The Duke Blue Devils turned around their season -- now will it last? - ESPN

DURHAM, N.C. — After his team lost to Duke on Feb. 19, the latest of 17 teams in a row to fall to the Blue Devils, NC State women's basketball coach Wes Moore summed up their winning streak: «They are who we thought they were.»

To be fair, it wasn't always quite so clear. Back in early December, Duke had gone from No. 7 in the preseason to out of the rankings, having dropped six games in the first weeks of the season. By mid-February, the Blue Devils were back in the top 10 and on a roll. Or so it seemed.

Last week, Duke lost twice in eight days to end the regular season at 21-8. Now, heading into the ACC tournament and the Big Dance, the question is: Who are the Blue Devils, really? Perhaps the biggest enigma of the four major conference champions heading into Champ Week, Duke has one more chance to prove it's a legit contender in the NCAA tournament.

The top-seeded Blue Devils enter the ACC quarterfinals Friday at a crossroads. If they repeat as league tournament champions, they solidify their position in the NCAA tournament's top 16, ensuring they host the first and second rounds. If they don't, they will have to rebuild their confidence during March Madness.

«Disappointed, but as I told the team, what an incredible season they've had,» coach Kara Lawson said after ending the regular season with a 74-69 loss at North Carolina on Sunday. «That doesn't make losing a game any less frustrating. But when it's appropriate, it's really important as a coach and as a player to zoom out. In the big picture, we've had a great three months.»

Steady pragmatism has been Lawson's trademark since taking over the program in the summer of 2020 (Duke shut down its 2020-21 season after just four games due to lingering COVID-19 pandemic