Old Dominion’s challenge against No. 16 Duke Wednesday night (7 p.m., Constant Center) is likely even more daunting than you realize. Because when it comes to playing schools in Virginia, the Blue Devils haven’t just been really good. For the past 17 years, they’ve been flat-out unbeatable.
Duke will take a 68-game winning streak against Virginia’s Division I schools into the contest. The last Blue Devils loss to a Commonwealth foe was a 61-49 home setback to Virginia on Jan. 30, 2000, when a promising freshman named Schuye LaRue fueled the Cavaliers with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Duke has gone UConn on Virginia opposition ever since. Only eight of the 68 victories have come by single digits; three times as many have been by at least 30 points. In last season’s six meetings with Virginia schools, Duke beat Virginia by 19 points, ODU by 28, Virginia Tech by 35, Longwood by 57, Liberty by (gulp) 60 and Hampton by (gulp-gulp) 63.
As fellow members of the ACC, Virginia (25 straight losses) and Virginia Tech (22) have taken the most Blue Devil bashings during the streak. Other records of futility: ODU 0-6; Hampton 0-5, Liberty 0-4, JMU 0-2 and George Mason, William and Mary, Longwood and Norfolk State each 0-1.
So we don’t know about the rest of you folks, but we’ve seen enough. Virginia and Virginia Tech, we realize you don’t have any choice. But to the rest of the teams in our state, we humbly submit the following advice:
Stop scheduling these guys.
Upcoming “streak-busting” opportunities against Duke
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At Old Dominion, Wednesday
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Liberty, Dec. 29
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Virginia, Jan. 14
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At Virginia Tech, Jan. 18