While surviving and advancing is all that truly matters during March Madness, a near miss vs. a 16-seed is not the start Duke wanted, and historically, it is likely a massive warning sign that the Blue Devils might finish short of a national championship for an 11th straight season.
No. 1 overall Duke found itself down 11 points at halftime against the 16-seeded Saints, but rallied in the final 20 minutes to win 71-65 and escape a monumental upset.
History tells us, however, that Duke's opening round struggles against a 16-seed probably mean it won't be cutting down the nets.