2001 Duke Basketball
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of Duke's third title
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Writer’s Note
This is the most extensive article I’ve written to date, and I feel like I could just as easily work on this for another five years and wait for the 30th anniversary of Duke’s third National Championship. I hope to update to this piece later in 2026 with some additional stats, video clips, photos, and/or quotes. There were so many great players, moments, and memories during this season - let’s have some fun looking back at this all-time great team. Thanks for reading, Go Duke!
Background
2026 marks the 25th anniversary of Duke’s 2001 National Championship. But before we look back at the 2000-2001 Duke Basketball season, I wanted to include an excerpt on the previous year from my essay Becoming a Duke Fan - Part Two.
1999-2000
A few weeks after the 1999 season, Elton Brand, William Avery, and Corey Maggette became the first players ever to leave Duke early for the NBA draft - kind of amazing when you think about the talent to come through Durham over the years. Trajan Langdon graduated, Chris Burgess transferred, and Coach K underwent hip replacement surgery. Some experts seemed to think Duke would be rebuilding again after going 31-1 in the ACC regular season the past two years. Instead, Chris Carrawell, Nate James, and Shane Battier (the lone returners with any experience) visited Coach K during his recovery to assure him that Duke Basketball was back for good. The season started with two consecutive losses, but finished with the Blue Devils going 15-1 in the league (if you’re counting, that’s a ridiculous 46-2 over three regular seasons), winning the ACC Tournament, and finishing #1 in the final AP poll. Carrawell won ACC POY and was a consensus 1st Team All-American, Battier joined him on the 2nd Team, and I learned not to listen to the preseason pundits. The leadership of those three upperclassmen, starting with that summer visit, should never be forgotten.
I don’t put a lot of time or thought into the preseason polls (see above) since no one has played a game yet, and history shows that the Final Four rarely resembles the first AP poll of the year. Nonetheless, even I will admit those first rankings are still fun to discuss from time to time - mostly because it means the college basketball season is almost here, and I can hardly contain my excitement. So when the rankings came out in the fall of 2000, I was eager to get to the school cafeteria and discuss the poll with my UNC buddy from all those ACC Tournament trips.
“Did you see the preseason rankings?” -Me
“No, I haven’t. Who’s #1?” -Him
“Arizona.” -Me
“Where’s Duke?” - Him
“#2.” -Me
“Nah, Duke is better than Arizona. If they played, Duke would win.” - Him
Man, we had so much fun laughing about that exchange once the season was over. And I will say, the preseason pollsters did a nice job that year. The Final Four teams were ranked #1 (Arizona), #2 (Duke), #3 (Michigan State), and #5 (Maryland) to start the season.1 I did say rarely resembles….
The Team
Shane Battier #31 (Sr.); Carlos Boozer #4 (So.); Andy Borman #40 (So.); Andre Buckner #15 (So.); Ryan Caldbeck #5 (Jr.); Matt Christensen #41 (Jr.); Chris Duhon #21 (Fr.); Mike Dunleavy Jr. #34 (So.); Nick Horvath #3 (Fr.); Nate James #14 (Sr.); Reggie Love #42 (Fr.); Casey Sanders #20 (So.); J.D. Simpson #13 (Sr.); Andre Sweet #12 (Fr.); Jay Williams #22 (So.)2
Mike Krzyzewski (Head Coach); Johnny Dawkins (Associate Head Coach); Chris Collins (Assistant Coach); Steve Wojciechowski (Assistant Coach)
Triple Threat
The 2001 Duke Blue Devils set single-season NCAA records for both three-pointers attempted and made. No team had ever shot 1,000 threes in a season prior to 2001, when Duke launched 1,057 triples in 39 games (27.1 attempts per game). While Sports Reference data only dates back to the 1992-1993 season (Kentucky led the country with 862 three-point attempts that year), I feel confident saying no team shot 1,000 threes prior to 1993. The three-point shot was implemented across college basketball for the 1986-1987 season, so I’m only missing six seasons of data, although some conferences experimented with it prior. Teams played slightly fewer games back then and the shot clock was 45 seconds, so 1,000 three-point attempts seems unlikely.
For context, Mississippi Valley State came the closest prior to 2001, firing 958 triples in 1997 - and among power conferences, Arkansas shot 917 threes in 1995 (40 minutes of hell, indeed). But what was even more impressive to me during the research is that only eight more teams attempted 1,000 threes in a season from 2002 through 2015. Even as recent as 2024, only six teams shot 1,000 threes that year. The 1,057 three-point attempts is still the Duke record for a season, edging the 1,020 three-pointers taken by the 2025 team.3
Duke connected on 407 of their 1,057 three-point attempts (38.5%). In fact, 400 triples is even more rare than 1,000 attempts, with only 12 teams connecting on 400+ three-pointers in a season since 2001 - and six of those came in 2022 or later.4 The Blue Devils made eight or more three-pointers in 31 of their 39 games, and never made fewer than six all year. Duke set the school record for made threes in a game twice that season - 18 triples against both North Carolina A&T and Monmouth, and made 17 threes in their second game against Temple.5
Of course, all those three-pointers drove my old-school dad crazy all year, but he was also the king of saying “No, no, no. Great shot!” whenever Battier or Williams would drill one from NBA range (or deeper).6
National Player(s) of the Year
Shane Battier all but swept the National Player of the Year awards in his senior season. Battier won the Rupp Award, the Naismith Trophy, and the Wooden Award, along with being named NPOY by the AP, the Sporting News, and the US Basketball Writers Association. The only award missing? The NABC, which went to his teammate Jay Williams. The 2001 Duke team is the only team in college basketball history to have two different players win a National Player of the Year honor in the same season. Shane was also awarded the NABC National Defensive Player of the Year for the third consecutive season, and Jay completed the NPOY sweep the next year, putting Duke on the list of schools with players to win a NPOY award in consecutive seasons, along with St. John’s (Walter Berry-1985; Chris Mullin-1986) and Kansas (Drew Gooden-2002; Nick Collison-2003).7
Analytics
Basketball cannot be analyzed using only the numbers (I like to say the game is both art and science) - but I’ve been using Ken Pomeroy’s site for current season analytics and historical research for a while now, with his data going back to the 1996-1997 season.
Of course, I would love to see the net rating for great teams pre-1997 such as 1992 Duke, 1991 UNLV, 1984 Georgetown, 1982 North Carolina, 1976 Indiana, 1974 NC State, pick any Wooden-era UCLA team, etc. (and apologies to many other squads, that list was not intended to be exhaustive). But with almost 30 years of data, it’s still safe to say KenPom’s rankings can provide good historical (and objective) context.
I started my research by looking at teams that finished in KenPom’s top-five in both offensive and defensive efficiency - that yielded 19 teams. Eight of those 19 teams won the National Championship, and another seven went to the Final Four. And while 19 teams is still less than one per year dating back to 1997, I wanted to trim the list a little more. I found that only six teams have posted an efficiency inside the top-three both offensively and defensively.8 The 2001 Duke team is on that list, finishing with the #2 offense (123.9) and the #3 defense (86.6) for a +37.32 net rating. The +37.32 net rating put the Blue Devils at #1 in KenPom’s final 2001 rankings, and is the third highest net rating of all-time.9 Duke played the #1 strength of schedule (+13.90) during the 2000-2001 season, helped in part by the ACC finishing as the #1 conference in net rating.
Atlantic Coast Conference
The ACC helped bolster that top strength of schedule, finishing as KenPom’s #1 conference for the third time in the past five seasons (1997, 1998, 2001). Duke, Maryland, Carolina, Virginia, and Wake Forest all spent the entire season ranked in the AP Top-25, and all finished inside KenPom’s final 15.
Duke led the conference-only analytics in eight categories, shared the regular season title with North Carolina, and won their third consecutive ACC Tournament. The Blue Devils split with Virginia (but posted a +40 scoring margin in the two games combined), won in Winston-Salem at the buzzer against Wake Forest, played three memorable games with UNC, and topped that with four battles against Maryland - we’ll spend some more time on all those momentarily.
Shane Battier won ACC Player of the Year, and Jay Williams joined him on the 1st Team All-ACC. Nate James was a 3rd Team All-ACC selection, while Chris Duhon was voted ACC Rookie of the Year.10
Regular Season
GoDuke.com was in its earliest stages back then, so I printed off the Duke schedule and taped it on the back of my bedroom door.11 Somehow, I still have it, now tucked inside the front cover of John Roth’s Encyclopedia of Duke Basketball on my bookshelf.12
(#2) Duke 87
Princeton 50
Cameron Indoor Stadium (Nov 14)
Shane Battier opened his senior season with 29 points in 29 minutes, including 9 for 12 from beyond the arc - still the Duke record for made threes in a single game.13 Jay Williams (7 ast) and freshman Chris Duhon (8 ast) combined to dish out 15 dimes.
(#2) Duke 98
Villanova 85
Cameron Indoor Stadium (Nov 17)
It seems like the floor inside of Cameron has been named in honor of Mike Krzyzewski forever, but “Coach K Court” was officially unveiled the second game of the season following his 500th win at Duke. As Coach K concluded his speech, the Crazies began to chant “500 more! 500 more!” It is awesome to look back on this now because Coach K responded with a smile “…I’m glad to share this milestone, but don’t expect me to be here for 500 more…unless they win every game.” Krzyzewski would go on to win more games at Duke after that speech (629) than before (500). Here’s the full ceremony:
(#2) Duke 63
Temple 61
Madison Square Garden (Nov 24)
The Blue Devils connected on 8 of 27 three-pointers, and Carlos Boozer was the only guy in double-figures with 26 points - scratch that, Jay Williams added 10 assists as Duke outlasted John Cheney’s Owls to win the Preseason NIT.
(#1) Duke 78
(#9) Illinois 77
Greensboro Coliseum (Nov 28)
Jay Williams posted 23 points and 7 assists, and Mike Dunleavy added 21 points. Duke led 77-68 and held on for the win, despite a 42-23 advantage on the glass for the Illini.
(#1) Duke 93
(#17) Temple 68
First Union Center (Dec 2)
This time around in Philadelphia, the three-pointers fell for Duke (17 for 30), including 8 of 10 for Williams on his way to 30 points. Shane Battier added 18 points and 9 rebounds, and Chris Duhon notched 12 assists.
(#1) Duke 83
(#3) Stanford 84
The Arena at Oakland (Dec 21)
Duke led 43-30 at the half, and 77-66 with four minutes to go, but Casey Jacobsen banked in the go-ahead bucket with 3.6 seconds remaining. Nate James followed-up a miss from Williams to seemingly win it for Duke, but it came after the buzzer. Stanford finished the season 30-3, earned a #1-seed, and had the only offense more efficient than Duke (125.0). Battier and Williams each had 26 points.
(#2) Duke 103
(#10) Virginia 61
Cameron Indoor Stadium (Jan 13)
All five starters scored in double-figures - James (19 pts), Battier (18 pts), Williams (17 pts), Boozer (16 pts), Dunleavy (12 pts) - and the Blue Devils used a 23-0 run in the first half to lead 53-20 at the break. It remains the largest margin of victory over a Top-10 opponent in Duke history.
(#2) Duke 97
(#25) Boston College 75
Cameron Indoor Stadium (Jan 16)
Future ACC opponents met in a ranked non-conference match-up in Cameron. Duke led 42-38 at intermission before putting up 55 second half points. Jay Williams posted a career-high 34 points, including 5 three-pointers, and 9 assists. Battier and Boozer each had 22 points, Dunleavy had a team-high 9 rebounds, and Chris Duhon added 8 assists.
(#2) Duke 85
(#9) Wake Forest 62
Cameron Indoor Stadium (Jan 24)
In the first of three consecutive games against a Top-10 opponent (#GoACC), Battier (22 pts), Williams (27 pts), and Dunleavy (21 pts) combined to make 13 three-pointers. Duke closed the first half with a 21-3 run to lead 45-29, and the Demon Deacons never got closer than nine points after halftime.
(#2) Duke 98
(#8) Maryland 96 OT
Cole Field House (Jan 27)
The “Miracle Minute” is well documented and doesn’t need much further explanation, except to say two things: it is still incredible to watch all these years later, and it may have only been the second best comeback Duke had that season. If you need a refresher, Duke trailed 90-80 with 55 seconds remaining in regulation before Jay Williams scored eight straight points and Nate James tied it with two clutch free throws. The Blue Devils got a stop to end regulation, and another one to end overtime as Shane Battier erased Juan Dixon’s attempt at the rim. Here’s the full re-watch I did on this game, along with the highlights courtesy of Duke Blue Planet Vault.
(#2) Duke 83
(#4) North Carolina 85
Cameron Indoor Stadium (Feb 1)
I watched this game in Washington D.C. while attending the National Young Leaders Conference (NYLC) as a high school junior. Of course, I was disappointed for the Duke team to lose a heart breaker after Mike Dunleavy drilled the game-tying three-pointer with 9.3 seconds remaining.14 I’ve alluded to this a few times since I started writing, but I only included this game so I could finally tell this story. The first installment of the rivalry in 2001 took place on a Thursday, and I had been at the conference since Sunday afternoon. Friday was our last day, and we had been divided up in small groups all week alphabetically by last name. Each day we’d travel to a different site in D.C., have sessions on leadership topics, and get to tour the various attractions. Monday on the bus I met this girl from Illinois - she was standing in the aisle talking to some other people, and stood out because in a group of high school girls (on a charter bus full of teenagers), she was the loudest one by far - and also nearly six feet tall. We ended up in the same small group and became friends during the week, often being the only two joking around. Thursday night was the only social event of the trip - the conference center had an event space for food and music where we could socialize with our fellow nerds (prerequisite for attending) for a few hours instead of writing mock bills or meeting some Senator. This girl was appalled when I told her I wasn’t coming to the social, but was going to stay in my room and watch the Duke/Carolina game instead. She gave me such a hard time about not wanting to hang out with her, about how much fun we’d had all week, and that we’d never see each other again, etc. etc. We’ve been married for 12 years and have two awesome children - and she still gives me shit about not spending time with her that night. And I still won’t miss a Duke game….
(#4) Duke 82
(#24) Wake Forest 80
LJVM Coliseum (Feb 24)
Wake Forest led by nine points with 5:29 remaining. Duke responded with a 14-2 run to take an 80-77 lead, until Robert O’Kelley buried a three to tie the game with 7.5 seconds on the clock. Coach K elected not to call timeout and Jay Williams pushed it up the floor. Williams rose for a three of his own but passed it to Chris Duhon instead. Duhon drove the closeout and lofted a soft floater from outside the lane - it swished through at the buzzer. Williams finished with 26 points, and Carlos Boozer added 20 points and 13 rebounds. Here’s Duhon on the game winner:
(#2) Duke 80
(#16) Maryland 91
Cameron Indoor Stadium (Feb 27)
They raised #31 into the rafters of Cameron a week earlier and, fittingly, Shane Battier scored 31 points in his final home game. Unfittingly, Duke shot just 9 of 37 in the second half (including 3 of 19 from three), while Juan Dixon finished with 28 points, Steve Blake with 11 points and 11 assists, and Lonnie Baxter and Terrance Morris each had double-doubles. But worst of all, early in the second half Carlos Boozer broke the third metatarsal in his right foot and exited the game with 16 points and 7 rebounds. On the brink of March, Boozer was out indefinitely - and Duke’s title hopes seemed to be on the brink of elimination before the NCAA Tournament even started.
(#2) Duke 95
(#4) North Carolina 81
Dean E. Smith Center (Mar 4)
Without Carlos Boozer, Coach K inserted Chris Duhon and Casey Sanders into the starting lineup, and Duke connected on 14 of 38 triples, matching the school record for three-point attempts in a game.15 Duke led 42-40 at the break, pushed the lead to nine points early in the second half, and held Carolina to just one made field goal over a six-minute span for a 93-74 lead with 2:20 to go. Williams had 33 points and 9 assists, while Battier stuffed the box score with 25 points, 11 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 4 steals. The win gave Duke a share of the ACC regular season title, marking their 5th consecutive regular season crown.
Featured in the clip: Half-court traps, a three-point barrage, and Shane Battier showing why he was the three-time National Defensive Player of the Year.
(#1) Duke 76
NC State 61
Georgia Dome (Mar 9)
It was the first ACC Tournament played outside the state of North Carolina since 1989 (and the first ACC Tournament I wouldn’t attend since 1992), but I was excited to see what basketball looked like in the Georgia Dome.16 The managers forgot the white uniforms and warm-ups, so Duke had to buy t-shirts for the pregame and wear their black unis instead. Williams and Duhon combined for 33 points, 9 assists, and 4 steals. Battier posted 16 points and 8 rebounds, and Nate James added 13 points off the bench.
(#1) Duke 84
(#11) Maryland 82
Georgia Dome (Mar 10)
Maryland jumped ahead 10-0 and led 45-42 at the break. Duke opened the second half with a 19-2 run to lead 61-47. Of course the Terps responded, including runs of 9-0 and 11-2, with that second spurt giving Maryland a 78-77 lead with 2:15 to go. Duke went back in front on the next possession and then led 82-79 - the ACC semifinal was decided in a classic sequence from there. First, Steve Blake tied the game at 82 on a pull-up triple with 8.1 seconds remaining. Just like at Wake, Williams rushed the ball up the floor. His shot in the lane missed, but Nate James tipped home the game-winner with 1.3 seconds on the clock before Juan Dixon hit the front rim from just over half court as the horn sounded.
Duke forced 20 turnovers to help offset a 51-30 rebounding advantage for Maryland. Eight Blue Devils scored - Battier (20), Williams (19), Dunleavy (15), James (14), Sanders (7), Duhon (4), Christensen (3), Love (2) - and Duke needed every point to advance to the ACC title game.
Featured in the clip: Two teams trading haymakers for the full 40 minutes.
(#1) Duke 79
(#6) North Carolina 53
Georgia Dome (Mar 11)
Joseph Forte hit a three-pointer to cut Duke’s lead to 23-20 at the 9:02 mark of the first half. Duke then went on a 19-1 run, led 50-30 at halftime, and became just the third team to win three consecutive ACC Tournaments.17 Mike Dunleavy and Shane Battier combined for 44 points and 26 rebounds. Battier (MVP), Williams, and Dunleavy were named to the ACC All-Tournament Team, and Duke set the record for most steals in an ACC Tournament with 38 total in their three games.18
Featured in the clip: More half-court traps, between-the-legs assist, and Jay Williams diving on the floor with a 22-point lead.
NCAA Tournament
As a fan, one thing I both love and hate is how daunting the empty bracket looks every year prior to March Madness tipping off. It seems damn near impossible to be the last team standing. Duke earned the #1-seed in the East region, and would look to follow the same route to the title they took in 1992 - Greensboro, Philadelphia, and Minneapolis. The #1-seed was Duke’s fourth in a row, setting the record for consecutive NCAA #1-seeds (seeding began in 1979).19
(#1-seed) Duke 95
(#16-seed) Monmouth 52
Greensboro Coliseum (Mar 15)
The Blue Devils opened their NCAA Tournament run with 18 made three-pointers, 22 points from Williams, 21 points and 10 rebounds from Battier, 15 points from James, 14 points from Dunleavy, and 9 assists from Duhon. Duke posted 62 first half points and seven guys saw action off the bench.
(#1-seed) Duke 94
(#9-seed) Missouri 81
Greensboro Coliseum (Mar 17)
Duke faced former player and assistant coach Quin Snyder in the second round. Snyder went to three Final Fours under Coach K before becoming an assistant in Durham, and was now in his second year as Missouri’s head coach. Kareem Rush cut the Blue Devil lead to 63-62 with 10:30 remaining. Duke outscored Missouri by 17 points over the next several minutes for a 91-73 margin with 3:30 to go. Battier finished with 27 points and 11 rebounds, Jay Williams had 31 points and 9 assists, Mike Dunleavy posted 15 points and 9 rebounds, and Nate James added 8 points and 8 rebounds as Duke advanced.
Featured in the clip: 28 points for Duke in seven minutes.
(#1-seed) Duke 76
(#4-seed) UCLA 63
First Union Center (Mar 22)
College basketball blue bloods met in Philadelphia in the Sweet Sixteen. Carlos Boozer returned from the broken foot he suffered 23 days earlier to see limited action off the bench. The Blue Devils led 40-37 at the 14:40 mark of the second half before Jay Williams ripped off 19 consecutive points for Duke over the next five minutes, pushing the lead to 57-47 with 9:30 to go. Williams matched his career-high with 34 points, Battier added 24 points and 11 rebounds, and the Blue Devils finished with 17 steals to advance to the Elite Eight.
Featured in the clip: J-Will relentlessly attacking the defense both inside and outside, plus a Battier and-one to seal the win.
(#1-seed) Duke 79
(#6-seed) USC 69
First Union Center (Mar 24)
The Trojans took down #2-seed Kentucky 80-76 in the Sweet Sixteen, and had only trailed for a combined 1:23 in their three NCAA wins. Battier played all 40 minutes and posted 20 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 3 steals. Jay Williams had 28 points and 6 assists, and Duhon (13 pts) and Dunleavy (11 pts) each added double-figures. It was the ninth Final Four for Coach K, moving him closer to Dean Smith (11) and John Wooden (12).20
Featured in the clip: Defense to offense and three-pointers from fearless freshman Chris Duhon.
(#1-seed) Duke 95
(#3-seed) Maryland 84
Metrodome (Mar 31)
Duke and Maryland met again and, somehow, this meeting seemed like the first three games all wrapped up into 40 minutes in the National Semifinal.21 Maryland had won 10 of their last 11 (the only loss was that ACC Tournament classic), including an 87-73 win over #1-seed Stanford in the Elite Eight. It’s safe to say Gary Williams had the Terps playing their best basketball of the season.
Here’s another excerpt from Becoming a Duke Fan - Part Two:
Battier was correct - it was Maryland for a fourth time and, as I said earlier, those guys were tough. I actually didn’t get to see this game live. It was my junior year of high school, and I was on our school’s leadership retreat as a counselor and student-body VP. We’d be in leadership sessions most of Saturday night, but I enlisted Mr. Smith, our Assistant Principal, to keep an ear on the radio for me. During a changeover between sessions, I emerged from the cabin to find him sitting with his headphones in - it was perfect timing, as he gave me a thumbs up and repeated Billy Packer’s words “…and Mike Krzyzewski goes wow.” Of course, I found out later that Duke was down 22 points with less than seven minutes to go in the first half, before outscoring the Terps 78-45 the rest of the way.
Duke finally took the lead on a three from Williams to go ahead 73-72 with 6:52 remaining, and the Blue Devils were terrific down the stretch to complete the 33-point turnaround.
Shane Battier led Duke with 25 points and 8 rebounds, and Carlos Boozer had 19 points in just 25 minutes off the bench. Jay Williams had 23 points and 4 assists, while Duhon added 10 points and 6 assists. Nate James had 9 points and 9 rebounds, and shadowed Juan Dixon on defense in the second half.
Featured in the clip: Still the largest comeback in Final Four history.22
(#1-seed) Duke 82
(#2-seed) Arizona 72
Metrodome (Apr 2)
I did a full re-watch of the 2001 National Championship game, and included this trivia question which I alluded to earlier.
So, it would be the AP preseason #1 versus the preseason #2 for just the fourth time ever in the National Championship game (it’s happened once since then). Can you name the other four preseason #1 vs. #2 title games? See trivia answer below.23
This game featured nine future NBA players, including four lottery picks, that would go on to accumulate over 90 total seasons in the league. Both Mike Krzyzewski and Lute Olson would be elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame, and finished their careers with a combined 18 Final Fours and nearly 2,000 career victories. In fact, Billy Packer noted during the broadcast that this was first Final Four match-up between two coaches that had already won a National Championship.24
Neither team led by more than five points in the first half and Duke took a 35-33 lead into the locker room.
Featured in the clip: J-Will reverse lay-up, C-Booz footwork (x2), Battier jab-step triple, and a Duhon floater.
Duke led 40-37 when Chris Duhon drove middle, drawing in the Arizona defense, and starting one of the most memorable sequences in Duke (and Final Four) history. 55 seconds later, the Blue Devils led by 10 thanks to three consecutive threes from Mike Dunleavy - the last of which came as a result of Battier’s block and no-look save under the Arizona basket.25 Moments later, Dunleavy used a pass fake to get open for his fourth triple of the half.
Featured in the clip: “Oh boy, that is some sequence for Duke University!” - Billy Packer
After Dunleavy’s three-point onslaught, Duke attacked the paint and used the old-fashioned three-point play to counter Arizona’s 9-1 response. The two teams were now trading punches, and the Wildcats cut the lead to 68-65 with five minutes to go before Duhon completed his three-point play over Loren Woods to stretch the lead back to five.
Featured in the clip: Three-point plays from Battier, James, and Duhon.
Shane Battier dunked home a miss moments earlier, and then tipped home a miss while facing the wrong direction to give Duke a 75-70 lead with 3:35 remaining.
Featured in the clip: “The best play I’ve ever seen in a final.” - Mike Krzyzewski
With Duke now leading 75-72, Jay Williams starts to drive and fires a pass to a cutting Shane Battier. It’s a great look and a great catch - and Battier had now scored Duke’s last six points with the National Championship on the line.
Bear with me briefly because I mean this in the most complimentary manner possible. With under two minutes to go and Duke leading 77-72, Williams was currently a combined 2 for 19 from beyond the arc in the two Final Four games. But as a fan, J-Will could have been 2 for 190 and I still would have wanted him to rise up and fire the dagger that delivered the title. You have to have, as Bill Raftery would say, a huge set of onions to do this - but even more so when the threes haven’t been falling.
Shane Battier put up 18 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 blocks in his final college game and was named Most Outstanding Player. Mike Dunleavy scored 18 of his 21 points in the second half. Jay Williams finished with 16 points, and Carlos Boozer had 12 points and 12 rebounds as Duke hoisted the title.
Featured in the clip: Postgame interviews, trophy presentation, and One Shining Moment.
Season Stats
Season Notes
After dropping three games in February, Duke won 10 straight to close the season and became just the second National Champion to win all six NCAA Tournament games by 10+ points.26
Duke’s 35 wins were (and still are) the second most wins in a season in school history.27 The Blue Devils went 13-4 against the Top-25, and only lost one game by more than two points. Duke finished #1 in the final AP poll for the third consecutive season.28
Shane Battier became the fourth Final Four MOP in Duke history,29 and set both the NCAA and ACC records for wins in a career, going 131-15 overall and 70-6 in the ACC (59-5 regular season).30
Battier also became the first ACC player to record at least 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, 200 assists, 200 blocks, and 200 steals for their career. No one has done it since.31
Jay Williams set the Duke record for points in a season with 841, and his mark is still third all-time.32 Williams led the 2001 NCAA Tournament in both total scoring (154 points) and scoring average (25.7 points per game).
Coach K became just the fourth coach to win three or more National Championships, and only two coaches have joined the list since.33 Krzyzewski improved to 9-1 in the Elite Eight and a ridiculous 29-1 in the East Region, and would be elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in the fall of 2001.
The 2001 National Championship capped off an incredible four-year run (1998-2001) for Duke Basketball with two Final Four appearances,34 three ACC Tournament titles, and four ACC regular season titles. Duke went 133-15 (70-6 ACC) - still the NCAA and ACC records for a four-year period. At different points during the four years, Duke won 28 consecutive ACC games and 24 consecutive ACC road games (also both conference records), and I was so elated for everyone in the program to hang that third banner in Cameron - what an incredible season by an incredible team.
Thanks for reading, Go Duke!
Additional Resources
Duke Basketball Reference YouTube:
2001 Duke Basketball 25th Anniversary Playlist
Duke Basketball Reference Articles:
Becoming a Duke Fan - Part Two
Re-watch #7 - 2001 Duke at Maryland
Re-watch #14 - 2001 Duke vs. Arizona
ACC Tournament Memories
CBB History: The ACC Tournament
CBB History: NPOY
CBB History: AP Poll
Books:
Five-Point Play by Mike Krzyzewski
Life is Not an Accident by Jay Williams
Every Shot Counts by Carlos Boozer
Podcasts:
The Brotherhood Podcast: Coach K
The Brotherhood Podcast: Shane Battier
The Brotherhood Podcast: J-Will & C-Booz
Glue Guys Podcast: Coach K
Glue Guys: The Surprising Power of Nostalgia
The other four Elite Eight teams started #4 (Stanford), #8 (Illinois), #23 (USC), and NR (Temple).
Dahntay Jones was sitting out as a transfer, but was allowed to practice. I used Dunleavy when referring to Mike Dunleavy Jr. throughout the rest of the article, but shout out to his dad as well. Dunleavy Sr. can be seen on the broadcast cheering on his son as he was ripping nets in the second half against Arizona.
However, the 2025 Duke team (44.6% 3PA) posted a slightly higher three-point attempt rate than the 2001 team (41.8% 3PA).
Teams to make 400 three-pointers in a season:
2001 - Duke (407 of 1,057)
2007 - VMI (442 of 1,383)
2009 - VMI (438 of 1,224)
2016 - North Florida (411 of 1,002); Akron (409 of 1,069)
2018 - Villanova (464 of 1,158)
2019 - Auburn (454 of 1,204)
2022 - Furman (401 of 1,054); VMI (400 of 1,049)
2024 - Indiana State (427 of 1,119); Alabama (413 of 1,108)
2025 - North Florida (409 of 1,147); Cal Poly (403 of 1,114)
18 made threes is still the Duke record for a single game.
As a youth coach, Dad would often conspicuously yell at us to not shoot threes during a game. I’m not comparing our 6th grade team to the 2001 Duke team, just noting that Dad loved getting the ball inside.
Shane Battier and Kenyon Martin shared the 2000 NDPOY. Jay Williams and Drew Gooden shared the 2002 NABC NPOY award. It’s due for an update, but here is my full article on the NPOY from a few years back.
Teams to finish with both a top-3 offense and defense per KenPom:
Duke (1998), Duke (1999), Duke (2001), Duke (2002), Duke (2004), Kansas (2008)
KenPom Final Net Ratings +37.00 or above (since 1997): Duke 1999 (+43.01), Duke 2025 (+39.29), Duke 2001 (+37.32)
Battier shared ACC Player of the Year with Joseph Forte. It was the first ever tie for ACC POY, and it has only happened one time since (2013 - Erick Green & Shane Larkin).
alongside a Third Eye Blind sticker…
Also somehow, I have two copies of Roth’s encyclopedia - message me if you’re interested.
J.J. Redick matched it with a 9 for 16 against Texas in December of 2005. Those highlights are always fun to revisit.
Dunleavy also put Jason Capel on a poster moments earlier, and Duke shot 13 of 27 from the free throw line.
Duke started 1 for 9 from three in Chapel Hill and hit 13 of 29 the rest of the way. 38 three-point attempts is still the third highest ever for a Duke team. The school record is now 43 against Syracuse on 1/14/2019. My dad and I were at that game on his 72nd birthday.
I did attend the 2009 ACC Tournament at the Georgia Dome. It’s definitely not my favorite basketball venue, but I understand the conference wanting to move the tournament around some.
Duke would win the 2002 and 2003 ACC Tournaments to give them five in a row, along with the 2005 and 2006 ACC Tournaments for seven out of eight.
Most consecutive ACC Tournament Titles:
5 - Duke (1999-2003)
3 - NC State (1954-1956); North Carolina (1967-1969); Duke (2009-2011)
12 steals vs. NC State; 14 steals vs. Maryland; 12 steals vs. UNC
Duke would earn a #1-seed again in 2002, pushing the record to five in a row.
Most consecutive NCAA #1-seeds
5 - Duke (1998-2002)
3 - DePaul (1980-1982); Virginia (1981-1983); Kentucky (1995-1997); Duke (2004-2006); North Carolina (2007-2009); Kansas (2016-2018); Gonzaga (2019, 2021-2022); Houston (2023-2025)
Coach K would add four more Final Fours to finish his career atop the list.
Most Final Four appearances:
13 - Mike Krzyzewski
12 - John Wooden
11 - Dean Smith
9 - Roy Williams
8 - Tom Izzo
Of course, the Miracle Minute and Nate James’ tip-in are all-time Duke classics, but this Final Four game was my favorite of Duke’s three wins over Maryland that season.
Largest Final Four Comebacks:
22 - Duke vs. Maryland (2001)
18 - Seton Hall vs. Duke (1989)
16 - Kansas vs. North Carolina (2022)
15 - Loyola Chicago vs. Cincinnati (1963)
14 - San Diego State vs. Florida Atlantic (2023)
AP preseason #1 vs. preseason #2 in the National Championship:
2021 - #2 Baylor def. #1 Gonzaga (86-70)
2001 - #2 Duke def. #1 Arizona (82-72)
1999 - #2 Connecticut def. #1 Duke (77-74)
1965 - #2 UCLA def. #1 Michigan (91-80)
1962 - #2 Cincinnati def. #1 Ohio State (71-59)
I have no reason to doubt Billy Packer and CBS, but this was very surprising to me. I can think of a couple times it has happened since off the top of my head, but I’m looking forward to adding this to my future research.
I think this is my favorite play ever. Battier’s block was incredible (though nothing should have surprised me at that point in his career), and Dunleavy’s third three-pointer produced the most violent swish I can recall.
This stat also surprised me given some of the great teams since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, and three teams have done it since. Here’s the full list of National Champions that won all six tournament games by 10+ points: Michigan State (2000), Duke (2001), North Carolina (2009), Connecticut (2023), Connecticut (2024).
Most wins in a season by a Duke team: 1986 (37 wins); 1999 (37 wins); 2001 (35 wins); 2010 (35 wins); 2015 (35 wins); 2025 (35 wins); 1992 (34 wins).
Duke finished #1 in the AP poll again in 2002 for their fourth in a row.
Duke Final Four Most Outstanding Players: Art Heyman (1963); Christian Laettner (1991); Bobby Hurley (1992); Shane Battier (2001); Kyle Singler (2010); Tyus Jones (2015).
Battier is still the ACC leader in total career wins at 131. His 70 ACC wins are now second, though still the four-year record, with RJ Davis winning 74 ACC games in his five seasons at UNC.
ACC Total Career Wins: Shane Battier (131); Kyle Singler (125); Amile Jefferson (124); Chris Duhon (123); Danny Green (123); Christian Laettner (122)
ACC Career Wins: RJ Davis (74); Shane Battier (70); Chris Carrawell (66); Armando Bacot (65); Mamadi Diakite (64); Chris Duhon (63)
The research is a little incomplete on this but, from what I can tell, only three other guys have ever posted those career numbers in the history of college basketball: Lionel Simmons (La Salle), Danny Manning (Kansas), and George Evans (George Mason).
Williams’ single season point total mark is still third all-time. Most points in a season for a Duke player: J.J. Redick (964 - 2006); RJ Barrett (860 - 2019); Jay Williams (841 - 2001); Dick Groat (831 - 1951); Johnny Dawkins (809 - 1986)
Duke added the 2010 and 2015 National Championships, moving Coach K to second on the list.
Most National Championships by a Coach:
10 - John Wooden
5 - Mike Krzyzewski
4 - Adolph Rupp
3 - Bob Knight
3 - Jim Calhoun
3 - Roy Williams
Plus an Elite Eight (1998) and a Sweet Sixteen (2000).