All-Time Duke Roster?
- Thread starter Dattier
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I had kind of settled into the idea that Seth and Miles were as much to blame as Austin for the '12 shortcomings (particularly attitude, jealousy, chemistry stuff), but then Seth had a really admirable senior year and I figured, "Meh, bygones."
Yep. And that team rectified an early tournament exit with a somewhat unlikely Elite Eight visit. I know winning is the end all be all for some, but I think some guys are slighted simply because their teams did not deliver in a team oriented sport.
No doubt. Look at Kyle and Quinn, for example. Kyle was FF MOP and a champion as a junior and a highly decorated player throughout his Duke career... but his senior year wasn't as great as we'd hoped, and we were upset in the Sweet 16. Quinn, on the other hand, was somewhat frustrating for 3 years (that's understating it for me), and was at risk of being the first 4-year player since '83 or so who hadn't won any type of championship, but a great senior year and a national championship meant he went out on a high note. By pretty much every measurable, Kyle was the better player, yet the lasting impression of two championship players skews much more toward Quinn imo based on something so specific as when each won it all.
Dat Verga was a SG who took the same shots as JJ but did not have to some off screens to get his shot and this is not a knock on JJ. Mullins was a small forward at Duke.Denton had the misfortune of being a great player whose career coincided with the start of the worst period in the history of Duke BB.I still can't believe we passed on Chuck Daly and H ibie Brown for Bucky Walters. BTW Dat unless u need a massuese and chiropacter after a round of golf u are still a youngster to me lol
PG- Jason Williams, Kyrie Irving
SG- JJ Redick, Gerald Henderson
SF- Grant Hill, Luol Deng, Jabari Parker, Kyle Singler
PF- Elton Brand, Shane Battier
C- Christian Laettner, Mason Plumlee, Jahlil Okafor
I can't imagine playing that team. Born in '91 so that is why i'm '90's+ (All I've seen). Btw starters are first of each position.
SG- JJ Redick, Gerald Henderson
SF- Grant Hill, Luol Deng, Jabari Parker, Kyle Singler
PF- Elton Brand, Shane Battier
C- Christian Laettner, Mason Plumlee, Jahlil Okafor
I can't imagine playing that team. Born in '91 so that is why i'm '90's+ (All I've seen). Btw starters are first of each position.
And no knock on the Vic Bubas era, but that is one reason why people think K only when it comes to Duke basketball. Yes there was basketball before K and good ball before that, but it has just been so much better with K. Again not knocking the foundation, just looking at why no one really knows about the past.
And the Verga vs. JJ debate is a good one. Who was the better shooter? From what I've seen in videos (rare videos) you're right Verga didn't need screens for shots, but he didn't face near the athletes JJ faced. But Verga's shot was Cousy-esque.
Both Randy Denton and Mike Lewis were forces and if they played for Duke today they would rule the paint with agressive force. In other words they were BANGERS. OFC
HOKIE jmo Verga was a better shooter than JJ.without looking it up I think he shot around 49% for his Duke career while taking the same type of shots.I beg to differ with you re Bubas vs K. Bubas had a better won loss percentage than K.He operated in a period where only one ACC team even had a chance to go to the tourney. He still went to the FF four times in eight years, and I will go to my grave believing that we win the NC in 66 if VERGA does not get sick
Yeah, but maybe we go down in history as the racist all-White team who played all-Black Texas Western, so historically speaking, we might owe Verga's wimpy immune system a debt of gratitude.
I don't think I'm understanding what you're getting at? Are you saying that Bubas was a more successful coach than K?
I don't think that is up for debate. My point was not that the Bubas era wasn't successful. It obviously was and it laid the groundwork for Duke to be where it is today. We don't reach 2000 wins as a program without Vic Bubas. Trust me I understand my Duke history very well. But I'm not sure you try and compare the success of the two. One, the sport is COMPLETELY different now from what it was then. Two if the measure of success is ultimately number of times you win the very last game of the college basketball season, K is winning 5-0.
Bubas definitely was not more successful than K.but as you said it was a different era.This is not directed to you or any other duke fan.This is for all the other fanbases who think think that we will sink into obscurity once K retires.
Dat I don't think that would have happened because we did not have Rupp as a coach and think we were actively recruiting black players. We had been playing teams with black players on them for a while.Too lazy to look it up but we signed the conferences second black player right around around this period
I think CB Claiborne in the mid 60's. '65 I think. Maryland had the first I thought.
The mid sixties was the period I was referring to.MD did have the first black player and we had the second. Ironically a black player from NC cost us another National Championship in either 63 or 64.Kenny Washington from Wilmington I think went to UCLA went crazy against us in the FF. He had the best game of his career against us. We had recruited him but could not get him into school
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