The Duke basketball team has the talent to win the National Championship this season but the Blue Devils are hoping to have some positive mojo on its side to go along with its skill.
Last season, Jon Scheyer’s team defeated Mount St. Mary’s in the Round of 64 of the NCAA Tournament and it seemed meaningless in the moment. A blowout victory in what the program hoped was the first of six wins to cut down the nets.
While the NCAA Tournament ended with a dramatic loss in the Final Four, it’s the victory over Mount St. Mary’s that could spark hope for the Blue Devils this season due to its previous history.
Each time the Mountaineers have made the Round of 64 in NCAA Tournament, the team that knocked out them has won the title the following season.
Kentucky beat Mount St. Mary’s in 1995, Michigan State in 1999, North Carolina in 2008, and Villanova in 2017. All were champions the next season.
Duke is hoping to join that list this year and got off to a good start with a 15-point victory over Texas in its first game of the season.
To add to the good feelings about winning a National Championship this year for the Blue Devils, the Final Four will be held in Indianapolis – a very familiar location to the Duke basketball program.
Excluding the ‘bubble’ NCAA Tournament that was held in Indy during 2021, Duke has won the National Championship each of the last two times Indianapolis had a Final Four (2010 and 2015).
The Blue Devils also won the 1991 National Championship, which was Coach K’s first title, in the city.
There is still a long way to go for Duke this season to start dreaming of a National Championship but at least there are some positive vibes on the side of the Blue Devils entering the year.