GREENSBORO, NC (AP) – Duke has arrived at the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament in hopes of making an unprecedented run to extend his long NCAA Tournament.
Instead, the Blue Devils suddenly had to pull out of the tournament and end the season due to a positive COVID-19 test and the consequent quarantine and contact tracing.
The ACC has announced that the Blue Devils quarterfinal against Florida 15 in Florida has been canceled for Thursday night. And athletics director Kevin White said Duke’s season is over, and the end of the Blue Devils series of 24 consecutive NCAA appearances that began in 1996.
In a statement, White said the positive test for someone within the program came after Wednesday’s win over Louisville, the Blue Devils’ second win in as many days in Greensboro. Prior to that, there were no positive tests for a player or coach all season, he said.
“Since March last year, when the pandemic started, we have been listening to our medical experts and we have always put safety at the forefront of any competition concerns,” White said. ‘As a result, it’s going to end our 2020-21 season. We wish every team that still plays university basketball good health and the best in the next few weeks. ”
The Blue Devils (13-11, 9-9 ACC) could not meet their high standards, but coach Mike Krzyzewski said he loves this young team very much and has the honor of coaching it. .
“We have not asked for more from any team in our history, and they deserve enormous honor to handle everything like the excellent young men they are,” Krzyzewski said in a statement. ‘I feel deeply for our players, who have done an excellent job all season to take care of each other and the team.
“I am very proud of their joint attitude and effort, which could not have been stronger.”
With Duke’s withdrawal, the Seminoles advance to the ACC Tournament semifinals to play the North Carolina-Virginia Tech winner.
“I just think we’re trying to prepare for the unexpected all year long,” FSU coach Leonard Hamilton said. “It’s a shame we can not play the game today. But we have to deal with it in a mature way and just be glad that no one is in danger. ”
In addition, Louisville issued a statement Thursday saying the tests had returned negative after the Duke game and that there were no contact detection issues.
“Our group is being tested daily and on its way to having the necessary negative tests to participate in the NCAA Tournament,” the school said.
After Duke’s season, it’s the first time since 1976 that both the Blue Devils and another basketball blood – Kentucky – will not be in the NCAAs. The Wildcats lost their Thursday opening of the Southeastern Conference Tournament to Mississippi State, which ensures the program is the first losing season since 1988-89.
Duke has not missed the NCAA Tournament since the 1994-95 season when Krzyzewski resigned from coaching due to complications from back surgery. Assistant Pete Gaudet took over, and the team finished 13-18 a year after Duke played in the NCAA title game.
Prior to that, Krzyzewski only missed the tournament at Duke in his first three seasons, when he combined 38-47 and faced increasing pressure to turn things around, as the triangle neighbors North Carolina (1982) and North Carolina State (1983) won both. NCAA Championships.
The first tournament offer came in 1984 and Duke won 37 games and reached an NCAA final two years later. It was the first in a remarkable series of seven Final Fours in nine years that included championships in 1991 and 1992. Krzyzewski’s teams won three more titles in 2001, 2010 and 2015.
This year opened with the same expectations, despite a young roster that has not had NBA talent in recent years, with names like Zion Williamson and Jayson Tatum.
The Blue Devils finished the year at no. 9 started in the AP Top 25, but was not in mid-January for the first time in almost five years. They missed the typical mischievous home field in a Cameron Indoor stadium without fans and saw the first rookie Jalen Johnson leave the team. in February to prepare for the NBA draft.
After a sudden loss at rival North Carolina, the Blue Devils knew they would likely have to win the ACC tournament to extend the NCAA Series, even though no team has won five games in five days at the tournament. They started with a sudden win against Boston College and beat Louisville in Wednesday’s quarterfinals after losing both regular season meetings.
Krzyzewski has always focused more on developing a young group than successes in the past.
“It will pay off at some point if you stick to it,” Krzyzewski said after a February loss to Notre Dame. “It did in ’82 and ’83, it was in ’95 -96, and it was in 2006. There are times in our program where you learned to appreciate winning at such a high level and how difficult it is. is to lose. .
And we must continue to learn and appreciate it as a program that is necessary to win. You do not do this by not working hard or trying to get better. And that’s what we’re going to do. ”
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