Some Appearances Are Seedier Than Others

If you get the sense things haven't gone all that well for Duke in the NCAA tournament since winning the 2010 national championship, you've been paying attention.

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The one and done effort against Mercer this year matches a similar effort in 2012, when the Blue Devils were ousted in their NCAA debut by Lehigh. That time, Duke was a No. 2 seed beaten by a 15. This go-round, the Devils were seeded third, the Mercer Bears No. 14.

Perhaps coincidentally, the two quick-out clubs boasted an ACC Rookie of the Year destined to leave early for the pros: Austin Rivers in 2012 and, most likely, Jabari Parker this season.

Turns out, Duke's NCAA record is decidedly checkered when seeded anywhere lower than first or second, as it has been 21 times in 30 appearances under Mike Krzyzewski.

Overall, Krzyzewski has more victories (983) and more NCAA tournament victories (82) than any other coach in history. He also had 26 NCAA losses, trailing only Syracuse's Jim Boeheim (30 and counting), Lute Olson of Iowa and Arizona (28), and UNC's Dean Smith (27). Krzyzewski's defeats match much-traveled Eddie Sutton, who worked at Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky and Oklahoma State.

He also has more NCAA titles than any of those other coaches.

Not surprisingly, the lower Duke is seeded the more vulnerable it is to defeat. The Devils got 45 of their NCAA victories as a No. 1 and 26 as a No. 2.

The nine Krzyzewski squads that were seeded either third (6, including this year), fifth (1987), sixth (2007) or eighth (1996) have now posted a cumulative 11-9 NCAA tournament record.