Throughout its storied history, the Duke Basketball program has taken its fans to mountaintops that only a few other programs have been lucky enough to reach. With 118 tournament wins, 18 Final Fours, and five national championships, Duke has undeniably delivered to its supporters while earning its reputation as one of the most elite college basketball programs of all time. But as we have learned time and time again, with these incredible highs come the painful lows— seen far more frequently than the moments of glory. Duke's Final Four collapse to Houston this past weekend served as the latest reminder of the unfortunate truth that before greatness comes patience. Here, we take a look back at the Final Four struggles the Duke program had to endure to finally be crowned as royalty.
1. 1978 National Title vs. Kentucky
After Head Coach Vic Bubas led the Blue Devils to their first national semifinal and three semifinal appearances from 1962-1966, Duke began to create some buzz in Durham. However, the following decade was marked by disappointment, as the program failed to make the NCAA tournament and went through three coaching changes. This made their return to the title game in 1978 all the more anticipated by eager fans who longed for another postseason run. Bill Foster's squad, led by Duke legends Mike Gminski and Jim Spanarkel, displayed a unique chemistry at the time and seemed to be the team of destiny, especially after winning the ACC championship and knocking off Notre Dame in the semifinal game. However, in the title game, they were met by Kentucky, a powerhouse with a 30-2 record. Led by the 41 points from Jack Givens, Kentucky defeated Duke 94-88. The loss marked one of the early painful chapters for Duke, whose fans were left wondering if they would have to wait another decade for their next chance at glory.
2. 1986 National Title vs. Louisville
Before Mike Krzyzewski was the Hall of Fame legend he is today, he was just another basketball coach at the small private university in Durham. In fact, Coach K was nearly run out of town by Duke faithful after a rough start in his first three seasons. His future was saved, however, by his 1982 recruiting class, which became known as "The Class That Saved Coach K". This class, consisting of Johnny Dawkins, Mark Alarie, David Henderson, and Jay Bilas, laid the foundation for Duke Basketball, and they were rewarded with a trip to the National Championship in their senior season. Leading for most of the game, Duke seemed on the verge of securing its first title in school history. However, this was the first title game with a shot clock, and as Duke attempted to milk the clock, Pervis Ellison and the Cardinals fought back to pull out a 72-69 victory. With the best record in school history at the time, Duke's 1986 loss was viewed as a heartbreaking halt to the program's success, but it eventually served as a stepping stone toward its future greatness.
3. 1988 and 1989 Semifinal Losses
After falling short in the Sweet 16 the year prior, Duke returned to the Final Four in 1988, sparking a run of five straight appearances. In both of the first two, however, Duke lost games in which they were favored by four points. The first of these, in 1988, saw the Blue Devils fall to Danny Manning's eventual champion Kansas Jayhawks, a team they had already beaten on the road in the regular season. The following year, Duke went into halftime with a five-point lead, only to be convincingly outplayed in the second half, suffering a 17-point loss to Seton Hall. The defeat marked the end of Danny Ferry's collegiate career, which featured three Final Four appearances but only one trip to the title game. Despite his consistent success, these postseason shortcomings also raised questions about Mike Krzyzewski's ability to win the big game and if he could deliver when it mattered most.
4. Humiliation to UNLV in 1990 Title Game
In 1990, sparked by an Elite Eight overtime game-winner by Christian Laettner over UConn, the Blue Devils seemed poised—and perhaps destined—to finally get over the hump and reach the pinnacle of college basketball. Duke cruised past Arkansas in the semifinal, but on Monday night, they were crushed by Jerry Tarkanian's UNLV. Not only did the Rebels end the Blue Devils' season, but they also handed them the largest deficit ever in a title game, a stunning 30-point beatdown. Many Duke fans, already uncertain about the program's future under Coach K, were left with a deep sense of hopelessness after the humiliation in 1990, believing that the Blue Devils might never bring a championship back to Durham.
The rest, as Duke fans gladly know, is history. Coach K and his Duke program took off the following year, charging straight into two consecutive titles, using the past failures as fuel for their future success. Of course, there were much more devastating losses to come—1994, 1999, and 2004, to name a few— but each one was eventually followed by a return to glory, made sweeter by the previous shortcomings.
As Duke fans sit in April of 2025, it's understandable to feel frustrated by the chain of great teams that continue to come up short over the last decade. But I urge them not to be discouraged or give up on the future of the program. There have been some rough endings these past few years that may never fully heal, but history shows it's worth enduring the pain to savor the glory when it comes.
After all, imagine if you had given up after the loss to UNLV in 1990. You would've lived through the heartbreak, thinking it was the end of the story, when in reality, it was just the beginning of a fairytale.