Kyrie Irving had a huge smile in Friday night’s game for Duke, and for good reason. Irving had not played since injurying his toe in December, a time when the Blue Devils looked like the team to beat in college basketball this season.

Now, they are again.

Duke has a chance to win rare back-to-back titles, and another title run would stamp this as a special time in Blue Devils history. Only the Laettner-Hurley-Hill teams won back-to-back title for Duke. Florida did it in 2006 and 2007, making the Devils and Gators the only two-straight winners since UCLA’s streak of seven straight ended in 1973.

Steve Wiseman of The Durham Herald-Sun reported that Irving played in a pick-up game with his teammates Monday and did well. On Wednesday night, there were phone calls between Irving and his father, Drederick, and Coach Mike Krzyzewski and the medical staff.

“It was a collective decision after numerous conversations involving us three, the physical therapist and trainer,” Drederick Irving told The Herald-Sun Thursday.

The Devils will need Irving as the tournament unfolds. Although they won the ACC title without him, there are plenty of teams out there capable of unseating Duke without Irving on the floor.

Duke often seems to get favorable draws in NCAA play, but that wasn’t the case this season. The 87-45 win over Hampton was easy enough, but the field gets tougher from here. The Blue Devils face name schools with talented coaches, which often makes a difference in NCAA play.

Michigan, for example, is only 21-13 and was 9-9 in Big Ten play, but the Wolverines have John Beilein on the sidelines and shouldn’t be intimidated. After that, Duke wil face Arizona or Texas and then possibly UConn for the berth in the Final Four.

Ohio State, not Duke, was the betting favorite at first to win the NCAA title. But everything has to be recalibrated now that Irving is back. He had 14 points, making 4 of 8 shots, in 20 minutes of play against Hampton, and you can bet those minutes will go up as the tournament progresses and the opponents get tougher.