2014-15

"This Won’t Happen Next Year." Tyus Jones had texted those words to Coach K after the Mercer loss. He was right. Jones and Jahlil Okafor arrive as a package deal — a point guard and a center who’d been plotting this since the U17 World Championship. They bring Justise Winslow and Grayson Allen with them. Senior Quinn Cook moves to shooting guard and becomes the leader the team needs. Rasheed Sulaimon is dismissed in January — K declares “eight is enough” and the team goes 17-1 the rest of the way. Dean Smith passes away in February; the Duke-UNC game is played in his memory. K earns his 1,000th career victory at St. John’s. Then March: Robert Morris, San Diego State, Utah, Gonzaga, Michigan State, Wisconsin. Down nine in the championship game, Grayson Allen puts Duke on his back, Tyus Jones scores 19 second-half points including two threes in the final five minutes, and Okafor re-enters with Duke up one and scores on back-to-back possessions to seal it. Duke 68, Wisconsin 63. K’s fifth ring. The promise fulfilled.