2018–19 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team

The 2018–19 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team represented Duke University during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were coached by 39th-year head coach, Mike Krzyzewski. The Blue Devils played their home games at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Led by tournament MVP Zion Williamson, they won Duke's 21st ACC tournament title. They received the ACC's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament and reached the Elite Eight, where they lost 68–67 to Michigan State. Duke finished #1 in the nation in the final RPI rankings.[1]

2018–19 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
ACC tournament champions
NCAA tournament, Elite Eight
ConferenceAtlantic Coast Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 4
APNo. 1
Record32–6 (14–4 ACC)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home arenaCameron Indoor Stadium
Seasons
2018–19 ACC men's basketball standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
No. 2 Virginia162 .889353 .921
No. 3 North Carolina162 .889297 .806
No. 1 Duke144 .778326 .842
No. 10 Florida State135 .722298 .784
No. 16 Virginia Tech126 .667269 .743
Syracuse108 .5562014 .588
Louisville108 .5562014 .588
NC State99 .5002412 .667
Clemson99 .5002014 .588
Georgia Tech612 .3331418 .438
Boston College513 .2781417 .452
Miami (FL)513 .2781418 .438
Wake Forest414 .2221120 .355
Pittsburgh315 .1671419 .424
Notre Dame315 .1671419 .424
2019 ACC tournament winner
Rankings from AP poll

Previous season

The Blue Devils finished the 2017–18 season 29–8, 13–5 in ACC play to finish in second place. They defeated Notre Dame in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament before losing to North Carolina in the semifinals. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 2 seed in the Midwest region. There they defeated Iona, Rhode Island, and Syracuse to advance to the Elite Eight. In the Elite Eight, they lost to No. 1 seed Kansas in overtime.

Offseason

Departures

NamePos.HeightWeightYearHometownReason for departure
Grayson AllenSG6'5"205SeniorJacksonville, FloridaGraduated; Declared for 2018 NBA draft[2]
Marvin Bagley IIIPF6'11"234FreshmanPhoenix, ArizonaDeclared for 2018 NBA draft[3]
Wendell Carter Jr.C/PF6'10"259FreshmanAtlanta, GeorgiaDeclared for 2018 NBA draft[4]
Trevon DuvalPG6'3"186FreshmanWilmington, DelawareDeclared for 2018 NBA draft
Gary Trent Jr.SG6'6"209FreshmanColumbus, OhioDeclared for 2018 NBA draft[5]
Jordan TuckerF6'7220FreshmanWhite Plains, New YorkTransferred to Butler after fall 2017 semester[6]

2018 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
NameHometownHigh school / collegeHeightWeightCommit date
Tre Jones
PG
Saint Paul, MNApple Valley HS6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)175 lb (79 kg)Aug 13, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:    ESPN grade: 92
Cam Reddish
SF
Norristown, PAWesttown School6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)203 lb (92 kg)Sep 1, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:    ESPN grade: 95
Joey Baker
SF
Fayetteville, NCTrinity Christian6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)190 lb (86 kg)Oct 29, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:    ESPN grade: 89
RJ Barrett
SF/SG
Mississauga, ONMontverde Academy (FL)6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)200 lb (91 kg)Nov 10, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:    ESPN grade: 96
Zion Williamson
PF
Spartanburg, SCSpartanburg Day School6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)272 lb (123 kg)Jan 20, 2018 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:    ESPN grade: 96
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 1   Rivals: 1  ESPN: 1
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved August 13, 2017.

Roster

2018–19 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
F1Zion Williamson6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)285 lb (129 kg)FrSpartanburg Day SchoolSpartanburg, South Carolina
F2Cam Reddish6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)218 lb (99 kg)FrWesttown SchoolNorristown, Pennsylvania
G3Tre Jones6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)183 lb (83 kg)FrApple ValleySt. Paul, Minnesota
F5RJ Barrett6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)202 lb (92 kg)FrMontverde Academy (FL)Mississauga, Ontario
F12Javin DeLaurier (C)6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)234 lb (106 kg)JrSt. Anne's-Belfield SchoolCharlottesville, Virginia
F13Joey Baker6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)200 lb (91 kg)FrTrinity ChristianFayetteville, North Carolina
G14Jordan Goldwire6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)181 lb (82 kg)SoNorcross HSNorcross, Georgia
G15Alex O'Connell6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)183 lb (83 kg)SoMilton HSMilton, Georgia
C20Marques Bolden6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)250 lb (113 kg)JrDeSoto HSDeSoto, Texas
C30Antonio Vrankovic7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)269 lb (122 kg)SrPine Crest SchoolDelray Beach, Florida
F41Jack White (C)6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)222 lb (101 kg)JrAustralian Institute of SportCanberra, Australia
G50Justin Robinson6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)202 lb (92 kg)RS JrSan Antonio ChristianSan Antonio, Texas
G51Mike Buckmire (W)6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)172 lb (78 kg)SoGermantown Friends SchoolBlue Bell, Pennsylvania
G53Brennan Besser (W)6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)190 lb (86 kg)SrLatin SchoolChicago, Illinois
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster

Depth chart

Pos.Starting 5Bench 1Bench 2
CMarques BoldenJavin DeLaurierAntonio Vrankovic
PFZion WilliamsonJack WhiteJustin Robinson
SFCam ReddishJoey Baker
SGRJ BarrettAlex O'ConnellBrennan Besser
PGTre JonesJordan GoldwireMike Buckmire

Schedule and results

Source:[7]

Date
time, TV
Rank#Opponent#ResultRecordHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsSite (attendance)
city, state
Duke Canada Tour
August 15, 2018*
7:00 pm, ESPN+
vs. RyersonW 86–67 
 34  Barrett  13  Williamson  4  Williamson Paramount Fine Foods Centre (5,490)
Toronto, ON
August 17, 2018*
6:00 pm, ESPN+
vs. TorontoW 96–60 
 35  Barrett  9  Barrett  5  White Paramount Fine Foods Centre (5,490)
Toronto, ON
August 19, 2018*
3:00 pm, ESPN+
vs. McGillW 103–58 
 36  Williamson  13  Williamson  10  Barrett Place Bell (10,098)
Laval, QC
Exhibition
October 23, 2018*
7:00 pm, ACCN Extra
No. 4 Virginia UnionW 106–64 
 29  Williamson  6  Tied  9  Tied Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314)
Durham, NC
October 27, 2018*
4:00 pm, ACCN Extra
No. 4 Ferris StateW 132–48 
 32  Barrett  10  Williamson  10  Jones Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314)
Durham, NC
Non-conference regular season
November 6, 2018*
9:30 pm, ESPN
No. 4 vs. No. 2 Kentucky
Champions Classic
W 118–84 1–0
 33  Barrett  11  White  7  Jones Bankers Life Fieldhouse (18,907)
Indianapolis, IN
November 11, 2018*
1:00 pm, ESPN
No. 4 ArmyW 94–72 2–0
 27  Williamson  15  Williamson  7  Jones Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314)
Durham, NC
November 14, 2018*
7:00 pm, ACCRSN
No. 1 Eastern MichiganW 84–46 3–0
 21  Williamson  9  Williamson  8  Jones Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314)
Durham, NC
November 19, 2018*
5:00 pm, ESPN2
No. 1 vs. San Diego State
Maui Invitational tournament quarterfinals
W 90–64 4–0
 20  Barrett  8  White  5  Barrett Lahaina Civic Center (2,400)
Lahaina, HI
November 20, 2018*
8:30 pm, ESPN
No. 1 vs. No. 8 Auburn
Maui Invitational Tournament semifinals
W 78–72 5–0
 18  Tied  9  Tied  6  Jones Lahaina Civic Center (2,400)
Lahaina, HI
November 21, 2018*
5:00 pm, ESPN
No. 1 vs. No. 3 Gonzaga
Maui Invitational Tournament championship
L 87–89 5–1
 23  Barrett  10  Williamson  3  Tied Lahaina Civic Center (2,400)
Lahaina, HI
November 27, 2018*
9:30 pm, ESPN
No. 3 Indiana
ACC–Big Ten Challenge
W 90–69 6–1
 25  Williamson  9  Barrett  8  Jones Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314)
Durham, NC
December 1, 2018*
7:00 pm, ESPN2
No. 3 StetsonW 113–49 7–1
 26  Barrett  9  White  7  Tied Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314)
Durham, NC
December 5, 2018*
7:00 pm, ESPN2
No. 3 HartfordW 84–54 8–1
 27  Barrett  15  Barrett  6  Jones Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314)
Durham, NC
December 8, 2018*
5:30 pm, ESPN
No. 3 YaleW 91–58 9–1
 30  Barrett  12  White  6  Barrett Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314)
Durham, NC
December 18, 2018*
6:00 pm, ESPN2
No. 2 PrincetonW 101–50 10–1
 27  Barrett  10  Williamson  6  Jones Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314)
Durham, NC
December 20, 2018*
7:00 pm, ESPN2
No. 2 vs. No. 12 Texas Tech
New York Showcase
W 69–58 11–1
 17  Williamson  13  Williamson  5  Jones Madison Square Garden (19,812)
New York, NY
ACC regular season
January 5, 2019
8:00 pm, ESPN
No. 1 ClemsonW 87–68 12–1
(1–0)
 25  Williamson  10  Williamson  9  Jones Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314)
Durham, NC
January 8, 2019
7:00 pm, ESPN
No. 1 at Wake ForestW 87–65 13–1
(2–0)
 30  Williamson  10  Williamson  7  Tied LJVM Coliseum (14,268)
Winston-Salem, NC
January 12, 2019
2:00 pm, ESPN
No. 1 at No. 13 Florida StateW 80–78 14–1
(3–0)
 32  Barrett  8  Williamson  6  Jones Donald L. Tucker Center (11,675)
Tallahassee, FL
January 14, 2019
7:00 pm, ESPN
No. 1 SyracuseL 91–95 OT14–2
(3–1)
 35  Williamson  16  Barrett  9  Barrett Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314)
Durham, NC
January 19, 2019
6:00 pm, ESPN
No. 1 No. 4 Virginia
ESPN College GameDay
W 72–70 15–2
(4–1)
 30  Barrett  9  Williamson  3  Barrett Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314)
Durham, NC
January 22, 2019
9:00 pm, ESPN
No. 2 at PittsburghW 79–64 16–2
(5–1)
 26  Barrett  9  Bolden  7  Williamson Petersen Events Center (12,881)
Pittsburgh, PA
January 26, 2019
12:00 pm, Raycom
No. 2 Georgia TechW 66–53 17–2
(6–1)
 24  Barrett  11  Barrett  6  Reddish Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314)
Durham, NC
January 28, 2019
7:00 pm, ESPN
No. 2 at Notre DameW 83–61 18–2
(7–1)
 26  Williamson  9  Tied  5  Jones Edmund P. Joyce Center (9,149)
South Bend, IN
February 2, 2019*
12:00 pm, ESPN
No. 2 St. John'sW 91–61 19–2
 29  Williamson  14  Barrett  7  Jones Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314)
Durham, NC
February 5, 2019
7:00 pm, ESPN
No. 2 Boston CollegeW 80–55 20–2
(8–1)
 24  Reddish  17  Williamson  3  Tied Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314)
Durham, NC
February 9, 2019
6:00 pm, ESPN
No. 2 at No. 3 Virginia
ESPN College GameDay
W 81–71 21–2
(9–1)
 26  Barrett  7  Barrett  7  Jones John Paul Jones Arena (14,629)
Charlottesville, VA
February 12, 2019
9:00 pm, ESPN
No. 2 at No. 16 LouisvilleW 71–69 22–2
(10–1)
 27  Williamson  12  Williamson  4  Barrett KFC Yum! Center (22,046)
Louisville, KY
February 16, 2019
6:00 pm, ESPN
No. 2 NC StateW 94–78 23–2
(11–1)
 32  Williamson  11  Barrett  10  Barrett Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314)
Durham, NC
February 20, 2019
9:00 pm, ESPN/Raycom
No. 1 No. 8 North Carolina
Rivalry/ESPN College GameDay
L 72–88 23–3
(11–2)
 33  Barrett  13  Barrett  5  Jones Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314)
Durham, NC
February 23, 2019
6:00 pm, ESPN
No. 1 at SyracuseW 75–65 24–3
(12–2)
 30  Barrett  8  Bolden  7  Barrett Carrier Dome (35,642)
Syracuse, NY
February 26, 2019
7:00 pm, ESPN
No. 3 at No. 20 Virginia TechL 72–77 24–4
(12–3)
 21  Barrett  6  Tied  5  Tied Cassell Coliseum (9,275)
Blacksburg, VA
March 2, 2019
4:00 pm, CBS
No. 3 Miami (FL)W 87–57 25–4
(13–3)
 19  Barrett  10  Barrett  7  Barrett Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314)
Durham, NC
March 5, 2019
7:00 pm, ESPN
No. 4 Wake ForestW 71–70 26–4
(14–3)
 28  Barrett  10  White  4  Barrett Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314)
Durham, NC
March 9, 2019
6:00 pm, ESPN
No. 4 at No. 3 North Carolina
Rivalry/ESPN College GameDay
L 70–79 26–5
(14–4)
 26  Barrett  12  Barrett  7  Jones Dean Smith Center (21,750)
Chapel Hill, NC
ACC Tournament
March 14, 2019
9:00 pm, ESPN
(3) No. 5 vs. (6) Syracuse
Quarterfinals
W 84–72 27–5
 29  Williamson  14  Williamson  8  Jones Spectrum Center (19,691)
Charlotte, NC
March 15, 2019
9:00 pm, ESPN
(3) No. 5 vs. (2) No. 3 North Carolina
Semifinals/Rivalry
W 74–73 28–5
 31  Williamson  11  Williamson  7  Barrett Spectrum Center (20,116)
Charlotte, NC
March 16, 2019
8:30 pm, ESPN
(3) No. 5 vs. (4) No. 12 Florida State
Championship
W 73–63 29–5
 21  Williamson  9  Barrett  6  Jones Spectrum Center (19,691)
Charlotte, NC
NCAA tournament
March 22, 2019*
7:10 pm, CBS
(1 E) No. 1 vs. (16 E) North Dakota State
First Round
W 85–62 30–5
 26  Barrett  14  Barrett  4  Jones Colonial Life Arena (16,219)
Columbia, SC
March 24, 2019*
5:15 pm, CBS
(1 E) No. 1 vs. (9 E) UCF
Second Round
W 77–76 31–5
 32  Williamson  11  Williamson  4  Tied Colonial Life Arena (16,332)
Columbia, SC
March 29, 2019
9:45 pm, CBS
(1 E) No. 1 vs. (4 E) No. 16 Virginia Tech
Sweet Sixteen
W 75–73 32–5
 23  Williamson  7  O'Connell  11  Barrett Capital One Arena (20,006)
Washington, D.C.
March 31, 2019*
5:05 pm, CBS
(1 E) No. 1 vs. (2 E) No. 5 Michigan State
Elite Eight
L 67–68 32–6
 24  Williamson  14  Williamson  6  Barrett Capital One Arena (20,125)
Washington, D.C.
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
E=East.
All times are in Eastern Time.

Record for the largest on-campus attendance in college basketball history.[8]

Ranking movement

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
т = Tied with team above or below ( ) = First-place votes
Week
PollPre12345678910111213141516171819Final
AP4 (4)1 (48)1 (53)3 (1)3 (1)2 (4)2 (5)1 (35)1 (35)1 (37)1 (36)2 (11)2 (12)2 (12)2 (24)1 (58)3 (3)4 (1)51Not released
Coaches3 (4)3^ (4)1 (32)332 (1)2 (1)2 (9)1 (10)2 (8)2 (6)2 (2)2 (1)22 (2)1 (28)2-T4-T514

^Coaches did not release a Week 2 poll.
*AP does not release post-NCAA Tournament rankings

References