For the second year in a row, Duke will miss the NCAA tournament. And, one might argue, this is because of COVID-19.
One year after all college basketball dropped out of the 2020 NCAA tournament, the Blue Devils may once again be absent from March Madness. At 13-11 on the season, Duke needed the ACC Tournament Championship – or at least, a berth in the title game – to bid for the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
However, coach Mike Krazyvski and company cut their season on Thursday, as the team was reported to be COVID-19 positive. The 2-seed was forced to cancel its quarterfinal meeting with Florida State, with the Seminoles leading the way with no contest.
“We are disappointed that we cannot hold a fight together as a group after two outstanding days in Greensboro,” Kreiszewski said in a statement. “This season was a challenge for every team across the country, and, as we have seen time and again, this global epidemic is very cruel and is not over yet. Of all the security measures that we have implemented, none of them are immune to this terrible virus. “
That said, there is a chance – albeit small – that the Blue Devils could make the NCAA Tournament, though in a way Kreizyski would not like. If that happens, Duke’s incredible NCAA tournament streak – not included until 2020 – is over. Below is everything you need to know about Duke’s streak:
MORE: Duke’s season ends without defeat, yet the Blue Devils still lose big
When was the last time Duke missed the NCAA tournament?
The last time Duke missed the NCAA tournament was in 1994–95; The Blue Devils limited the end of the season with a 13–18 record, ending the ACC tournament loss to Wake Forest in the second round of this year. Duke had a good reason for his abyss season, making it to the NCAA Championship game a year later: Kreiszewski had to miss most of the season – leaving after the team’s first 12 matches – to treat his back And recovering from exhaustion.
Kreiszewski led the team to a 9–3 record, including wins over No. 23 Michigan and No. 17 Georgia Tech (but also a loss to No. 16 Yukon) before sitting out the remainder of the season. Pete Gaudet, an assistant for Krazyज़ski, led the team to its dismal record, including four streaks of at least three straight losses and beating 10 losing teams. The Blue Devils also lost two games to their North Carolina opponent.
Still, Duke was at a point where missing the tournament was rare: after Krejiewski missed the tournament in his first three seasons (1980–83) of the Blue Devils, the team made the NCAA tournament 11 years in a row. The Blue Devils won at least one game in every tournament in that stretch, scored six Final Forces, won runner-up three times and won the National Championship twice.
If Duke doesn’t march madness in 2021, it won’t break a streak of just 24 made NCAA tournaments; It would miss March Madness for only the second time in 35 seasons (not included until 2020).
Duke basketball record 2020-21
Despite Duke’s poor 13–11 record, the team had a very good start to the season, winning 5–2 in their first seven games. (This is, of course, the Blue Devils’ worst start to the season since 1999–2000, following a 2–2 record). Nevertheless, the team’s two losses came at the time for teams ranked in the top 10 (No. 8 Michigan State and No. 6 Illinois).
However, it was clear that the Blue Devils would not play a full schedule, as six games were either canceled or postponed through Jana. 2. Retrospective, the first Duke loss that could potentially be considered. “ The Bad “came on January 19, when the team suffered a 79–73 loss to the Pitt team, which ended 10–12 (but was 8–2 after the win at the time).
Duke’s lowest point of the season came on February 1-9, when the team lost non-rival players in three straight games. The final of those losses dropped the Blue Devils to 7-8, the only point in the season their record was a sub-.500. The team’s high point is debatable, but it could be a 66-65 victory over No. 7 Virginia on Feb. 20, the third of a four-game win streak. The Blue Devils finished the regular season with three straight defeats to enter the ACC tournament with 11 records.
From there, Duke played some of its best basketball on the season with its NCAA Tournament berth: the 10-seed Blue Devils beat 15-seed Boston College 86-51, then beat 7-seed Louisville – which led to two Was defeated already in this season – 70-56.
Duke and NCAA Tournament COVID-19 Protocol
Despite stating that its season is over, Duke can envision the NCAA tournament under the organization’s COVID-19 protocol.
The selection committee will identify four teams – the first four teams will be out of the tournament and beat them 1–4. In this event a team from a multi-bid league cannot participate in the NCAA tournament – after the 68-team opening ground is set but before Tuesday at 6 pm ET – the NCAA will choose one of those four teams , In ascending order, to replace a team that cannot play.
If Duke is among those four teams and one team to replace, it will need five healthy players to produce seven days of negative COVID-19 tests. It is uncertain whether a quarantine player would be eligible to travel to Indiana if they also produced negative test results. Despite this, the Blue Devils will have to remain on campus and continue COVID testing, while awaiting whether it can compete in March Madness.
Duke had until 11 a.m. ET Saturday to inform the selection committee whether he would be unable to meet NCAA medical protocols. As per saturday’s report Raleigh News and Observer, Duke Men’s Basketball Administrator John Jackson declined to comment on whether the team would notify the NCAA that it was unable to play.
More: Stating how NCAA will select new teams to return COVID-19
Duke’s 2020-21 season timeline
Below is the time of Duke’s biggest hit and miss of the 2020-21 season.
25 November: Duke’s season opener against Gardner-Webb has been postponed due to COVID-19 issues in the latter team. It was rescheduled on 19 December, about a month after the original game was scheduled.
6 December: The Duke revoked his second unlawful recognition against Elon.
8 December: After Duke’s 83–68 loss to Illinois – draping the team 2–2 – Krajevski asked if teams should play illegal games in the midst of the COVID-19 epidemic.
“I would just like to assess the safety, mental and physical health of the players and staff, where we are,” Krazyzewki said. “We are plowing through it.”
That comment prompted Alabama coach Nate Oates to question whether Krajewski would assess whether his team was playing better (something for which the Crimson Tide later apologized).
10 December: Duke announced that it would cancel all remaining non-circulation games including Charleston Southern (12 December) and the rescheduled Gardner-Webb game (19 December).
December 29: Duke recalled his first conference game of the season against Pitt, with a COVID-19 positive player. The teams began play on 19 January, with the Panthers winning 79–73 at home. On January 2, the team’s upcoming game vs. Florida State was also postponed.
January 23: Kreiszewski dropped Duke to 5-5 in the season in Louisville after losing 70-65 to his teammate student-reporter Jake Piazza.
“Why don’t we evaluate the game, I really don’t know what our next step is,” said Krazyज़ski.
Krazyvsky calls Piazza to apologize for the call.
15 February: Freshman Jalan Johnson – a five-star recruit and the No. 13 player in the 2020 class – announces his decision to spend the remainder of the 2020-21 season and focus instead on focusing on the 2021 NBA draft. The move has reportedly been endorsed by Kreiszewski and Johnson’s teammates, but the move has not been criticized, including Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim.
February 27: Duke loses in three straight games (the first two overtime) to reach the season 11–11, removing any chance the Blue Devils make of the NCAA tournament as a big bid.
March 11: Duke’s ACC tournament quarterfinal matchup with 2-seed Florida State has been canceled after a COVID-19 positive from a “Tier 1” individual on the team in the past. Florida State advances to the semifinals while Duke declares its season “over” at 13-11.
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