coliseum (18,500) Greensboro, North Carolina |
| March 22, 2001* 7:30 pm, CBS | (1 E) No. 1 | vs. (4 E) No. 15 UCLA Sweet Sixteen | W 76–63 | 32–4 | First Union Center (20,270) Philadelphia |
| March 24, 2001* 7:00 pm, CBS | (1 E) No. 1 | vs. (6 E) USC Elite Eight | W 79–69 | 33–4 | First Union Center (20,270) Philadelphia |
| March 31, 2001* CBS | (1 E) No. 1 | vs. (3 W) No. 11 Maryland Final Four | W 95–84 | 34–4 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (45,406) Minneapolis |
| April 2, 2001* CBS | (1 E) No. 1 | vs. (2 MW) No. 5 Arizona National Championship | W 82–72 | 35–4 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (45,994) Minneapolis |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. ||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Final |
| AP | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | Not released |
| Coaches | 2 | 2^ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
*AP does not release post-NCAA Tournament rankings ^Coaches did not release a week 2 poll

## Accomplishments

* 3rd national championship in school history (1991, 1992, 2001)
* 2nd appearance in national championship game in three years (1999, 2001)
* 3rd straight No. 1-ranking in final regular season AP poll, and 1st No. 1-ranked team to win the national championship since UCLA in 1995.
* Duke set an NCAA record by winning its 133rd game over a four-year period. The Blue Devils (133–15) broke the record set by Kentucky from 1995–96 and 1998–99.
* Duke is the first team to be seeded No. 1 over four consecutive seasons since the NCAA began seeding teams in 1979.
* Duke swept all the major National Player of the Year Awards:
** Jason Williams was named the NABC Player of the Year.
** Shane Battier claimed the AP National Player of the Year, Oscar Robertson Trophy, Wooden Award, Naismith Award, and Adolph Rupp Trophy awards.
* Shane Battier won the NABC Defensive Player of the Year award for the third straight time.
* Shane Battier tied an NCAA record for victories (131) for a four-year period set by Kentucky's Wayne Turner.
* Jason Williams set a Duke single-season scoring record with 841 points, previously held by Dick Groat (831) in 1951.
* Shane Battier and Jason Williams were consensus All-American First Team selections.
* Shane Battier was an Academic All-American First Team selection for the 2nd straight year.
* Three players received All-ACC honors:
** Shane Battier, Jason Williams (1st Team)
** Nate James (3rd Team)
* Two players from the 2001 squad (Battier and Jason Williams) had their jerseys retired by Duke.
* Duke set records with the most three-pointers made (407) and attempted (1,057) in a single season by a college basketball team.