Between Crowns
The longest title drought of the K era. The players who kept Duke in the conversation.
The Between Crowns Era at Duke, 2004–09
The longest title drought of the K era. The players who kept Duke in the conversation. Across 5 seasons Duke went 139-34 (.803) without reaching a Final Four, taking 3 ACC Tournament titles.
24 players wore the uniform in this era and are catalogued below. 6 were drafted into the NBA; 8 reached an NBA roster, a number that can run higher because undrafted players make teams too. The rest went into coaching, medicine, law, business and the ordinary lives that make up most of any roster. Each card below links to a full profile: how he got to Duke, what he did here, and where he is now.
Every Duke Player of the Between Crowns Era
Sean Dockery
A 45-footer at the Cameron buzzer. Now he runs an academy named after the team that made him.
Lee Melchionni
A hundred and eleven left-handed threes. Now he structures settlements for people who need them most.
Ross Perkins
Coach K offered him a start in a big ACC game. He walked into the office and gave it back.
JJ Redick
The most hated player in America. Now he coaches the Lakers.
Shelden Williams
The Landlord.
Jordan Davidson
Followed his brother to Duke as a walk-on. Left with a scholarship and a 2010 ring.
Tom Novick
Two career games. Then Wall Street, Bain and a senior vice president's office.
David McClure
Six surgeries. Still climbing.
DeMarcus Nelson
California's all-time leading prep scorer. Didn't like Duke until he saw a Jay Williams video.
Eric Boateng
From the Brixton Topcats to Duke to the London Olympics. Now he runs the Topcats.
Jamal Boykin
Named after Jamaal Wilkes, sold on Duke by the Laettner pass. He found his game back home at Cal.
Josh McRoberts
Flair, flash, and an early exit.
Greg Paulus
The nation's best quarterback and point guard at once. Chose Duke, then started at QB for Syracuse anyway.
Martynas Pocius
Lost part of a finger at thirteen. A ring with the Nuggets' front office. Now Real Madrid's deputy GM.
Gerald Henderson
The spark that reignited the engine.
Steve Johnson
A walk-on with the team's best vertical leap. He high-jumped for Duke track, too. Left with a 2010 ring.
Jon Scheyer
Disliked Duke as a kid because all his friends liked Duke. Now he is the 20th head coach in its history.
Nick Sutton
One game, two minutes, zero points. Then a career in energy finance.
Lance Thomas
Undrafted. Nine NBA seasons and the Knicks captaincy anyway. Now a licensed sea captain.
Brian Zoubek
Broke his foot twice, opened a cream puff bakery, and grabbed the rebound that won the 2010 title.
Taylor King
Twenty points in his Duke debut. One year, then a long road through Villanova, Concordia and Britain.
Nolan Smith
His father won a title at Louisville and died when Nolan was eight. He won his own in 2010.
Olek Czyz
Recruited by the most famous Polish-American coach in history. Left three months before the title.
Elliot Williams
Went home to Memphis for his mother. Three catastrophic injuries later, he kept getting back up.