- Mike Krzyzewski won the only five national championships in program history.
- Duke’s best player, Dick Groat, went on to become an MVP-caliber MLB player.
- Mike Krzyzewski coached the Blue Devils from 1980-2022.
The Duke Blue Devils have a rich history that includes five national championships, six runner-up finishes, 23 Final Fours, and more.
The program’s first season was played in 1905-06, and since then, Duke has won well over 2,200 games.
In 1980, the program hired Mike Krzyzewski, who would coach until he retired in 2022. During his run, Duke won five national titles, made 13 Final Fours, including five in a row, 17 Elite Eights, 26 Sweet Sixteens, and made the NCAA Tournament 36 times, winning 101 games in those appearances.
Krzyzewski also coached 23 eventual NBA first-round draft picks and so much more.
In the modern age of online sports betting, which became available in 2018, the Blue Devils’ basketball lines have been heavily wagered on, when they made the Final Four in 2022 and the Elite Eight in 2018, 2019, and 2022.
Below, I’ll illustrate the seven best players in Blue Devils basketball history.
7 Best Duke Blue Devils Basketball Players, Ranked
| Rank | Player | Position | Kansas Years |
| 1 | Dick Groat | G | 1950-1952 |
| 2 | Grant Hill | G/F | 1990-1994 |
| 3 | Art Heyman | G/F | 1961-1963 |
| 4 | Jeff Mullins | F | 1962-1964 |
| 5 | Mike Gminski | C | 1977-1980 |
| 6 | Christian Laettner | F | 1989-1992 |
| 7 | Zion Williamson | C | 2018-2019 |
Duke Blue Devils All-Time Greatest Basketball Players
1. Dick Groat
Interestingly enough, the best player in Duke Blue Devils basketball history played just one season in the NBA. Still, he made his claim to fame as a professional baseball player, winning two World Series, an NL MVP, making eight All-Star games, and more.
However, at Duke, he was the program’s first-ever All-American and his No. 10 jersey was the first number retired.
During his three seasons with the team, he averaged 23 points per game including 26 in his final season, 1951-1952. He was named a second-team All-American in 1951, was a two-time Southern Conference McKelvin Award winner, and a two-time SoCon Tournament MVP.
2. Grant Hill
You can certainly debate where Hill belongs on this list, but he holds a massive part of Duke history, playing four seasons from 1990 to 1994.
As a Blue Devil, he averaged 14.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.7 steals, and a block per game. His best season came as a senior when he averaged 17.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.9 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game.
He won national championships in 1991 and 1992. He was a first-team All-American, second-team All-American, ACC Player of the Year, two-time first-team All-ACC, and more;
3. Art Heyman
Heyman’s No. 25 was retired after a storied career at Duke that included being named, NCAA Final Four MOP, Sporting News Player of the Year, ACC Player of the Year, receiving multiple All-American nods, and so much more.
He’s most remembered for his final season, where he not only led the Blue Devils to their first-ever Final Four but averaged 24.9 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.
Heyman ended his three-year stint averaging 25.1 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. His scoring average is the best in school history.
4. Jeff Mullins
Averaging 21.9 points per game from 1961 to 1964, Mullins ranks among the top scorers in school history, and his No. 44 jersey has been retired. In his final season with the team, he averaged 24.2 points and 8.9 rebounds before heading off to compete in the Olympics.
Mullins’ career accolades include second-team All-American, ACC Player/Athlete of the Year, and first-team All-ACC recognition (three times).
5. Mike Gminski
Playing for the Blue Devils for four seasons from 1976 through 1980, Gminski, standing 6 feet 11 inches tall, was sensational. He averaged 19 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game. He had just one season where he didn’t average double-digit blocks; in 1978-1979, he had 9.2.
In addition to his No. 43 being retired, he was a three-time first-team All-ACC honoree, ACC Player of the Year in 1979, and received two All-American nods.
6. Christian Laettner
It’s impossible to talk about Laettner without mentioning his memorable shot in the Elite Eight in overtime against the Kentucky Wildcats in 1992. Laettner and the Blue Devils went on to win the national championship that year, their second in a row.
Beyond that shot, though, he had an excellent four-year stint with the program. He averaged 16.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. He had a career-high points per game average of 21.5 in his senior season and recorded 9.6 rebounds per game as a sophomore.
He started 128 of his 148 games and received many awards, including the Wooden Award, Rupp Trophy, ACC Tournament MVP, three-time All-ACC, Naismith Award, and so much more.
7. Zion Williamson
While numerous other players could claim the final spot on this list, I wanted to give a nod to a more recent player in Williamson.
He played just one season at Duke but was a man amongst boys when he was on the court. From NBA Dunk Contest-worthy dunks, including a 360 spin, Williamson averaged 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.1 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game.
Williamson won all five “Player of the Year” awards, including the following:
- Naismith Award
- Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year
- Wooden Award
- Oscar Robertson Trophy
- NABC Player of the Year
- Sporting News Men’s College Basketball Player of the Year
Additionally, he was an All-American, the ACC Player of the Year, ACC Rookie of the Year, ACC Tournament MVP, made the ACC All-Defensive team, and more.
