All Time Duke Greats and All Time Duke Great One and Dones Lists

[bullcity gamer]

Figured this would be fun. Here are my two lists. What are yours?


All Time Duke Greats:

Laettner
Grant Hill
Hurley
Battier
Johnny Dawkins
Redick
Jason Williams
Elton Brand
Boozer

All Time Duke Great One and Dones:

Tyus Jones
Okafor
Deng
Bagley
Zion
Banchero
Winslow
Barrett
Maggette
Irving (team had a chance to run the table had he not gotten injured, they were dominating teams before his injury and were the deepest Duke team in the one and done era).

 

[christophero]

My favorite players ever are Battier, Brand, Hill, Singler and Boozer.
Favorite one and dones Winslow and Maggette.
Best Laettner Brand Battier Hurley Hill.

 

[sheyduke]

Battier, Hill, Hurley, Laettner and Boozer( that’s a starting five that would make teams scared )
OAD - Tyus, Irving, Zion and Tatum .

 

[geddoughton23]

Heyman, Laettner, Spanarkel, Hill, Williamson

 

[hart2chesson]

Heyman, Laettner, Spanarkel, Hill, Williamson

Maybe the best five I have seen listed! OFC

 

[jeffrey236]

Gene Banks has to be on that list as well.

 

[christophero]

I started watching Duke around 86. I haven't seen guys play before that.

 

[acc hoops]

Groat, Heyman and Banks have to be on the list.

 

[jimlsumner]

All too often these lists seem to encompass only the K-era players. Dick Groat, Art Heyman, Jeff Mullins, Jack Marin, Bob Verga, Mike Lewis, Randy Denton, Jim Spanarkel, Mike Gminski and Gene Banks belong in any discussion of best Duke players. [Banks played three years for Foster, one for K]

Duke actually did have a program before Mike Krzyzewski came south. A darn good one.

 

[bullcity gamer]

All too often these lists seem to encompass only the K-era players. Dick Groat, Art Heyman, Jeff Mullins, Jack Marin, Bob Verga, Mike Lewis, Randy Denton, Jim Spanarkel, Mike Gminski and Gene Banks belong in any discussion of best Duke players. [Banks played three years for Foster, one for K]

Duke actually did have a program before Mike Krzyzewski came south. A darn good one.

Great Point Jim.

 

[jnastasi]

Best 5: Christian, Grant, Battier, Williams, JJ
OAD: Zion, Irving, Maggette, Okafor, Tyus

 

[Mac9192]

Hard to choose an all time lineup. I became a fan around 85-86, so I'm biased to the K era. So I'll take a stab at the oad era.
Tyus
Zion
Banchero
Deng
Carter

 

[Mr.Scary13]

Blows my mind that every time this comes up Heyman is left off of 90% of people's list. I never saw him, but he averaged 25 points and 10 plus rebounds for his career at Duke and was the #1 pick. He is clearly top 5 all time at Duke.

 

[christophero]

Hey man that's before my time.

 

[Willcampbell]

Hey man that's before my time.

Jesus was before your time too. Leaving Him off any lists because of that?

 

[Willcampbell]

All too often these lists seem to encompass only the K-era players. Dick Groat, Art Heyman, Jeff Mullins, Jack Marin, Bob Verga, Mike Lewis, Randy Denton, Jim Spanarkel, Mike Gminski and Gene Banks belong in any discussion of best Duke players. [Banks played three years for Foster, one for K]

Duke actually did have a program before Mike Krzyzewski came south. A darn good one.

You rule, Sumner. Loved watching all of your picks.
OFC

 

[hart2chesson]

Blows my mind that every time this comes up Heyman is left off of 90% of people's list. I never saw him, but he averaged 25 points and 10 plus rebounds for his career at Duke and was the #1 pick. He is clearly top 5 all time at Duke.

Thanks Scary!!!

OFC

 

[Liftee]

We get so enamored with the athleticism of recent athletes that we forget about the superior skills of the old time athletes.

Can anyone imagine UNC packing in a zone defense like they did against the Zion team, but against a team of shooters like Marin, Verga and Mullins? Hah!

That's why you need to include a mix of the old and new.

 

[geddoughton23]

I'm excited about recruiting prospect TJ Power. Like Dick Groat, he excels at basketball and baseball. A Lefty pitcher who throws 90 and shoots from the outside right handed. I guess that's incredible coordination rather than athleticism

 

[pisgah101]

OAD give me

tyus
Irving
Winslow
Zion
Jah

all time

hurley
Jj
Battier
Zion
Laet

 

[sheyduke]

Jesus was before your time too. Leaving Him off any lists because of that?

Seriously?

 

[hart2chesson]

Greats: Groat, Heyman, Laettner, Battier, Hill.


OFC

 

[VendboyGreg]

Any all-time Duke list that doesn't include Danny Ferry isn't a complete list. People seem to forget how great he was at Duke..

 

[geddoughton23]

Any all-time Duke list that doesn't include Danny Ferry isn't a complete list. People seem to forget how great he was at Duke..

You're right. Ferry was great at Duke. I think Laettner being even better pushes Ferry out of our memories

 

[smashmouth5]

If I'm taking an all-time to win, give me...
Hurley
Hill
Battier
Laettner
Giminski

Match-up nightmares that understands all portions of the game.

Now I would love to see them play...
Irving
Deng
Maggette
Williamson
Okafor

Let's play a DH
Williams
Redick
Heyman
Dawkins
Brand

Vs

Jones
Tatum
Parker
Bagley
Barrett

 

[KDSTONE]

You're right. Ferry was great at Duke. I think Laettner being even better pushes Ferry out of our memories

Johnny Dawkins. Def over Ferry Have only seen him on one list: bullcity gamer’s. Surprising. I realize you could make a strong case for Shane ( I love him too I get it) but in the Coach K Era Hill and Laettner are the only players I’d put over JD

 

[KDSTONE]

You're right. Ferry was great at Duke. I think Laettner being even better pushes Ferry out of our memories

Yeh in 88 they beat an overrated Temple team to get boat raced by Ku in the FF and in 89 Laettner prob gets some credit for that FF that Danny deserves. Ferry has never been the most likable cat on or off the court. May factor in his being slighted as well

 

[2DDIMOND]

Crazy not to see Ingram’s name once in this thread. He has to be on the OAD list doesn’t he?

 

[jimlsumner]

Crazy not to see Ingram’s name once in this thread. He has to be on the OAD list doesn’t he?

If we're just looking at their one year at Duke and not going into their NBA careers, maybe not.

Here are the Duke OADs who made first-team All-ACC in their only season at Duke.

Austin Rivers-2012
Jabari Parker-2014
Jahlil Okafor-2015
Marvin Bagley-2018
R.J. Barrett-2019
Zion Williamson-2019
Vernon Carey-2020
Paolo Banchero-2022

Notably absent from that list are future NBA all-stars Luol Deng (2004), Kyrie Irving (2011), Ingram (2016) and Jayson Tatum (2017).

As with so many things, depends on how we define the parameters.

 

[christophero]

Battier guarding Grant Hill would be epic. I would give the slight edge to Shane as he was a little tougher, but that could go either way. I loved them both. Brand vs Laettner would be epic. Brand would have been unstoppable as a junior.

 

[jimlsumner]

Battier guarding Grant Hill would be epic. I would give the slight edge to Shane as he was a little tougher, but that could go either way. I loved them both. Brand vs Laettner would be epic. Brand would have been unstoppable as a junior.

Keep in mind that Grant also was a great defensive player. Comparing the two as college players is interesting. It took Battier a little longer to hit his stride. He was a better three-point shooter and better shot blocker. But Hill was better at getting to the rim and was a better ball handler and distributor. Battier played some center at Duke, which Hill did not. But Hill played some point guard at Duke, which Battier did not.

Both were great teammates and leaders, with very high basketball IQs. Just looking at college only I probably would put Hill ahead by a silly centimeter simply because he was more of an impact player for all four years than was Battier. But it's pretty tight.

 

[christophero]

They are both all time greats for sure.

 

[BlackKnightNut]

All time

Jason Williams
Johnny Dawkins
Grant Hill
Elton Brand
Christian Laettner

OAD

Tyus Jones
Jason Tatum
Zion Williamson
Marvin Bagley
Vernon Carey

Pre K

Dick Groat
Bob Verga
Jeff Mullins
Art Heyman
Mike Gminski

 

[Liftee]

All time

Jason Williams
Johnny Dawkins
Grant Hill
Elton Brand
Christian Laettner

OAD

Tyus Jones
Jason Tatum
Zion Williamson
Marvin Bagley
Vernon Carey

Pre K

Dick Groat
Bob Verga
Jeff Mullins
Art Heyman
Mike Gminski

That may not be my list, but a good argument can be made for each of your choices. Well done.

 

[KDSTONE]

All time

Jason Williams
Johnny Dawkins
Grant Hill
Elton Brand
Christian Laettner

OAD

Tyus Jones
Jason Tatum
Zion Williamson
Marvin Bagley
Vernon Carey

Pre K

Dick Groat
Bob Verga
Jeff Mullins
Art Heyman
Mike Gminski

I’d put Hurley over Williams not based on talent but poise and big game history ( see IU 2002 and finals 01- Shane had to carry us)

 

[KDSTONE]

I’d put Hurley over Williams not based on talent but poise and big game history ( see IU 2002 and finals 01- Shane had to carry us)

And Mike D hit a bunch of threes but Jwill couldn’t buy a shot. Hurley had an awful finals in 90 but was a fresh with flu

 

[christophero]

J Will could be very inconsistent. Or dominant. Was feast or famine with him. Nice to see Brand getting some love he was dominant.

 

[Liftee]

I like JayWill ahead of Hurley because Hurley needed Grant/Christian etc. to show his greatness. He couldn't put a team on his back like JayWill. Of course Hurley might have been the most perfect pure point guard ever, especially for that team. But JayWill was electrifying even when he wasn't hitting his shot.

 

[christophero]

I would have liked to see a junior Avery. I really liked his game. So smooth.

 

[Liftee]

Avery never should have left. I wonder if Avery was unhappy with his playing time. Was he playing behind Wojo, who K of course adored?