Greatest shot in Duke History?
I mean...
really??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY-iq58_oz4
Favorite memories of Johnny Dawkins...
-- fast break reverse slam over David Robinson against Navy...Does ANYONE have the video???
-- blocking David Rivers shot with 2 seconds left to preserve the victory over Notre Dame... sweet
-- force the defender to his left, steal from his right, easy basket.
-- holding court in front of the C.I.
-- never, ever, whining.
not even a close choice.
Greatest shot in Duke History?
I mean...
really??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY-iq58_oz4
My take: The '86 team put Coach K on the map. Without JD, the '86 team is still pretty good, but with him it was excellent. Johnny Dawkins came to Duke with loads of potential and more moves than Ex-Lax. He fulfilled his potential and became a complete ballplayer, a great ballplayer, a team ballplayer. His ability to score from anywhere at any time gave Henderson, especially, the freedom to slash to the basket. His improvisational skills got him into trouble occasionallly as a freshman and sophomore. I haven't seen anyone since try as many twisting, twirling shots. His last two years he was able to control himself better and still look spectacular - which he was. The Duke defense became The Duke Defense because JD and Amaker were able to apply the now-famous ball-pressure that Coach K teaches.
I could come up with as many superlatives for Hurley as I could for Johnny Dawkins. But since Johnny is my favorite player ever to wear the blue and white, I'll leave that to someone who feels that Bobby is their favorite.
I have been careful in my posts to refer to that shot against UNLV as the most IMPORTANT shot in Duke history.
Certainly, some people might argue it's a matter of semantics. I agree Laettner's was the greatest. But keep in mind that Hurley's came one round later in the tourney, against one of the most supposedly unbeatable teams ever, we had never won a title before and his shot was almost as much the difference between winning and losing as Laettner's.
Ahhh, this matchup came much too soon.
Hurley made me a Duke fan. As a 9 year old old, I did not like basketball. The only reason why I watched the Duke-UNLV game was because my older, and thus hopelessly cooler, friend had told me to. All during school, he told me how great, how unstoppable UNLV was and how he was going to grow up and play for UNLV. Yes, I am ashamed to admit it now, but I was rooting for UNLV at the start. The memories have since faded over time but I remember screaming when Hurley hit that three and LOVING the fact that my friend, who was so cool and so wise, could possibly be wrong. Hurley was just so different, a thin slashing toothpick of a guard who wanted to win more than everybody else. I pretended to be sad after the game for the sake of my friend, but my allegiance had already been covertly given to Hurley and to Duke.
Having said this, I am voting for JD. Why? Because without JD, Duke would not be Duke. There would have been no Hurley, there would have been no clutch three, and my friend probably would have been right about UNLV. I like to think Duke still would've reached greatness (Coach K is still Coach K) but it would've taken longer and my childhood would have suffered for it.
Johnny once asked me to dance at a Duke party. I'll make that the tie-breaker. (Shows good taste in addition to all that talent. )
How good was JD? A friend of mine claims that the Crazies invented the stunt of a crowd bowing to a player - in Wayne's World "We're Not Worthy!" fashion - in honor of JD.
JBDuke
Andre Dawkins: “People ask me if I can still shoot, and I ask them if they can still breathe. That’s kind of the same thing.”
I'm going to be sick if Hurley doesn't win this...
I LOVE Bobby Hurley, BUT...Dawkins was the first player to commit to Duke which turned this program back to an elite NCAA force. So...my vote has to go to Dawkins. Without him...hmmmm...don't know what the last two decades would have brought.
Can't wait for the season to begin. This is going to be a FUN team to watch.
Jason,
I warned you to stop this. If you were asking for best player, I would say JD (although then Christian should win and he is only probably my 5th favorite.)
If you said most important player, then again JD (key first recruit, star of first great team.)
If you said overall contribution, then JD because of his coaching, but I think that should be set aside for judging players.
But you said favorite. I came to Duke in 86-87 and had not gotten to really see Johnny play as I lived overseas. I did play some pick up with him and developed an appreciation for his legendary status.
But I knew Bobby more, played with him more, I watched him grow as a player, and he won championships.
But without JD there might not have been Bobby.
They are my two favorite Duke players of all time. Both were cold-blooded assasins.
The only honorable course is seppuku.
Goodbye cruel world.
JD may have put Duke BBall on the map. But Hurley helped push Duke to the highest level. If it wasn't for Hurley, Duke may very well have gone to 6 of 7 FF's without ever winning the big one. Bobby Hurley helped put us over the top. Or as EarlJam pointed out a few days back, Hurley (and of course CL) got the monkey off of Coach K's back.
Also, using the JD argument, one could make a case for Bobby making Coach K the legend that he is, which in turn brought in future superstars such as Brand, Battier, and JWill.
So I go to the dentist with Hurley holding a three-vote lead. I come back, and he's down 12.
I am sad. I love JD, but Hurley. Oh man. Dude almost died and came back to almost play again in the NBA. What tremendous heart. Today, it looks like my all-time favorite Dukie goes down.
-Sad EarlJam
Late-afternoon returns:
JD is beginning to pull away. It is 75-60 as I write this (55.56% - 44.44%) in favor of the "old man."
--Jason "this is easily the toughest choice we have had yet... nothing comes close (until we get to the Grant vs. Shane semi-final)" Evans
Bobby should not be losing by this much. I love Dawkins but Hurley is not getting enough adoration here.
This is an outrage!!
Come on Hurley fans, make a late run here.
No JD no Coach K era! This is a matchup that should occur in the next round.
This is like the Duke - Michigan title game. Dawkins is blowing Hurley out in the second half after a tight first half. Dawkins going away ...