The college basketball season is entering the grind stage and the Blue Devils are half way through their regular season sporting a 12-2 record.  That includes a 1-0 mark in the ACC where they most recently defeated Boston College on the road.  Before we move on to the Wake Forest game which is next on the slate, let's take one last moment to reflect on the year Duke had a season ago and the strides the program has made over time.

A Perfect Storm led Duke to Glory

When Duke landed the recruiting class of Jahlil Okafor, Justise WInslow, Tyus Jones and Grayson Allen, I knew something special could happen.  These were four unique kids, three of whom played together during the summer seasons and one who came alive in the Finals to help the team win Mike Krzyzewki's fifth national title.  It was a great season and one to remember and deserving of one last salute before Duke Basketball moves forward into the meat of the ACC season.  Three of these players are now in the NBA after being first round draft picks and 18 former Krzyzewski players are wearing pro uniforms.  Duke also signed another banner recruiting class in 2015 and we are starting to see the fruits of their labor now. But the one thing that all Duke teams with success have had is that they worked for their trophies.  Yes, 2015 will always be a year to remember and one of the best in the Krzyzrewski era.  It was truly deserving of the word, "special."

Landmarks Lost in the Shuffle

When Duke defeated  Elon it was the Blue Devils 125th consecutive win against non conference opponents in Cameron Indoor Stadium. That is the longest streak of its kind in all the land and a stat where no other team is even close.  I guess with the Holiday's and today's short attention span society this is not a big deal or it might not seem like  it.  In most places in the country this streak alone would have garnered headlines and a feature story closing out another year in the books of a six-year streak  that will not soon be broken.  But in Durham, success within the Duke program is often taken for granted.  In some ways, it is not the media's fault, for Duke is always seemingly knocking down new records, but there was one more thing not addressed during the end of 2015 that is interesting. That being Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski earned his 1000th win on a comeback win over St. John's in New York's Madison Square Garden.   Krzyzewski also maintains the  amazing record which is the most wins in the history of college basketball.  That's a pretty significant thing, folks.  Yep,  At Duke, they are simply expected to win and get little recognition at times in doing so considering the amazing longevity of their feats. Thankfully for fans, that hasn't stopped the train for Duke Basketball never seems to stop.

A New Era Was Born

I know it's hard for some to believe, but it took Mike Krzsewski a lot of work to build the program to where it is today.  In today's world, folks would have run him away from Duke after 10-17 and 11-17 season in his first three years at the helm. Social media would be saying how Duke stinks and well, the point is it took work to get here folks.  There was a day when Duke came in 2nd to the recruits they coveted.  Really.  Heck, one of the people who now leads cheers in Cameron once was a chief component of a petition to run Krzyzewski out of Durham.  I'm old enough to remember when Krzyzewski first arrived at Duke and trust me, you would not believe how much work it took to build the dynasty that the program is today.  I have remind myself, that most fans were born into winning.  I never thought I would see the Duke fan base became spoiled, but that has happened too.   But it still takes work and that work is a year round thing.  I for one certainly appreciate being able to see history unfold.  And I'm glad I remember the loss to Wagner in Cameron, the last time Cameron didn't sell out and why (It was and pre season NIT game vs Boston College in Bobby Hurley's freshman season) and when Dean Smith rammed his fist on the scorers table making the clock go haywire for at that point he knew the other program was becoming  a force to be reckoned with. (Michael Jordan was on the court that evening with no national or regional TV for Duke vs UNC). The Krzyzewski clan was but a bunch of young kids then. Now, the kids, have kids and time has been kind to those who pull for the royal blue clad team.  There was once no state of the art practice facility or even air conditioning in Cameron.  There was no Coach K Court logo on the hardwood of the place which was once known as Duke Indoor Stadium.  Krzyzewskiville had to be born as did consistent winning that we all know today.  It's been quite the ride which has made life for Duke fans an incredible experience for years.  And it's still going strong with another ranked team and stellar recruits to come.  But one should never take it all for granted and at times, slow down to appreciate the accomplishments and the work it took for success to become an expected thing.