Duke basketball reaches lowest point of season in pathetic loss to UNC

The Duke basketball team reached a new low in a pathetic loss to North Carolina. 

They say the game always delivers, but if you are a supporter of the Duke basketball program, it couldn’t end fast enough.

Duke was outplayed, out-hustled, out-coached, and out-everything’ed (that’s not a real word, but we are going to use it anyway) in its 91-73 loss to North Carolina on Saturday night in the Dean Dome.

The Tar Heels got off to a 26-6 lead, and Duke was never in the game from the opening tip.

Roy Willams started seldom-played senior reserves and walk-ons, such as Walker Miller, Andrew Platek, and KJ Smith, alongside Garrison Brooks. Yet the Blue Devils still couldn’t take advantage.

Duke ended up having four players in double-figures. But don’t be confused. No one played well in the season debut of ‘The Brotherhood’ uniforms, which clearly didn’t solve all the issues that have plagued Duke, as many thought they would.

Mark Williams ended up leading Duke in scoring for the second straight game with 18 points, but he couldn’t guard the frontcourt firepower of the Tar Heels.

What makes Saturday’s loss even more embarrassing and pathetic is that Duke needed the game.

If the Blue Devils wanted a shot at an at-large bid, they needed to win against North Carolina. However, they didn’t even belong on the same court as the ‘Heels.

If the four letters ‘D-U-K-E’ were not on the jersey of the Blue Devils, you would have thought North Carolina was playing a school like Charleston Southern.

Duke basketball falls to a record low in 2020-21 season

With the loss to the Tar Heels, coupled with other results in the Atlantic Coast Conference on Saturday afternoon and evening, the Duke Blue Devils will be playing on Tuesday at the ACC Tournament for the first time ever.

Duke earned the No. 10 seed in the conference tourney and will play No. 15 Boston College.

It’s a far cry from the double-bye that many have been accustomed to.

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Also, in case you were still wondering, Duke needs to win the ACC Tournament in order to make the NCAA Tournament.

Five games in five days, which obviously has never been done before.

Duke was the first program to win the title with four games in four days, but don’t expect these Blue Devils to break that streak this year.