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RALEIGH – Transitioning from the elation that comes with one tournament championship to the NCAA tournament introduces a challenge unique to this time of year.
Everybody is back on zero — or was entering this week, as the tournament is underway and a handful of teams are already on their way home. Understanding the difficulty might be best explained in this number: Of the last 12 NCAA tournaments, the championship has been won by a team that won its conference tournament five times.
Which brings Duke into the equation. There’s more of an ominous feeling — historically, anyway — when considering six of the last seven national champions from the ACC didn’t win the league’s tournament.