Duke Blue Devils basketball — program history

Duke's basketball program began in 1906 when athletic director Wilbur Wade Card introduced the sport to Trinity College, which later became Duke University. The 'Blue Devils' nickname was first used by student newspaper editors during the 1922-23 academic year, inspired by France's Chasseurs Alpins — elite Alpine soldiers known as 'les Diables Bleus' for their distinctive blue uniforms. Under Mike Krzyzewski, Duke won five national championships and became synonymous with college basketball excellence, producing four of the program's six first-overall NBA draft picks. Cameron Indoor Stadium, home to the legendary 'Cameron Crazies,' has been one of the toughest environments in college sports since opening in 1940.

The name

Inspired by France's Chasseurs Alpins, elite Alpine soldiers known as 'les Diables Bleus' during World War I, chosen by student newspaper editors in 1923

Signature moment

Christian Laettner's turnaround buzzer-beater to defeat Kentucky 104-103 in overtime in the 1992 East Regional Final

Duke holds the best NCAA tournament winning percentage (about .750) in history and has had six players selected first overall in the NBA Draft, the most of any school

The Duke Blue Devils compete in the ACC and hold an all-time record of 2369–935 (.717 winning percentage) across 121 recorded seasons dating back to 1905-06. The program has won 5 NCAA national championships (1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015) and reached 18 Final Fours.

National championships

1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015

Season-by-season results

SeasonRecordConferenceCoachAP peak
2025-2632-217-1 (ACC)Jon ScheyerAP #1
2024-2535-419-1 (ACC)Jon ScheyerAP #1
2023-2427-915-5 (ACC)Jon ScheyerAP #2
2022-2327-914-6 (ACC)Jon ScheyerAP #7
2021-2232-716-4 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #1
2020-2113-119-9 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #6
2019-2025-615-5 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #1
2018-1932-614-4 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #1
2017-1829-813-5 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #1
2016-1728-911-7 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #1
2015-1625-1111-7 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #5
2014-1535-415-3 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #2
2013-1426-913-5 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #4
2012-1330-614-4 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #1
2011-1227-713-3 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #3
2010-1132-513-3 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #1
2009-1035-513-3 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #3
2008-0930-711-5 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #1
2007-0828-613-3 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #2
2006-0722-118-8 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #5
2005-0632-414-2 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #1
2004-0527-611-5 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #2
2003-0431-613-3 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #1
2002-0326-711-5 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #1
2001-0231-413-3 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #1
2000-0135-413-3 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #1
1999-0029-515-1 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #1
1998-9937-216-0 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #1
1997-9832-415-1 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #1
1996-9724-912-4 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #6
1995-9618-138-8 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #12
1994-9513-182-14 (ACC)Mike Krzyzewski,Pete GaudetAP #6
1993-9428-612-4 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #1
1992-9324-810-6 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #1
1991-9234-214-2 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #1
1990-9132-711-3 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #5
1989-9029-99-5 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #3
1988-8928-89-5 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #1
1987-8828-79-5 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #4
1986-8724-99-5 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #12
1985-8637-312-2 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #1
1984-8523-88-6 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #2
1983-8424-107-7 (ACC)Mike KrzyzewskiAP #14
1982-8311-173-11 (ACC)Mike Krzyzewski
1981-8210-174-10 (ACC)Mike Krzyzewski
1980-8117-136-8 (ACC)Mike Krzyzewski
1979-8024-97-7 (ACC)Bill E. FosterAP #1
1978-7922-89-3 (ACC)Bill E. FosterAP #1
1977-7827-78-4 (ACC)Bill E. FosterAP #7
1976-7714-132-10 (ACC)Bill E. Foster
1975-7613-143-9 (ACC)Bill E. Foster
1974-7513-132-10 (ACC)Bill E. Foster
1973-7410-162-10 (ACC)Neill McGeachy
1972-7312-144-8 (ACC)Bucky Waters
1971-7214-126-6 (ACC)Bucky Waters
1970-7120-109-5 (ACC)Bucky WatersAP #13
1969-7017-98-6 (ACC)Bucky WatersAP #16
1968-6915-138-6 (ACC)Vic BubasAP #9
1967-6822-611-3 (ACC)Vic BubasAP #6
1966-6718-99-3 (ACC)Vic BubasAP #4
1965-6626-412-2 (ACC)Vic BubasAP #1
1964-6520-511-3 (ACC)Vic BubasAP #5
1963-6426-513-1 (ACC)Vic BubasAP #3
1962-6327-314-0 (ACC)Vic BubasAP #2
1961-6220-511-3 (ACC)Vic BubasAP #5
1960-6122-610-4 (ACC)Vic BubasAP #3
1959-6017-117-7 (ACC)Vic BubasAP #16
1958-5913-127-7 (ACC)Harold Bradley
1957-5818-711-3 (ACC)Harold BradleyAP #6
1956-5713-118-6 (ACC)Harold BradleyAP #9
1955-5619-710-4 (ACC)Harold BradleyAP #6
1954-5520-811-3 (ACC)Harold BradleyAP #17
1953-5421-69-1 (ACC)Harold BradleyAP #8
1952-5317-812-4 (Southern)Harold BradleyAP #18
1951-5224-613-3 (Southern)Harold BradleyAP #12
1950-5120-1313-6 (Southern)Harold Bradley
1949-5015-159-7 (Southern)Gerry Gerard
1948-4913-95-7 (Southern)Gerry Gerard
1947-4817-128-6 (Southern)Gerry Gerard
1946-4719-810-4 (Southern)Gerry Gerard
1945-4621-612-2 (Southern)Gerry Gerard
1944-4513-96-1 (Southern)Gerry Gerard
1943-4413-134-2 (Southern)Gerry Gerard
1942-4320-612-1 (Southern)Gerry Gerard
1941-4222-215-1 (Southern)Eddie Cameron
1940-4114-88-4 (Southern)Eddie Cameron
1939-4019-713-2 (Southern)Eddie Cameron
1938-3910-128-8 (Southern)Eddie Cameron
1937-3815-99-5 (Southern)Eddie Cameron
1936-3715-811-6 (Southern)Eddie Cameron
1935-3620-64-5 (Southern)Eddie Cameron
1934-3518-810-4 (Southern)Eddie Cameron
1933-3418-69-4 (Southern)Eddie Cameron
1932-3317-57-3 (Southern)Eddie Cameron
1931-3214-116-5 (Southern)Eddie Cameron
1930-3114-75-4 (Southern)Eddie Cameron
1929-3018-29-1 (Southern)Eddie Cameron
1928-2912-85-4 (Southern)Eddie Cameron
1927-289-5IndGeorge Buckheit
1926-274-10IndGeorge Buckheit
1925-268-12IndGeorge Buckheit
1924-254-9IndGeorge Buckheit
1923-2419-6IndJ.S. Burbage
1922-2315-7IndJ.S. Burbage
1921-226-12IndJames Baldwin
1920-219-6IndFloyd Egan
1919-2010-4IndW.J. Rothensies
1918-196-5IndH.P. Cole
1917-1810-5IndChick Doak
1916-1720-4IndChick Doak
1915-169-11IndChick Doak
1914-1510-10IndNoble Clay
1913-1412-9IndNoble Clay
1912-1311-8IndJ.E. Brinn
1911-126-1IndCap Card
1910-114-3IndCap Card
1909-104-4IndCap Card
1908-098-1IndCap Card
1907-082-3IndCap Card
1906-074-2IndCap Card
1905-062-3IndCap Card

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