From 2021, 1991 seems a long time ago. Mike Krzyzewski is about to begin his last season, Christian Laettner is 52 and Jerry Tarkanian passed away six years ago.
But 1991 was Duke’s first national championship team and there’s nothing quite like the first.
It was particularly intense because when Duke and UNLV met in 1990, UNLV just beat Duke senseless. Coach K has always said that planning for revenge is planning for failure, or something along those lines, and that makes sense.
Even so, Duke always approaches games like that with immense intensity and UNLV in the 1991 semifinals was no different.