Wendell Moore Jr. reveals what it means to secure a Final Four banner at Duke

Wendell Moore Jr. might be a junior at Duke, but 2022 has marked his first NCAA Tournament in his Blue Devil tenure, so he’s making the most of his time in The Big Dance. Duke is now headed to another Final Four after defeating Arkansas 78-69 on Saturday and the realization of getting head coach Mike Krzyzewski to one last Final Four means to Duke’s brotherhood.

“For sure it’s sunk in. The moment after we win the game, it started sinking in. For us that’s our second banner we’ve hung, and the thing is we’re not happy about it,” Moore Jr. said. “For us the job is not finished. We want to hang one more banner. Two more if we get two games. I don’t know. We for sure want to hang another banner in there.”

Moore Jr. has played a critical role in helped Duke on its Final Four run. He’s averaging 13.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and assists per game while shooting 17-31 (54 percent) from the floor and 4-7 (57 percent) from 3-point range during the NCAA Tournament. It’s not just Moore Jr. — three other Blue Devil starters scored in double figures as well.

The Blue Devils’ run this season rivals some of the best in Krzyzewski’s tenure in Durham, mostly because this is the last dance for the 42-year Blue Devil career of the Hall of Famer’s career. But for the players — this is potentially their one and only chance to win a national championship despite Duke’s storied past.

The Blue Devils have won 15 ACC Tournament championships, 13 regular season ACC titles, and five national championships in addition to the now 13 Final Four appearances. Krzyzewski’s 13th Final Four appearance will pass Hall of Fame coach John Wooden, who had 12. He officially has the most Final Four appearances of any active college basketball coach, as his 13 is more than that of Bill Self, Jay Wright and John Calipari combined (12).

But for now, Duke can relax and get back to work as they have nearly a week between now and its Final Four matchup against either Saint Peter’s or rival North Carolina.

“We’re going take this five-hour trip back to Durham and going to be happy about it, but once we get in to practice tomorrow or the day after, it’s time to move on,” Moore Jr. said.