The Duke Blue Devils came home wearing championship rings at last year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Led by Coach Krzyzewski, also known as “Coach K”, the team dominated the court with the power of players Jon Scheyer and Kyle Singler. Duke’s basketball program is ranked number four of all time with its amount of wins, has won four NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournaments (second of any ACC team), and has been in 15 Final Fours. This past year, Duke has been branded as the number one and championship team, but what will their brand be now?
So far, Duke has been undefeated in the 2011 NCAA tournament, reaching the sweet sixteen round and keeping its successful brand image. Coach K has been helping this brand and even creating his own after earning his 900th win yesterday, March 20. Duke has a positive and strong image supported by Coach K’s reputation for fair play, clean programs, and outstanding leadership, not to mention his top-notch recruits. Coach K has been the head coach at Duke for 31 seasons.
Duke’s brand transcends off the court with their wild assortment of fans, also branded as the Cameron Crazies. These students and other spectators dress from head to toe in royal blue and white, even painting their bodies, to show their support and devotion for their favorite team. The amount of school spirit Duke brings to their University fosters social capital among students and the Duke fan community.
These fans have supported Duke all the way to the Sweet 16 round, who is scheduled to play Arizona this Thursday, March 24. Also making it to this round is their hometown rival, the UNC Tar Heels. This age-old rivalry has strengthened the brand loyalty of both Duke and UNC. This game attracts millions of viewers each time the two schools compete and is one of the most entertaining and thrilling games of the season to watch. They have not yet faced each other in this year’s NCAA tournament, but in order to reach the Championship game they will have to. Will Duke and Coach K maintain their champion status or will they be “Tar-heeled”? What do you think?
Allison Day, Jessica Berinson, Megan Canny, Melissa Gagliardi, Scott Burgess
IMC Hawks Blog 