Have It Your Way

Mike Krzyzewski didn't come right out and say it, but in his estimation the 26-win Blue Devils of 2014 clearly fell short of his better squads.

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Krzyzewski spoke the other day of evaluating his program in five-year segments, including how he looked forward to coaching over the next five years.

In reviewing the past 15 seasons, he listed seven teams that had a "legitimate chance" to win an NCAA title.

From 2000 through 2004 he believed the prime opportunities came in 2001, 2002 and 2004. The '01 team did win the national championship and the '04 Devils reached the Final Four. From 2005 through 2009, Krzyzewski counted only the '06 squad, with J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams as seniors, as sufficiently potent to compete for the title.

Over the past five seasons, 2010 through 2014, Krzyzewski believed the 2010, 2011, and 2013 units were good enough to win it all. The veteran 2010 team captured the NCAA title. The '11 group was outstanding until freshman guard Kyrie Irving was injured. Injuries similarly stymied the '13 group led by seniors Seth Curry, Ryan Kelly and Mason Plumlee.

Where did this year's team fall short? Let us count the ways. Or, rather, let's highlight one statistic that encapsulates a crucial failing.

This was one of the least consistent and least imposing defensive squads of Krzyzewski's 34-year tenure. In fact, from the perspective of forcing turnovers, a key measure for a program that attempts to dictate the terms of engagement with its defense, this was the worst Duke squad in modern history.

Note also that turnovers forced have declined in general at Duke since the early 2000s, exceeding 16.4 per game just once over the past decade.

On average Blue Devil squads forced at least 16.4 turnovers 18 times in the 21 seasons between 1984 and 2004, when Krzyzewski's program established itself among the best in the nation. Two of the years they fell short were 1995, when Krzyzewski was out for 19 of 31 games, and 1996 when the program was rebooted.