Duke Basketball (Players) Mount Rushmore

[Buzzooka Joe]

I just saw an article on Bleacher Report where Jay Bilas did his Duke Basketball (PLAYERS) Mount Rushmore.. his was: Grant Hill, Christian Laettner, Johnny Dawkins, & Bobby Hurley..

Who would be yours?

I’m only going to include players I’ve seen their whole careers (that would be from about ‘98 to now)

• J.J. Redick
• Shane Battier
• Kyle Singler
• Zion Williamson

.. J.J., Battier, & Zion were easy picks - that last spot was hard to choose from.. it was between Singler, Scheyer, Nolan, Grayson, & Boozer.. I went with Singler because I needed someone to represent that 2010 NC team, and Singler was just such a well-rounded player and he screams “DUKE PLAYER” when you saw him play.


If this tread topic has been done recently, just ignore this thread.

 

[DiehardDukeFan4Life]

I’ll go with Jay Bilas 4 because Johnny Dawkins was part of the class that kept Coach K at Duke and Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley and Grant Hill were on the teams that got Coach K his first two championships.

 

[Duke fan in souhern Ohio]

Laettner
Hurley
Hill
Redick

 

[Mr.Scary13]

Laettner
Dawkins
Heyman
Redick

 

[Mac9192]

Hard to decide on four, so I’ll pick one from each decade:
Dawkins
Laettner
Battier
Zion

 

[pisgah101]

JJ, Zion, Laettner, Battier

 

[FearTheBeard]

JJ
Zion
Hill
Laettner

 

[skysdad]

Johnny Dawkins
Christian Laettner
Bobby Hurley
Grant Hill

Plus about 5 or so more that should be up there but if I have to have 4 this is it. Are were seniors by the way. OFC

 

[dukiejay]

I think Zion has a chance to one day be there for his NBA contributions, but I just can't include him on such an exclusive list right now. He does and will continue to mean a lot to Duke for a long, long time.

Hard for me to really argue with Bilas' list. Laettner, obviously. Any list without him is null and void. I think you have to include Dawkins, as well. I mean, he was the lead part of the class that really kicked it off....in addition, he was Duke's all-time leading scorer for 20 years before J.J. eclipsed him.

Hurley was almost a once-in-a-generation kind of point guard. If you didn't get to watch and enjoy him, you were downright cheated. Toughest SOB on any of those early 90's teams....by far.

And I think Grant deserves a spot there, too. I'd maybe be ok flipping him with Battier. It's close. If Grant doesn't have the injuries in the NBA, he's a top five player in the League for a decade plus.

Now, if I'm picking my Mount Rushmore based on personal favs? For sure Laettner, Redick and Zion. I'd maybe include Grayson, but mainly because that's the guy who my daughter and I bonded over as she started to understand what this Duke / basketball fixation is all about. Still wish that shot against Kansas had dropped two years ago....her and I were in Omaha for the game. It's still a memory we'll always share, but it would have been a heck of a lot better had Duke won.

 

[Hurley22]

Hurley
Laettner
Hill
Battier

Jay Williams and J.J. are tough to leave off.

 

[timo0402]

This is nearly impossible for me to do but obviously it starts with Laettner. I think what Johnny did for our program is what was the foundation of what eventually took us to be the preeminent program in the country over the last forty years. Who surrounds those two? I wasn’t around prior to K so I’ll go with Bobby and JJ. It was tough between J.J. Shane, Grant and Jason Williams.

 

[YNWA196]

For me since 01 I'll go Battier, Williams, Redick & Williamson.

 

[politicsasusual21]

I'm giving a lot of weight to those that won championships.

I'll go:

Laettner
JWill
Redick
Hill

 

[DukefanKY]

I think Hurley, Laettner and Hill HAVE to be there. It’s very difficult to just pick one more. I think for me it comes down to JJ for his scoring and FF % and Battier for his combination of offense and defense. Guess I’ll go with

Hurley
Hill
Laettner
Battier

Wow, if I could have had 5 and kept JJ, put that team on the court against anybody!!

 

[CRAZIE4LIFE]

I have to agree with Bilas. If not for Dawkins, we probably wouldnt see any of the other names mentioned or Coach K, and those other 3 will always be legends and have Back to Back Nattys.

 

[Laettshow]

Laettner
Hurley
Battier
JJ

 

[geddoughton23]

Heyman and Laettner are no-brainers. And Dawkins has to be #3 or #4. Grant Hill is my pick to round out the list

 

[TheDude1]

I cannot see JJ over Shane.

Hard to pick ANYONE over Shane, for me.

Grant on there too.

Laettner.

Hmmm... not sure on the fourth. Maybe Dawkins. Maybe Art. Maybe Bobby? But hard to put three guys from one team.

 

[timritterus]

Laettner
Hill
Battier
Williamson

 

[TheDude1]

Btw, crazy stat. For his career, Shane shot a higher percentage from three than JJ.

I get usage and all of that, but still...

 

[DukefanKY]

Btw, crazy stat. For his career, Shane shot a higher percentage from three than JJ.

I get usage and all of that, but still...

That is crazy. I would have never guessed that

 

[DukeNation12]

I’ll post more in the AM but for now....

For those stat gurus out there....can you name this underrated all time Dukie stud?!?!

“He is one of the most versatile players in Duke history”, concluding his playing career as the ONLY PLAYER in Duke school history to record at least 2,000 points, 500 rebounds, 400 assists, 250 three-point field goals and 200 steals.

 

[hart2chesson]

Heyman, Dawkins, Laettner, Battier.....

OFC

 

[dopeshop23]

Groat
Heyman
Laettner
Hurley (he really was the most indispensable part of those teams)

 

[skysdad]

I’ll post more in the AM but for now....

For those stat gurus out there....can you name this underrated all time Dukie stud?!?!

“He is one of the most versatile players in Duke history”, concluding his playing career as the ONLY PLAYER in Duke school history to record at least 2,000 points, 500 rebounds, 400 assists, 250 three-point field goals and 200 steals.

Ferry. OFC

 

[Lavar5150]

Laettner
Hurley
JJ
Jay Wiliams

 

[dukiejay]

I’ll post more in the AM but for now....

For those stat gurus out there....can you name this underrated all time Dukie stud?!?!

“He is one of the most versatile players in Duke history”, concluding his playing career as the ONLY PLAYER in Duke school history to record at least 2,000 points, 500 rebounds, 400 assists, 250 three-point field goals and 200 steals.

Just a guess.....but Jon Scheyer?

 

[Shatterthesky22]

I’ll post more in the AM but for now....

For those stat gurus out there....can you name this underrated all time Dukie stud?!?!

“He is one of the most versatile players in Duke history”, concluding his playing career as the ONLY PLAYER in Duke school history to record at least 2,000 points, 500 rebounds, 400 assists, 250 three-point field goals and 200 steals.

Single

 

[bleediteveryday30]

Just a guess.....but Jon Scheyer?

I'm with dukiejay on this one, Scheyer.

And my Mount Rushmore:

Laettner
Grant Hill
Hurley
Battier

 

[HeLooks2MuchLikeDave]

I’ll post more in the AM but for now....

For those stat gurus out there....can you name this underrated all time Dukie stud?!?!

“He is one of the most versatile players in Duke history”, concluding his playing career as the ONLY PLAYER in Duke school history to record at least 2,000 points, 500 rebounds, 400 assists, 250 three-point field goals and 200 steals.

Lee Melchionni

 

[timo0402]

Lee Melchionni

Close, JD Simpson.

 

[HeLooks2MuchLikeDave]

Laettner
Hill
Battier
Jason Williams (I could be talked out of this one though)

 

[HeLooks2MuchLikeDave]

Close, JD Simpson.

Mount Rushmore of Duke walk-ons
Justin Robinson
Justin Robinson
Justin Robinson
JD Simpson

 

[tate12]

I am not going with who I consider the greatest 4 but with those, to me, that made the biggest impact on the Duke program. So with that:
Dick Groat
Art Heyman
Johnny Dawkins
Christian Laettner

 

[timo0402]

Mount Rushmore of Duke walk-ons
Justin Robinson
Justin Robinson
Justin Robinson
JD Simpson

Andre Buckner and Jay Heaps beg to differ.

 

[DukeNation12]

Just a guess.....but Jon Scheyer?

YessSir....Jon is an extremely underrated Dukie!

 

[dukecorp]

Johnny Dawkins
Christian Laettner
Bobby Hurley
Grant Hill

Plus about 5 or so more that should be up there but if I have to have 4 this is it. Are were seniors by the way. OFC[/QUOT
THIS......

 

[christophero]

Tough to pick 4. My four would be Laettner, Hurley, Hill and Battier.