The team everyone loves to hate lost for the fourth time in a row for the first time since the ’95-’96 season. They’re not ranked for the first time since ESPN became affiliated with the coaches’ poll. They’re not ranked in the AP poll for the first time in 200 polls. Some people are saying Coach K has lost his touch, and that Roy Williams is beating him with the same youth. Journalists are saying that Duke is done, and won’t even make the Big Dance. To say Duke is not worthy of participating in the greatest spectacle in sports is an embarrassment to sports as a whole.

    Duke is currently 18-7 and 5-6 in the ACC. For Duke this is the worst season in the 11 years. For many other high-major programs, this would be an accomplishment worth noting in programs for years to come. Air Force is probably having its best season in 10 years, ranked 17th, at 21-4, but Duke beat them handily. Duke amassed quality victories throughout their non-conference schedule, while playing one upperclassman. People are saying Duke’s remaining schedule is too tough, with too many games on the road. Let’s run through these remaining games quickly. They’ve beaten Boston College once this season, by 14. They beat Clemson by two, when they were still playing well. (Yes, I know they got extra time.) They lost to Georgia Tech, but now get them at home, where they notoriously underachieve. They will then play St. John’s, a team struggling to remain above water in the under-achieving Big East. Their two biggest tests come at the end of the season, in Maryland, at home, and UNC, on the road. No one can tell me they’ll not win 4 or 5 of those games, which would leave them at a highly possible 23-8, and 9-7 in the conference. Duke is definitely a middle of the road ACC team, but given the strength of the ACC this season, that puts them in the top ten percent in the nation.

    The main thing that people are overlooking about Duke is that they can’t get much worse and they are still barely losing games. Maryland aside, they could have beaten Virginia, Florida State, and to a lesser degree, North Carolina. For a team with zero seniors and one junior, that’s pretty good. This team is still learning, trying to figure each other out. Yes, North Carolina looks great being so young. What everyone forgets is that every sophomore on North Carolina played last year, and is essentially experienced. Josh McRoberts and Greg Paulus, while starting last year, relied on three seniors to carry the load. Most people are not born to lead. UNC is blessed with great talent and leadership on both ends of the court. I would want nothing else, but success for UNC because without them, this rivalry wouldn’t exist. But, for right now, can we please let go with the comparisons between the two programs. They are at two completely different levels. Duke relates better to the 8-20 North Carolina team than the one from this year or last year.

    Duke is Duke, and they will make the NCAA tournament and I’ll go on record right now, saying they will shock at least one team in the tournament and advance to the Sweet 16, which for a team everyone has already written off, is pretty damn good. No, this is not the end of the era, just the start of a new generation.