Fave 5 Dukies

[Azdukefan]

Using the T-Mobile commercials as the backdrop, who would you rank among your "Fave 5 Dukies" (players) of all time? Being only twenty nine and only becoming a fan in 1986 I went with.........

1) Grant Hill (by far my favorite Dukie ever)
2) JJ Redick (carried himself with an invincible Duke swagger/the epitomy of being a Dukie)
3) Shane Battier (team player above all)
4) Jason Williams (a freak PG/SG and graduated in three years)
5) Bobby Hurley (was there ever a player who got the most out of his abilities)

Knocking on the door......
1) Kyle Singler (is there anything he can't do?)
2) Andre Dawkins (the kid never has to play a minute for Duke and will always be admired by his need to help the team)

Anyone else?

[Channing]

(1) Jason Williams
(2) Jeff Capel
(3) Bobby Hurley
(4) JJ Redick
(5) Grant Hill

Became a fan in late 80s, early 90s.

[bradjenk]

(1) Grant Hill
(2) Bobby Hurley
(3) Chris Carrawell
(4) Jason Williams
(5) Tommy Amaker

I'm always partial to point guards that lead by example more than by cheerleading. Grant and CWell had the same "team first" attitude and played point in emergencies so that's probably why I have them on my list as well.

[Reddevil]

This is a very hard question to answer and there are different ways to go about it.

1) The five on the floor at any given time.
2) Laettner, Hurley, Hill, Gminski, and Battier
3) Art Heyman x 5 just because....you know why!:cool:

[dukebsbll14]

Started seriously following Duke basketball in 2004-2005 season (when my sister was accepted), so my favorites are all recent.

1. Greg Paulus
2. JJ Redick
3. Christian Laettner
4. Bobby Hurley
5. Lee Melchionni-I will never forget when he kissed the Cameron floor on senior night.

Honorable Mention:
1. Shelden Williams
2. Jon Scheyer
3. Kyle Singler

my list could go on and on...

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

Do heroes count as favorites?

#32 Laettner
#11 Hurley
#33 G Hill
#12 T Hill
#23 Davis

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Though I can see your intent is to list favorite basketball players, I'm going to post two lists: favorite football and favorite basketball players. The football list is first because it was played on the Duke campus before basketball and because it was Rose Bowl money which paid for the building of Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Favorite Football Players of All Time
Tee Moorman (my first Duke hero!)
Mike McGee (Outland Trophy Winner)
Jay Wilkinson (punt returns par excellence)
Bob Matheson (became outstanding professional player with a defense named for him)
Clarkston Hines (could catch anything)
Alt. Robert Baldwin
So many from the 50's and 60s that narrowing the list was difficult

Favorite Basketball Players of All Time
Art Heyman (you had to see him play to know how good he was)
Jeff Mullins (check out his records)
Danny Ferry
Grant Hill
Shane Battier
It was difficult to narrow this list to only five all time!

[houstondukie]

1. JJ Redick (loved the swagger, wore the duke jersey w/ pride)
2. Jason Williams (took over games by himself)
3. Chris Duhon (senior yr. redemption, fantastic captain)
4. Daniel Ewing (willowridge hs, houston, tx)
5. Jon Scheyer (one of the most underrated dukies ever)

Honorable mention:
Shane Battier
Gerald Henderson
William Avery

[mcdukie]

My fave five:
1) Jason Williams
2) Johnny Dawkins
3) JJ Redick
4) Grant Hill
5) Shane Battier

Favorites that nobody would list beside me:
William Avery
Nolan Smith
Brian Davis

[jdj4duke]

Dawkins
Amaker- who in an interview in his senior year said "I cannot TELL you how much this place (aka Duke) means to me"
Laettner
Shane
JJ

Second Verse, same as the first
Hurley
T Hill
Dahntay Jones- what a stud and a transfer who acted like he was born here
G Hill
Steve Golden who makes it on name alone

[VTBaller03]

I became a fan in 1990 when I was 10 years old. Hurley was the main reason I chose basketball and played PG growing up. I even had my haircut like his when I younger. LOL

1. Bobby Hurley
2. Jason Williams
3. JJ Redick
4. Elton Brand
5. Grant Hill

Honorable Mention;
Kyle Singler
Chris Duhon

[jesus_hurley]

Top 5 is difficult but here you go:

Bobby Hurley
Grant Hill
Johnny Dawkins
Christian Laettner
Shane Battier

It's tough leaving off players like JJ, J.Will, Capel, Ferry, Bilas, Alarie, Brickey (that guy had some serious ups), Marty Nessley (ha - I love pizza under the covers)

[RainingThrees]

JJ Redick
Jason Williams
Grant Hill
Dave McClure
Dahntay Jones

[Tommac]

My five favorites:

Laettner, Verga, Redick, Battier, Gminski

[ChicagoCrazy84]

Man, everyones list is pretty much the same. Great idea for a board though! This was very hard to conjure up, but here is mine:

1. Grant Hill (obviously)

2. Trajan Langdon (Alaskan Assassin, I tried to emulate my game from his)

3. JJ Redick (if he didn't struggle so much in a couple tourney games, he would be #2)

4. Jason Williams (his leadership and the time he brought us back from 10 down in less than 1 minute against MD! Fantastic!

5. Ricky Price (before his meltdown academically, I thought this guy was the man!)

[Duke of Nashville]

1. Jason Williams/Shane Battier (Miracle Minute)
3. Steve Wojohowski (Senior Night)
4. Casey Sanders (Everytime I Cussed Him Out)
5. Dahntay Jones (Maui Invitational Dunk)

Easy Picks

() marks just one moment, out of many, when they became a "fav" in my mind.

[Bluedog]

Not saying that this thread is a bad idea, but I thought I'd point out that the DBR community voted for Shane Battier as their favorite Duke player of all time in the Summer 2007 bracket-style exercise. Battier even had an "acceptance speech" in this thread: http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4440 Here's the post: http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showpost.php?p=60716&postcount=89

The bracket can be seen here: https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pH3kFkBPtbf-48Vop1vmdLA

Battier, the 2 seed, defeated 4 seed Dawkins in the finals. JWill and G. Hill rounded out the Final Four. The Elite Eight added Gminski, Hurley, Laettner, and JJ. So, I'd say the consensus of the Fave 5 Dukies of the board are Battier, Dawkins, JWill, Grant Hill, and Hurley. My personal opinion is Dawkins, Grant Hill, JWill, Laettner, and Battier.

[Azdukefan]

Cool tourney! Sorry but I was not around but I do think by what I saw, JJ got a tough draw. I was not trying to outdo anyone, just like the conversation. Hope you all understand!

DUKE 4 LIFE!!!!!!!!!

[Azdukefan]

Maybe JJ didn't get a tough draw after all. I didnt realize they were seeded one through thirty two. Ooops.

[CameronBlue]

Dawkins
Amaker- who in an interview in his senior year said "I cannot TELL you how much this place (aka Duke) means to me"
Laettner
Shane
JJ

Second Verse, same as the first
Hurley
T Hill
Dahntay Jones- what a stud and a transfer who acted like he was born here
G Hill
Steve Golden who makes it on name alone

Dave Golden

[SilkyJ]

I attended the '86 championship game but was barely able to walk at that point (though I wrote about it in my application essay!), so I really started rooting (and remembering) in the late 80s and early 90s...so I'll limit myself to folks I remember watching.

1. Steve Wojciechowski (reminded me of myself, short, blonde, white kid who was scrappy)
2. The Alaskin Assasin (Always loved our best deep shooters...and my free throw routine, stance, and form are modeled after his)
3. Grant
4. Shane
5. JJ (see #2, and he's a friend)

Honorable Mentions:
Hurley
J. Will
Laettner
Dunleavy

[CameronBlue]

Kenny Dennard--just keep him away from your daugther
Gene Banks--C'mon people, the tux, the roses, the knock out punch of the putrified and festering dillweed from down 15-501, please take this list seriously okay?
Laettner--all 'tude, always up, always in...amazing, the second coming of Heyman, but better.
JD--still Duke's most athletic player ever, over GHill and JWill.
GMan--he's okay for a prepster, and the hair, oh, the hair

2nd five
Heyman--the original BMOC, should've killed that punk Brown
Battier--Good guy to hang on to when the rapture comes, the perfect citizen
Nate--spiritual warrior
Carrawell--compelling story, 2nd most clutch player ever behind CL
Composite: RobWest/SteveGray/MartyClark/FredLind--unlikely heroes who didn't shrink when their moment came

[Bay Area Duke Fan]

1. Laettner
2. Heyman
3. Battier
4. Hurley
5. J.Williams

[AtlDuke72]

Johnny Dawkins
Grant Hill
Shane Battier
Tommy Amaker
Elton Brand

They may all be eclipsed by Andre Dawkins!

[Indoor66]

Johnny Dawkins
Grant Hill
Shane Battier
Tommy Amaker
Elton Brand

They may all be eclipsed by Andre Dawkins!

Let's keep the horses and carts in the correct order. He has to prove this on the court. I hope he does but the odds are not in his favor.

[ojaidave]

I found the bandwagon in 1991.

Shane
Hurley
Grant
Laettner
Dawkins

[Hancock 4 Duke]

1. JJ REDICK (Really, he is such a beast)
2. Eliott Williams (He was my favorite even in high school)
3. Christian Laettner (Is there a reason for parenthesis?)
4. Lee Melchionni ( My sister's best friend at Duke)
5. Jason Williams (MIRACLE MINUTE BABY!)

[Gargoyle]

1. Heyman
2. Hill
3. Williams
4. Verga
5. Battier

6. Lewis
7. Dawkins
8. Boozer
9. Marin
10.Vacendak

[DeepBlue70]

Dawkins (the original)
Spanarkel
Alarie
Thomas Hill
David Henderson

[dukeballer2294]

1. Jason Williams
2. Chris Duhon
3. Shane Battier
4. Elliot Williams
5. Andre Dawkins

Ive been a fan since 2000 and although E-Will played 1 year and Dawkins hasnt played at all they make the cut.

[dukeblue225]

Jason Williams... By far my favorite player of all time.
Johnny Dawkins... Helped spark Coach K's great career.
J.J. Redick... Can flat out shoot the basketball.
Grant Hill... Enough said.
Shane Battier... Embodies DUKE basketball.

Honorable Mention:
Kyle, G, Chris Duhon, Laettner, Heyman, Gminski

[jv001]

Though I can see your intent is to list favorite basketball players, I'm going to post two lists: favorite football and favorite basketball players. The football list is first because it was played on the Duke campus before basketball and because it was Rose Bowl money which paid for the building of Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Favorite Football Players of All Time
Tee Moorman (my first Duke hero!)
Mike McGee (Outland Trophy Winner)
Jay Wilkinson (punt returns par excellence)
Bob Matheson (became outstanding professional player with a defense named for him)
Clarkston Hines (could catch anything)
Alt. Robert Baldwin
So many from the 50's and 60s that narrowing the list was difficult

Favorite Basketball Players of All Time
Art Heyman (you had to see him play to know how good he was)
Jeff Mullins (check out his records)
Danny Ferry
Grant Hill
Shane Battier
It was difficult to narrow this list to only five all time!

Football players:
Wray Carlton
Clarkston Hines
Tee Moorman
Steve Jones
Mike Curtis
Sonny Jurgenson
Basketball players:
Laettner
Hurley
Hill, G.
Redick
Mullins
Armstrong
G-Man
Battier
J. Dawkins
Alarie
Go Duke!

[Indoor66]

Football players:
Wray Carlton
Clarkston Hines
Tee Moorman
Steve Jones
Mike Curtis
Sonny Jurgenson
Basketball players:
Laettner
Hurley
Hill, G.
Redick
Mullins
Armstrong
G-Man
Battier
J. Dawkins
Alarie
Go Duke!

Remember Wray Carlton with the Buffalo team in the old AFL? I think he led the league, or the team, in rushing for several years.

Mike Curtis was middle linebacker with the Baltimore Colts in the mid 60's. IRRC he was an all pro player. Steve Jones was with the Cardinals.

[throatybeard]

Diskin Clay (Classics), Francis Newton (Classics), Robert Gleckner (English), Ron Butters (English), Larry Todd (Music). Honorable mentions for Reynolds Price, John Hope Franklin, Wojo, Brian Davis, and Alana Beard.

[superdave]

1. Laettner

<pause out of reverence>

2. Hurley
3. Dawkins
4. Battier
5. Hill

6. Jason Williams
7. Brand
8. Heyman

Honorable Mention
Thomas Hill
Nate James
Andre (hopefully) Dawkins

Emphasis on titles and final fours.

[NSDukeFan]

I started watching college basketball around 1985, became a Duke fan around 91-92 and have paid a lot more attention the past few years, hence some of my biases and memory issues.

Battier (only live game was 2nd round vs. Mizzou in 01)
G. Hill
Hurley (became a fan b/c of his game)
Langdon
Redick

Brand
J.Dawkins
Laettner
Paulus
J.Williams

Shelden
Wojo
Kyle
Duhon
Scheyer

Amaker
Abdelanby (loved his post moves)
Alarie
G. Henderson
Boozer

Newton (the great Canadian hope)
T. Hill
L. Deng
Dunleavy
J.Capel

Lang
D. Ewing
Dahntay
L. Thomas
McClure

C. Carrawell
N. Smith
C. Collins
D. Nelson
R. McLeod
P. Henderson
Z
Dockery
McRoberts
Avery
D. Henderson
Snyder
Bilas

Sorry, this is more than what was asked for, but I was having some fun reminiscing.

[elvis14]

In no particular order:

Hurley, Hill, Laettner, Battier, Redick

[rasputin]

I'm 52 and became a fan in the late '60's.

1. Shane Battier
2. Tommy Amaker
3. Alana Beard
4. Brian Davis
5. Kyle Singler

honorable mention: Dick DeVenzio

[rthomas]

I started watching college basketball around 1985, became a Duke fan around 91-92 and have paid a lot more attention the past few years, hence some of my biases and memory issues.

Battier (only live game was 2nd round vs. Mizzou in 01)
G. Hill
Hurley (became a fan b/c of his game)
Langdon
Redick

Brand
J.Dawkins
Laettner
Paulus
J.Williams

Shelden
Wojo
Kyle
Duhon
Scheyer

Amaker
Abdelanby (loved his post moves)
Alarie
G. Henderson
Boozer

Newton (the great Canadian hope)
T. Hill
L. Deng
Dunleavy
J.Capel

Lang
D. Ewing
Dahntay
L. Thomas
McClure

C. Carrawell
N. Smith
C. Collins
D. Nelson
R. McLeod
P. Henderson
Z
Dockery
McRoberts
Avery
D. Henderson
Snyder
Bilas

Sorry, this is more than what was asked for, but I was having some fun reminiscing.

Can't believe out of that huge list you don't have Danny Ferry. He was one hell of a player.

3 final fours,
Duke's leading scorer for three years,
117 wins,
Naismith National Player of the Year: 1989 Oscar Robertson Award (USBWA POY): 1989 UPI National Player of the Year: 1989 UPI First Team All-America: 1988, 1989 AP First Team All-America: 1989 AP Second Team All-America: 1988 ACC Male Athlete of the Year: 1988, 1989 ACC Player of the Year: 1988, 1989 First Team All-ACC: 1988, 1989 Second Team All-ACC: 1987 Duke Sports Hall of Fame Team Captain: 1989 Swett Memorial Trophy (Duke MVP): 1987, 1988, 1989 ACC Tournament MVP: 1988 All-ACC Tournament Team: 1988, 1989 All-NCAA Tournament Team: 1989 All-NCAA East Regional Team: 1988, 1989 NCAA East Regional Most Outstanding Player: 1988, 1989

Danny Ferry led us to the 90's. He was the man.

[NSDukeFan]

Can't believe out of that huge list you don't have Danny Ferry. He was one hell of a player.

3 final fours,
Duke's leading scorer for three years,
117 wins,
Naismith National Player of the Year: 1989 Oscar Robertson Award (USBWA POY): 1989 UPI National Player of the Year: 1989 UPI First Team All-America: 1988, 1989 AP First Team All-America: 1989 AP Second Team All-America: 1988 ACC Male Athlete of the Year: 1988, 1989 ACC Player of the Year: 1988, 1989 First Team All-ACC: 1988, 1989 Second Team All-ACC: 1987 Duke Sports Hall of Fame Team Captain: 1989 Swett Memorial Trophy (Duke MVP): 1987, 1988, 1989 ACC Tournament MVP: 1988 All-ACC Tournament Team: 1988, 1989 All-NCAA Tournament Team: 1989 All-NCAA East Regional Team: 1988, 1989 NCAA East Regional Most Outstanding Player: 1988, 1989

Danny Ferry led us to the 90's. He was the man.

That was just a mistake. I'm not a huge D. Ferry fan (as I wasn't a Duke fan at the time) but he definitely should have been on my list, probably 5th, 6th team or honorable mention for me in terms of favorites and not skills or value.

[Azdukefan]

That was just a mistake. I'm not a huge D. Ferry fan (as I wasn't a Duke fan at the time) but he definitely should have been on my list, probably 5th, 6th team or honorable mention for me in terms of favorites and not skills or value.

That was the great part about this thread (there was no prereq for being in someone's fave five). While I feel strongly about mine, I also feel strongly about the best player to ever wear a Duke uniform being Christian Laettner. However, he happens to not be in my fave five. Some others have questionables in my mind (E-mail, G, etc.), but who am I to set the parameters for who they love/loved at Duke?

[Jarhead]

My favorite Duke basketball players are:
1. Dick Groat
2. Grant Hill
3. Jeff Mullin
3. Christian Laettner
3. Shane Battier
3. Jason Williams
3. Mike Giminski
3. Gene Banks
3. Tate Armstrong
3. Mark Alarie
3. Johnny Dawkins
3. Art Heyman
3. Steve Vacendak
3. Tommy Amaker
3. J.J. Redick
3. Elton Brand
3. Bobby Hurley
3. Mike Lewis
3. Bill Werber
3. Others I can't remember right now

Beyond Dick Groat and Grant Hill, I cannot rank them. From me they are all deserving of being ranked as #3. If any one player on my list could magically appear on this year's team they would be a starter, and an All American candidate. We Duke fans have been blessed over the years.

[verga]

1. Art Heyman - MVP his sr. year, also the MVP of final Four and Duke didn't play in the championship game, HATED UNC.

2. Bob Verga - greatest shooter i ever saw at Duke,if they had the 3 point shot, well you get the idea, smooth, class act

3. Bobby Hurley - The Dagger, if you needed it, he gave it to you, all time NCAA assist leader

4. Kenny Dennard - you had to see Dennard to appreciate him, always something going on, when the ball went up he was on somebody's body pushing back

5. Shane Battier - great defender, the best below the waist defender i've ever seen, he slapped more balls away from other players, just smart.

[Indoor66]

My favorite Duke basketball players are:
1. Dick Groat
2. Grant Hill
3. Jeff Mullin
3. Christian Laettner
3. Shane Battier
3. Jason Williams
3. Mike Giminski
3. Gene Banks
3. Tate Armstrong
3. Mark Alarie
3. Johnny Dawkins
3. Art Heyman
3. Steve Vacendak
3. Tommy Amaker
3. J.J. Redick
3. Elton Brand
3. Bobby Hurley
3. Mike Lewis
3. Bill Werber
3. Others I can't remember right now

Beyond Dick Groat and Grant Hill, I cannot rank them. From me they are all deserving of being ranked as #3. If any one player on my list could magically appear on this year's team they would be a starter, and an All American candidate. We Duke fans have been blessed over the years.

How about -
Jeff Mullins
Jack Marin
Randy Denton
Bob Verga
Howard Hurt
Buzzy Wilkinson

[NSDukeFan]

We Duke fans have been blessed over the years.

This was what I was thinking when I was making my list. I look forward to adding Miles, Mason, Ryan, Andre, Tyler, Joshua and others to it in the future.

[RelativeWays]

Laettner
Battier
Ferry
Hurley
G Hill

There are a lot of other players I love, but those are the ones I'd point to as being part of my foundation of Duke fandom.

[dukemsu]

1. Laettner. Still the epitome (sorry JJ) of Duke swagger. He was great, his team was great, and he wanted you to be completely aware of both facts. Faced down all the challengers: Shaq, Carolina, Vegas, and the Fabs. Perhaps no college player ever has a more impressive list of victims.

2. G. Hill. The prototype for both on-court and off-court excellence at Duke (inherited from JD). Big, quick, multifaceted, and outstanding defensively. Without G. Hill, there's no....

3. Battier. The perfect career arc. Gut-wrenching losses in '98 and '99 led to the mass exodus and Shane leading the program back to the top. On-court, developed from a defensive stopper to all-around force. Shane's will seemed like an actual tangible in watching the 00-01 team.

4. Redick: Took the Laettner swagger model to a different level. The amazing thing about JJ was the fact that he scored all of those points while being the focus of every team-no other Duke player of the era was as marked a man. While abrasive, JJ also had a strange sense of honor. He didn't complain publicly about Anderson's foul on him going to the basket against UConn in '04, when basically everyone cheering for Duke (starting with me) felt he should have been shooting free throws.

5. Amaker: You have to have a point guard on this list, and Amaker is unique among Duke guards of the modern era in that he was actually underpublicized and underrated. That was probably a function of playing next to JD for three years. But Amaker was a textbook defender, and a true pass-first lead guard, the kind they don't really make anymore. He also had the quiet Duke confidence that would be passed down to the present day.

Very difficult to leave off Wojo, Trajan, JWill, Nate, Hurley, and CWell, among others. Ferry was also the first star whose whole career I got to see, and I was a huge fan of his too.

It's nice to remember all of these guys-and nicer to look forward to the next wave(s). LGD.

dukemsu

[jv001]

How about -
Jeff Mullins
Jack Marin
Randy Denton
Bob Verga
Howard Hurt
Buzzy Wilkinson

Howard Hurt was the first player that I really called my favorite. I think he played with Carroll Youngkin (sp?) and John Frye. That was probably the first team that I remember much about. I think Youngkin was from Winston Salem. Long, Long ago. We have really been blessed. Go Duke!

[Gargoyle]

Howard Hurt was the first player that I really called my favorite. I think he played with Carroll Youngkin (sp?) and John Frye. That was probably the first team that I remember much about. I think Youngkin was from Winston Salem. Long, Long ago. We have really been blessed. Go Duke!

No love for Bernie Janicki?

[jv001]

No love for Bernie Janicki?

Did not see Bernie Janicki play, but one of my best friends who was older than me saw Bernie play. I can remember him talking about Groat, Janicki, Bobby Joe Harris and many more. Like I said we're blessed. Go Duke!

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Did not see Bernie Janicki play, but one of my best friends who was older than me saw Bernie play. I can remember him talking about Groat, Janicki, Bobby Joe Harris and many more. Like I said we're blessed. Go Duke!

Was Bobby Joe Harris from King, NC?

[CBDUKE]

I cannot possibly narrow this down to just 5, but I can narrow it down to 1:

Art Heyman

[Bluedevil114]

1. JJ Redick
2. Bobby Hurley
3. Trajan Langdon
4. Grant Hill
4. Shane Battier

[dukestheheat]

Ok, I'll dive in but this one's really tough:

Thomas Hill
Hurley
Laettner
Carrawell
tie between Robert Brickey and David Henderson for THUNDER-dunking! I swear that north rim in Cameron is still rocking from Henderson's dunk on Detlef Schrempf way back in the day.

(plus, Henderson grew up near me).

dth.

[jv001]

Was Bobby Joe Harris from King, NC?

That's exactly where Bobby Joe Harris is from. Not far from where I now live. Go Duke!

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

That's exactly where Bobby Joe Harris is from. Not far from where I now live. Go Duke!

King is a VERY short distance from where I grew up in northwestern Forsyth County and where I live now. If you remember Bobby Joe Harris in basketball, do you remember a football player named Jerry Stoltz?

[mailman2927]

i'm new to the boards but have been following them. i've been a duke fan since i'm 9 yrs old and still love duke to this day. my five are

1. jj redick- loved his confidence and swagger. also the best pure shooter the college game has ever seen.

2. christian laettner- knew how to get it done, also extremely cconfident, most competitve, and one of the toughest dukies of all time.

3. bobby hurley- right up there with the toughest most clutch. WINNER.

4. johnny dawkins- probably the most important recruit duke has gotten, especially at the time. also one of the most talented.

5. danny ferry- another imp. recruit that was very versatile. could do just about everything well.

very difficult to narrow it down to five because there are many more that could be on my list.

[Jackson]

5. Laettner
4. Ferry
3. G. Hill
2. JJ
1. Hurley

[TriGuy]

I can't go 5 deep on favorites, without doing an injustice to the very best (in chronological order):

Spanarkel - was the centerpiece of the solution that turned Duke from an ACC laughingstock back to a national contender. Never had the huge numbers, but always controlled the game and could take over a game when the go-to players on the team were off. The fact that his jersey is not in Cameron's rafters is still the greatest travesty in the Duke BB legacy.
Laettner - It's not arrogance if you can back it up. If the game was on the line, put the ball in Christian's hands and it was money. Bank it.
Battier - Heart and soul of the team (along with Nate James) that refused to be beaten -- reference the THREE monutental comebacks over Maryland the 2001 season.

Everyone else (and there are a good number of those, to be sure -- Heyman, Mullins, Verga, Vacendak, Gminski-Banks-Dennard, Dawkins, Ferry, Hurley, Hill, Brand) is playing for second place behind those three. And then there are any number of players whose game I absolutely loved, but just weren't in the circle of the very best.

As an aside -- to this day, I still cannot undersand the inclusion of Redick in many posters' lists; he honestly wouldn't make my top 20. My experience was that when the going go tough, JJ was MIA . . . I can't think of many must-win games in which JJ was a difference-maker.
<<Shields up, Mr. Worf>>

[Indoor66]

I can't go 5 deep on favorites, without doing an injustice to the very best (in chronological order):

Spanarkel - was the centerpiece of the solution that turned Duke from an ACC laughingstock back to a national contender. Never had the huge numbers, but always controlled the game and could take over a game when the go-to players on the team were off. The fact that his jersey is not in Cameron's rafters is still the greatest travesty in the Duke BB legacy.
Laettner - It's not arrogance if you can back it up. If the game was on the line, put the ball in Christian's hands and it was money. Bank it.
Battier - Heart and soul of the team (along with Nate James) that refused to be beaten -- reference the THREE monutental comebacks over Maryland the 2001 season.

Everyone else (and there are a good number of those, to be sure -- Heyman, Mullins, Verga, Vacendak, Gminski-Banks-Dennard, Dawkins, Ferry, Hurley, Hill, Brand) is playing for second place behind those three. And then there are any number of players whose game I absolutely loved, but just weren't in the circle of the very best.

As an aside -- to this day, I still cannot undersand the inclusion of Redick in many posters' lists; he honestly wouldn't make my top 20. My experience was that when the going go tough, JJ was MIA . . . I can't think of many must-win games in which JJ was a difference-maker.
<<Shields up, Mr. Worf>>

I don't disagee with you on those three, but I would add a few more. Jeff Mullins was money. Mike Lewis came through in the moment. Jack Marin was very reliable. Giminski got it done. Tate Armstrong hit it when it counted.

[DU Band Prez 88]

I don't disagee with you on those three, but I would add a few more. Jeff Mullins was money. Mike Lewis came through in the moment. Jack Marin was very reliable. Giminski got it done. Tate Armstrong hit it when it counted.

Have enjoyed reading posts from those who were around pre-80s/Coach K, and I don't disagree re: greatness of Groat, Heyman, Spanarkel, etc. - but my vote is only based on 25 years of watching Duke hoops.

Here are my "Fave 5" - from a Duke fan since the '84-85 season, my freshman year.

1. Johnny Dawkins
2. Christian Laettner
3. Shane Battier
4. Bobby Hurley
5. Grant Hill

Hon. mention: Tommy Amaker, David Henderson, JJ Redick.

[jv001]

King is a VERY short distance from where I grew up in northwestern Forsyth County and where I live now. If you remember Bobby Joe Harris in basketball, do you remember a football player named Jerry Stoltz?

Sorry but I don't remember Jerry Stoltz. Did he play in the Wray Carlton era. If I remember correctly a running back by the name of George Dutrow was in the starting backfield with Carlton. Go Duke!

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Sorry but I don't remember Jerry Stoltz. Did he play in the Wray Carlton era. If I remember correctly a running back by the name of George Dutrow was in the starting backfield with Carlton. Go Duke!

Jerry was at Duke 1959-1963, played quarterback and was on the Cotton Bowl team.

[BlueDevilBaby]

1. GMan (first memory of watching Duke basketball and first favorite Duke player)
2. Ferry (so cute)
3. Laetner (no need to explain)
4. G. Hill (so smoooooth)
5. Battier (Mr. Everything)

[DUKIE V(A)]

1992 Grad

My Fourteen Man Roster

First Five

1. Grant
2. JJ
3. Who's Your Daddy?
4. J-Will
5. Singler

Second Five

6. J Dawkins
7. Duhon
8. Billy King
9. Langdon
10. Amaker

Final Four

11. Gene Banks (My first favorite Duke player)
12. Wojo
13. Scheyer (Keeps growing on me)
14. Andre Dawkins (I have a feeling he is going to be in my top 5)

Tough to limit it to these fourteen as there are so many I left off.

[DUKIE V(A)]

<<<As an aside -- to this day, I still cannot undersand the inclusion of Redick in many posters' lists; he honestly wouldn't make my top 20. My experience was that when the going go tough, JJ was MIA . . . I can't think of many must-win games in which JJ was a difference-maker.>>>

Loved your post but I think this assessment is a bit harsh...I remember 3 ACC Title games NC State as a Freshman, Georgia Tech as a Junior, and BC as a Senior (not to mention the game winner vs. Miami which I think was earlier in that tournament) when JJ not only lit it up but alse hit many, many clutch shots. Highly doubtful we win any of those ACC titles without Redick playing out of his mind AND being clutch in the end. The Maryland ACC Final his Sophomore year may have also been a good game for him, but I have blocked it almost entirely from memory.

[COYS]

<<<As an aside -- to this day, I still cannot undersand the inclusion of Redick in many posters' lists; he honestly wouldn't make my top 20. My experience was that when the going go tough, JJ was MIA . . . I can't think of many must-win games in which JJ was a difference-maker.>>>

Loved your post but I think this assessment is a bit harsh...I remember 3 ACC Title games NC State as a Freshman, Georgia Tech as a Junior, and BC as a Senior (not to mention the game winner vs. Miami which I think was earlier in that tournament) when JJ not only lit it up but alse hit many, many clutch shots. Highly doubtful we win any of those ACC titles without Redick playing out of his mind AND being clutch in the end. The Maryland ACC Final his Sophomore year may have also been a good game for him, but I have blocked it almost entirely from memory.

His between the legs, step back three against UNC at the Dump Dome was pretty awesome, too, and pretty much sealed that game.

Plus, it wasn't a close game, but how can you say his 41 point outburst against the then number 2 team in the country in Texas his senior year wasn't clutch. I think the fact that he had tough games in his four NCAA tournament losses are coloring your view of him, a little bit.

[trinity92]

Jason Williams
Grant Hill
Robert Brickey
Thomas Hill
Kyle Singler

Bench (yes, bench):

Will Avery
Shane Battier
Phil Henderson
Bobby Hurley
Christian Laettner

[Wander]

1 Andre Dawkins
2 Andre Dawkins
3 Andre Dawkins
4 Andre Dawkins
5 Andre Dawkins

[DevilDan]

Back in the talking mode, after reading great posts for the past 3-4 weeks. HOOPS starts in less than 90 Days -- WOW ! But first, a comment on Jerry Stoltz, posted earlier. That was the time I began to really get down with DUKE FOOTBALL -- the HELMETS were GREAT ! (haaaa!) Stoltz gave way to Dave Uible, who gave way to the great SCOTTY GLACKEN -- maybe my first DUKE grid hero !

NOW to naming the "fave five" -- I've read all the lists, they're all good .... and I realize it's nearly impossible to get a 5-man team down. Kind of like when DICKIE V gives his 64-Team Bracket, as he names nearly 80 teams ! I will say this... I can't imagine my Five not including ART HEYMAN, JOHNNY DAWKINS, and CHRISTIAN LAETTNER. In an effort to cram 30-35 others into spots 4&5, I'll mention Mullins, Marin, Lewis, Verga, Ferry, Brand, Battier, J. Williams, Redick and S. Williams. Like I said, nearly impossible.

So with the season coming soon, I still say that the difference between a very good season and a great one, is the play of NOLAN & MASON. If NOLAN gives us the goods at the point, with a little Andre Dawkins thrown in, we ROCK. If MASON can impress Coach K enough to get him on the floor early, we are going to see something special. This is a Basketball Jones, who is going to ignite his teammates to match his energy. Along with these two guys, we only have two of the best in the country in KYLE and JON. And, we have 5-6 other players who can contribute double figures on a given night. I just don't think the loss of ELLIOTT is that huge, looking at our roster. I can't wait .... GO DUKE !

[Azdukefan]

1 Andre Dawkins
2 Andre Dawkins
3 Andre Dawkins
4 Andre Dawkins
5 Andre Dawkins

I can't be mad at that! I agree, you have to love a kid who loves a great program.

[DevilDan]

Attention BLUE DEVILS ... URGENT ... Please see my post of 8/10, 3:46 pm ...

Add to that GRANT HILL !

See, TOLD YOU it was impossible ...

[Reddevil]

Attention BLUE DEVILS ... URGENT ... Please see my post of 8/10, 3:46 pm ...

Add to that GRANT HILL !

See, TOLD YOU it was impossible ...

but does Hurley at least get an honorable mention?:o

[DevilDan]

Yep, Reddevil ... BOBBY HURLEY gets a crack at one of the final two spots ! Still the toughest list I've ever tried to finalize (maybe 75 tries SO FAR).

Well, as long as I am here, I may as well note my "FAVE TEAM" ... with honorable mention to 1986, 1991 & 1992.... the winner is 1964, with the great Vic Bubas at the helm, and Marin, Verga, Vacendak, Riedy, and Lewis taking DUKE to the Final Four (though I don't think it was yet called that) at College Park. The DEVILS bowed to Kentucky by 4 in one semifinal, with Bob Verga totally incapacitated by the flu. Still, with less than a minute, DUKE was in it. But the next night, justice was served when TEXAS WESTERN (with Bobby Joe Hill, Big Daddy Lattin, Orsten Artis, Nevil Shed, and Willie Worsley) got the historic victory over the Wildcats.

Great memories, but I think it's high time (after 5 months) for us to make MORE memories. If all the pieces fit (one of Coach K's strengths), this team can be a force ... ! GO DUKE !

[hq2]

I go back to the mid 60s; not quite old enough for Heyman and Mullins.

That being said, I'd go with the big 3
(Laettner, G Hill and Battier) then:

Gene Banks (still had the greatest impact on the program of any player ever)
then, it would probably be Bob Verga, just because he had style; never been
a shooter like that at Duke (sorry J.J.)

[hq2]

Additional note to Devil Dan:

I remember that Kentucky game, and in retrospect it's better that Duke lost it.
Bob Verga having the flu spared Duke from having to play the all white vs. all black Texas Western game, which would have been a blot on Duke's record (it still is on Kentucky's) Adolph Rupp deserved to lose that game, not Vic Bubas.

[Indoor66]

Additional note to Devil Dan:

I remember that Kentucky game, and in retrospect it's better that Duke lost it.
Bob Verga having the flu spared Duke from having to play the all white vs. all black Texas Western game, which would have been a blot on Duke's record (it still is on Kentucky's) Adolph Rupp deserved to lose that game, not Vic Bubas.

With a healthy Verga, Duke would not have lost to Texas Western.

[DevilDan]

Props to both hq2 and Indoor66 on the '64 Team -- still my choice as the best Duke team "not to win" the National Title (edging the Devils who finished runner-up to Connecticut 77-74).

That team had it all -- Verga was an incredible shooter, Vacendak went thru walls to make plays on both ends, Riedy was the muscle on the baseline, Lewis was a 6-7 brute inside, and Jack Marin, well ... was simply "Jack Marin" every night of his great career under Vic Bubas. If Verga would have been healthy in the semi's, Duke would have beat Pat Riley, Larry Conley, Tommy Kron, Louie Dampier, and Thad Jaracz ... absolutely no doubt in my mind. Even with him nearly wiped out with fever, Duke was a short bank shot miss by Lewis from tieing the game in the final minute.

But again, the Kentucky-Texas Western game became the next night something that would change Basketball history. Two anecdotes: I loved watching (Go Go) Bobby Joe Hill strip Dampier of the ball twice in the last few minutes for breakaway layups .... and how can we possibly leave out Adolph Rupp?? Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. haaaaaaaa....

[wallyman]

Grant
Shane
Laettner
JJ
Duhon

next six: Carrawell, Nate, Verga, Hurley, Kyle, Elton
Hate it that Dunleavy unexpectedly left early. He would have been on a lot of lists with one more year.

[Indoor66]

Props to both hq2 and Indoor66 on the '64 Team -- still my choice as the best Duke team "not to win" the National Title (edging the Devils who finished runner-up to Connecticut 77-74).

That team had it all -- Verga was an incredible shooter, Vacendak went thru walls to make plays on both ends, Riedy was the muscle on the baseline, Lewis was a 6-7 brute inside, and Jack Marin, well ... was simply "Jack Marin" every night of his great career under Vic Bubas. If Verga would have been healthy in the semi's, Duke would have beat Pat Riley, Larry Conley, Tommy Kron, Louie Dampier, and Thad Jaracz ... absolutely no doubt in my mind. Even with him nearly wiped out with fever, Duke was a short bank shot miss by Lewis from tieing the game in the final minute.

But again, the Kentucky-Texas Western game became the next night something that would change Basketball history. Two anecdotes: I loved watching (Go Go) Bobby Joe Hill strip Dampier of the ball twice in the last few minutes for breakaway layups .... and how can we possibly leave out Adolph Rupp?? Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. haaaaaaaa....

Thanks for the props, but I think you made a typo - the year was 1966....

[4decadedukie]

It would have been MUCH easier to pick a top-ten, rather than five favorites; however, I select:
Battier
Dawkins
Laettner
Hill
Hurley

. . . and in the Coaches category:
K
Bubas

[HDB]

1) CWell
2) Brickey
3) Battier
4) Phil Henderson
5) Davind Henderson

[DevilDan]

Indoor 66, you GOT me .... 1966 it WAS. Sorry for the typo ... I was so lucky that season -- a junior in high school, I got to go to a few Carolina games and Duke games with Bill Currie, the famous "Mouth of the South", who headed up the Carolina Sports (radio) Network. He had alongside him Jack Callahan and Ben Rogers, but Bill was the star on the radio. On nites that the Heels weren't playing, his crew would cover Duke, State, and Wake home games.

There was little or no TV then (all of the Carolina home games were telecast on UNC-TV, from Woolen Gym -- with no play-by-play). I got to meet Dean Smith and Vic Bubas, who treated this geeky, punk 17-year old like a prize recruit ... haaaaaa. I'll never forget (most of) it ....

[basket1544]

I've never been able to pick just 5 favs, but this would be my favorite starting 5...
Point: Hurley
2-Guard: JJ
Small: G Hill
Power: Shane
Center: Laettner

That's a line-up I'd put up against anyone else at any time.

[TaiAdmiral]

PG: Jason Williams
SG: JJ
SF: Grant Hill
PF: Battier
C: Shelden Williams

6. Kyle Singler
7. Mike Dunleavy
8. Carlos Boozer
9. Chris Duhon
10. Jon Scheyer

11. Andre Dawkins :]

[dukiedevil89]

chris duhon (he really led the team his senior year)
jon scheyer (he seems to be a genuinely good kid, and he works really hard)
sean dockery (tried really hard, and buzzer beater against vt was epic)
shane battier (good at basketball and extremely intelligent)
jason williams (miracle minute along w/ every other brilliant thing he did)

honorable mention: grant hill, daniel ewing, dave mcclure