There’s a real argument that the Blue Devils are having the best year of any athletic program in the country.
After the women’s basketball team upset Ohio State and the men’s basketball team throttled James Madison on Sunday, Duke became the only school to win a bowl game and make the Sweet 16 in the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournament during this academic year.
The Blue Devils beat Troy in the 76 Birmingham Bowl, a 17-10 defensive battle back in December led by interim coach Trooper Taylor. Duke’s football team has now won five consecutive postseason games dating back to 2015.
Junior guard Reigan Richardson has led the women’s basketball team through the postseason thus far. She’s averaged 26.5 points per game so far, including a 28-point performance against Ohio State, and she’s shooting 62.5% from beyond the arc through two games.
On the men’s side, freshman guard Jared McCain has played hero with a 30-point performance against James Madison. He made eight 3-pointers, the most by a Blue Devil in an NCAA Tournament game.