Duke is undefeated and leading the Big Ten.

[Devilsfan]

With a little different scheduling we could have run the table in their league and get their number one mid-west seed.

[jimsumner]

And we haven't even played Northwestern.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

And we haven't even played Northwestern.

We beat Northwestern in football. THAT'S GOTTA COUNT!

[Virginian]

So I went to a holiday cocktail party this evening and ran into two guys propping up the bar who are Purdue grads. They were reminiscing about the glory days of Purdue basketball and hoping feebly for a great season again this year. I said "of course we know who will win the Big 10 THIS year." You can imagine the rest. "We're already 3 and 0, I pointed out, which puts us -- what? -- about 3 games out in front in in-conference play!" Off they went in search of their wives, mumbling about the good old days.

[hurleyfor3]

So I went to a holiday cocktail party this evening and ran into two guys propping up the bar who are Purdue grads. They were reminiscing about the glory days of Purdue basketball

There's such a thing as "glory days of Purdue basketball"? Like that time they almost beat Indiana?

[Duvall]

There's such a thing as "glory days of Purdue basketball"? Like that time they almost beat Indiana?

Well, there was the time that John Wooden led them to greatness.

[EarlJam]

I was at a party last night watching the Patriots/Steelers game when one guy, when discussing the Hawks, Shelden, and the NBA, made the following statement:

"Name me one Duke guy that's been ANYTHING better than average in the NBA."

EarlJam (head turning): Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm?????

EarlJam: Carlos Boozer

Dude: Well, okay, one.

EarlJam: Elton Brand

Dude: He's injured, but yeah, okay.

EarlJam: Grant Hill (injuries aside a pretty darned good career)

Dude: Aw man he stays injured!

EarlJam: Look at his stats. Far better than above average and....

Dude: I may give you Grant Hill.

EarlJam: Chris Duhon, Luol Deng.

Dude: (Paraphrase): Alright, Alright. You got me. But you gotta admit they have a lot of busts in the NBA.

EarlJam: That's because they have more people going to the NBA than perhaps any other school. The odds man. The odds.

-EarlJam

[jimsumner]

Before you start ragging on Purdue, you might want to check the alltime Duke-Purdue series standings.

[hurleyfor3]

I remember the decent Gene Keady teams of the mid/late 80s, actually. Still sounds a bit funny.

Before you start ragging on Purdue, you might want to check the alltime Duke-Purdue series standings.

Duke won the most important Duke/Purdue game. Yes, I'm aware of the 1980 regional final. (If we had beaten Purdue in 1980, would Foster have stayed? Would K never have been hired?)

[EarlJam]

I remember the decent Gene Keady teams of the mid/late 80s, actually. Still sounds a bit funny.



Duke won the most important Duke/Purdue game. Yes, I'm aware of the 1980 regional final. (If we had beaten Purdue in 1980, would Foster have stayed? Would K never have been hired?)

Gene Keady (sp?) always reminded me of Ed Sullivan.

[Olympic Fan]

I remember the decent Gene Keady teams of the mid/late 80s, actually. Still sounds a bit funny.

Duke won the most important Duke/Purdue game. Yes, I'm aware of the 1980 regional final. (If we had beaten Purdue in 1980, would Foster have stayed? Would K never have been hired?)

Foster was gone before the loss to Purdue in the 1980 regional finals. He announced his resignation after the ACC Tournament. He had already signed his deal to go to South Carolina. So, no, a Duke victory in that Purdue game wouldn't have changed anything there.

Interesting to note that after Purdue ended Duke's season in 1980, Purdue also ended Coach K's first season in 1981. Duke lost at Purdue in the quarterfinals of the NIT Tournament.

Overall, Purdue has a pretty good history -- a bunch of Big Ten titles and a lot of great players. But just two Final Fours and no championships. I think denigrating a program like that is the kind of thing that makes people think Duke fans are arrogant. Sure our program is better ... but recognize that they have something to be proud of too.

[jimsumner]

"Duke won the most important Duke/Purdue game"

For the life of me, I can't imagine how one could come up with a rating system that would rank Duke beating Purdue in a 1994 regional final as more important than Purdue beating Duke in a 1980 regional final. Seems about equal to me.

That 1980 Duke team, btw, included Mike Gminski, Gene Banks, Vince Taylor, Kenny Dennard, Bob Bender, and Chip Engelland, so Duke wasn't exactly sending out a bunch of guys from the Y.

Speaking of Purdue. Am I the only one who remembers Rick Mount? In case Mount was before your time, he averaged 35.4 ppg in 1970 and not too many of them were closer than 20 feet. Guy could shoot. Mount in his prime and J.J. in his prime could have had a game of H.O.R.S.E. for the ages.

[bdh21]

There's such a thing as "glory days of Purdue basketball"? Like that time they almost beat Indiana?

I know that Bobby Knight was "sick and f'ing tired of losing to Purdue"

[EarlJam]

I know that Bobby Knight was "sick and f'ing tired of losing to Purdue"

Awesome, good one!

I know that he was also tired of that sheet and that he had some rather strong advice for his team to remove their craniums from their rectums.

-EarlJam

[calltheobvious]

"Duke won the most important Duke/Purdue game"

For the life of me, I can't imagine how one could come up with a rating system that would rank Duke beating Purdue in a 1994 regional final as more important than Purdue beating Duke in a 1980 regional final. Seems about equal to me.

Um, because 1994's closer?

Availability bias is powerful.

[jimsumner]

Well then, availability bias tells me that Purdue's victory over Duke in Alaska a few years ago trumps the '94 NCAAs. And don't tell me you didn't want to see that Great Alaska Shootout Trophy in the trophy case.

[GMR]

I certainly remember Rick Mount, Jim. I am a 1966 graduate of Purdue, and I have a daughter that graduated from Duke in 1993, so I'm a fan of both schools.

I have seen many of the great shooters in college basketball history...Maravich, Mullin, Redick, Kerr, etc., but I don't think any of them were better shooters than Mount. It's virtually impossible to say what player was the best shooter ever, but it's equally difficult for me to say any one of the above or others were better than Mount.

Purdue has had some great players over the years. It all starts with John Wooden and Charles "Stretch" Murphy in the early 30's. Terry Dischinger was a great one, Dave Schellhase, Joe Barry Carroll, Glenn Robinson, Billy Keller, and of course, Rick Mount.

I now reside in Rancho Santa Fe, California just north of San Diego. But I lived 33 years in Indiana, and followed high school basketball religiously from the mid 50's through the late 70's. I am a committed Dukie since my daughter attended Duke...they won two NCAA's and a national runner-up in her four years at Duke. I have been to many games at Cameron, and have gone to about a dozen of Duke's NCAA tournament games, and have read this site for many years. I, like many readers, am excited about the energy and chemistry being demonstrated by this year's team. It's refreshing and inspiring after last year's somewhat down year. Go Duke.

GMR

[GMR]

I certainly remember Rick Mount, Jim. I am a 1966 graduate of Purdue, and I have a daughter that graduated from Duke in 1993, so I'm a fan of both schools.

I have seen many of the great shooters in college basketball history...Maravich, Mullin, Redick, Kerr, etc., but I don't think any of them were better shooters than Mount. It's virtually impossible to say what player was the best shooter ever, but it's equally difficult for me to say any one of the above or others were better than Mount.

Purdue has had some great players over the years. It all starts with John Wooden and Charles "Stretch" Murphy in the early 30's. Terry Dischinger was a great one, Dave Schellhase, Joe Barry Carroll, Glenn Robinson, Billy Keller, and of course, Rick Mount.

I now reside in Rancho Santa Fe, California just north of San Diego. But I lived 33 years in Indiana, and followed high school basketball religiously from the mid 50's through the late 70's. I am a committed Dukie since my daughter attended Duke...they won two NCAA's and a national runner-up in her four years at Duke. I have been to many games at Cameron, and have gone to about a dozen of Duke's NCAA tournament games, and have read this site for many years. I, like many readers, am excited about the energy and chemistry being demonstrated by this year's team. It's refreshing and inspiring after last year's somewhat down year. Go Duke.

GMR

[burnspbesq]

That would be the 1999 women's championship game.

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

I hope everybody is watching your avatar evolve. It's getting hilariouser and hilariouser!!!!
Love, Ima