the Banks dunk

[Olympic Fan]

I'm delighted that the DBR posted the link to the youtube vido of Gene's dunk over Sampson dunk. Over the years, when people have debated the best dunks in Duke history, I've always argued for this one. I didn't know that video of it was out there. I agree with the note on the front page that the slow motion robs the dunk of some of its surprise and power -- it was astonishing to see in person.

I must add however that the caption on youtube is wrong. It identifies Sampson as the reigning national player of the year. That's not the case. While Sampson would go on to win three national player of the year awards, this dunk was in 1980 (you can see Bob Bender, who was a senior that year, in the video). That was Sampson's rookie year and he wasn't even second-team All-ACC that season.

That's not to diminish Banks' accomplishment -- Sampson did block 157 shots that season. That was the most in his career and the highest single-season total in ACC history.

BTW: I agree with Bender who is asking the ref why there was no foul called on the play ... I think the ref was as stunned as the rest of us ar what happened and swallowed his whistle.

[Kedsy]

I'm delighted that the DBR posted the link to the youtube vido of Gene's dunk over Sampson dunk. Over the years, when people have debated the best dunks in Duke history, I've always argued for this one. I didn't know that video of it was out there. I agree with the note on the front page that the slow motion robs the dunk of some of its surprise and power -- it was astonishing to see in person.

I must add however that the caption on youtube is wrong. It identifies Sampson as the reigning national player of the year. That's not the case. While Sampson would go on to win three national player of the year awards, this dunk was in 1980 (you can see Bob Bender, who was a senior that year, in the video). That was Sampson's rookie year and he wasn't even second-team All-ACC that season.

That's not to diminish Banks' accomplishment -- Sampson did block 157 shots that season. That was the most in his career and the highest single-season total in ACC history.

BTW: I agree with Bender who is asking the ref why there was no foul called on the play ... I think the ref was as stunned as the rest of us ar what happened and swallowed his whistle.

Where did that dunk take place? The arena in the clip isn't Cameron, is it?

[JBDuke]

Where did that dunk take place? The arena in the clip isn't Cameron, is it?

Nope - definitely not Cameron. Pretty sure it is University Hall - UVA's home arena in Charlottesville before they built JPJ. Virginia is in their home whites, and Duke in the road blues. The parts of the arena I can see look like old U-Hall - the round structure with the white walls about midway up.

[Kedsy]

Nope - definitely not Cameron. Pretty sure it is University Hall - UVA's home arena in Charlottesville before they built JPJ. Virginia is in their home whites, and Duke in the road blues. The parts of the arena I can see look like old U-Hall - the round structure with the white walls about midway up.

That's what I thought, too. But I only visited U Hall once (I went with James of DBR fame) so I wasn't sure.

I asked because I was wondering how Olympic Fan saw the dunk in person?

[roywhite]

Tinkerbell could fly.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Tinkerbell could fly.

He excelled at making game changing shots and plays. His confidence was so contagious!:cool:

[jimsumner]

The Banks dunk was at UVA. Virginia won that game 73-69, the second of a nine-game winning streak against Duke, a streak that culminated in a 43-point win in the 1983 ACC Tournament.

Sampson played in all nine of those wins. After he left, Duke won 16 straight against Virginia.

But if this dunk is A, then Phil Henderson's dunk over Alonzo Mourning in 1989 is 1A. This dunk came at a crucial juncture in the East Regional title game and thus was more important than Banks' dunk in a regular-season game.

Grant Hill's dunk against Kansas in the '91 title game gets top marks for degree-of-difficulty. But he had neither Ralph Sampson nor Alonzo Mourning waiting at the other end.

[miramar]

But if this dunk is A, then Phil Henderson's dunk over Alonzo Mourning in 1989 is 1A. This dunk came at a crucial juncture in the East Regional title game and thus was more important than Banks' dunk in a regular-season game.

Henderson's dunk not only changed the tone of the game just when Georgetown was chipping away at Duke's lead, but it was also a right down the lane, in your face slam. Mourning is not as tall as Sampson, but he had set the season record for blocked shots IIRC, so the dunk is an all time classic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbIxFvMmcmc

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Henderson's dunk not only changed the tone of the game just when Georgetown was chipping away at Duke's lead, but it was also a right down the lane, in your face slam. Mourning is not as tall as Sampson, but he had set the season record for blocked shots IIRC, so the dunk is an all time classic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbIxFvMmcmc

Kenny Dennard's "1st backwards dunk" video was listed next to this one! Always fun to watch that again! :cool:

[Kimist]

Dunks can be separated by "sends a message" and "spectacular" and "degree of difficulty" which means that comparisons can be quite difficult.

For my 2¢ worth, I think the dunk on Mourning (for various reasons, helps greatly if you were around then) might get my vote. Tinkerbell sending it to Ralph in U Hall also is a strong contender for the "sends a message" category.

Dennard's dunk was...well, typical Dennard. Enough said.

And Grant's dunk not only showed some serious athleticism, but had the additional benefit of setting the tone that Duke IS here and ready to play! To modify that old real estate mantra: "Timing...timing...timing!"

Ah....the memories....

k

[Waynne]

Dunks can be separated by "sends a message" and "spectacular" and "degree of difficulty" which means that comparisons can be quite difficult.


And Grant's dunk not only showed some serious athleticism, but had the additional benefit of setting the tone that Duke IS here and ready to play! To modify that old real estate mantra: "Timing...timing...timing!"


And Grant's dunk came early in the 1991 NC game. It sent a message, was spectacular, and had an incredible degree of difficulty. We won our first NC that game, which gives his dunk added significance to me.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Henderson's dunk not only changed the tone of the game just when Georgetown was chipping away at Duke's lead, but it was also a right down the lane, in your face slam. Mourning is not as tall as Sampson, but he had set the season record for blocked shots IIRC, so the dunk is an all time classic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbIxFvMmcmc

That dunk is outrageous - so quick and so authoritative. Players don't go for quick dunks anymore. They enjoy the air time, the "ups", and the ability to change formation in the last second. Shame - I'd love to see old-school dunking like Henderson more often.

[killerleft]

The Banks dunk was at UVA. Virginia won that game 73-69, the second of a nine-game winning streak against Duke, a streak that culminated in a 43-point win in the 1983 ACC Tournament.

Sampson played in all nine of those wins. After he left, Duke won 16 straight against Virginia.

But if this dunk is A, then Phil Henderson's dunk over Alonzo Mourning in 1989 is 1A. This dunk came at a crucial juncture in the East Regional title game and thus was more important than Banks' dunk in a regular-season game.

Grant Hill's dunk against Kansas in the '91 title game gets top marks for degree-of-difficulty. But he had neither Ralph Sampson nor Alonzo Mourning waiting at the other end.

That Henderson's dunk was at a critical juncture of the game is of paramount importance. Any number of Duke dunks might be considered better, depending on how you define what makes a spectacular dunk. But the Henderson dunk was more than an "aha, gotcha" moment for Phil. For me, it made it plain to both Duke and Georgetown that Duke would not be cowed by the Hoyas. At the time, the Georgetown "aura" of intimidation was probably worth as much as the actual physical play they employed. It should be noted that Henderson was a chippy player to begin with, and his dunk might have meant more to his teammates than it did to Georgetown.

[Kedsy]

That Henderson's dunk was at a critical juncture of the game is of paramount importance. Any number of Duke dunks might be considered better, depending on how you define what makes a spectacular dunk. But the Henderson dunk was more than an "aha, gotcha" moment for Phil. For me, it made it plain to both Duke and Georgetown that Duke would not be cowed by the Hoyas. At the time, the Georgetown "aura" of intimidation was probably worth as much as the actual physical play they employed. It should be noted that Henderson was a chippy player to begin with, and his dunk might have meant more to his teammates than it did to Georgetown.

I was at the Meadowlands for that one, sitting in the end zone where the dunk occurred. Obviously I can't say what it meant to either the Duke players or Georgetown players, but it sure energized us fans. Got us thinking, "Hey, we really can win this thing."

[Olympic Fan]

I can understand the debate over the greatest dunk. In context, I agree that Henderson's dunk over Mourning was more significant -- Duke did lose the Banks game to Virginia after all .

But taken in isolation, I'd still vote for the Banks' dunk over Sampson. And, yes, it was in U-Hall and I was there that night. Again, I repeat, the slow motion doesn't really show the speed and power of that dunk. Keep in mind that in 1980, we had not been treated to the succession of ESPN Sportscenter In-Your-Face dunks that we see today. It was a truly new and awe-inspiring experience.

The loss that night was very disappointing. The only excuse I'll offer is that Kenny Dennard didn't play that night (and he missed the first Duke-Virginia game too). A number of other players were banged up. That was in the midst of a losing streak (compounded by the injuries) that saw a Duke team ranked No. 1 on Jan. 12 drop out of the top 20 by the end of February. Gminski actually outplayed Sampson in C'ville, but Jeff Lamp scored 21 and that was enough.

I do have a soft spot for the Dennard reverse dunk against Villanova. Remember how Doug Gottlieb dissed the 2010 team, calling Duke's big men "alarmingly unathletic"?

Well, something similar happened in Providence during that NCAA regional. Duke got caught in a very tough slowdown game against Penn in the Sweet 16 and barely pulled out the victory. During the off day, Villanova coach Rollie Massimino was laughing about Duke's lack of speed. He compared the Devils to "a herd of elephants."

The next afternoon, Duke's elephants trampled Villanova. Banks and Dennard got out on the fast break and just destroyed Massimino's team. Dennard's reverse dunk was the icing on the cake. I'll never forget visiting the team hotel that night and seeing a very tipsy Bill Foster use his arm to mimic an elephent's trunk and shout, "The elephant's are stampeding!" followed by a honking sould that I think was supposed to be an elephant's bellow (can't be sure, I was a bit tipsy too).

[mapleleafdevil]

Henderson's dunk not only changed the tone of the game just when Georgetown was chipping away at Duke's lead, but it was also a right down the lane, in your face slam. Mourning is not as tall as Sampson, but he had set the season record for blocked shots IIRC, so the dunk is an all time classic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbIxFvMmcmc

I agree. This was one of the best dunks of all time imo.

[fuse]

Not taking anything away from Banks over Sampson, but my vote for all time best dunk has to be the Corey Maggette backboard slap against Florida in Cameron. Maybe not the best video but this is one of the most jaw dropping feats of athleticism I have ever seen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLsuG9dCckE

Grant's dunk against Kansas (how did he get that high???) and Dante Jones pushups at UVa were pretty darn spectacular, too.

[Indoor66]

I can understand the debate over the greatest dunk. In context, I agree that Henderson's dunk over Mourning was more significant -- Duke did lose the Banks game to Virginia after all .

But taken in isolation, I'd still vote for the Banks' dunk over Sampson. And, yes, it was in U-Hall and I was there that night. Again, I repeat, the slow motion doesn't really show the speed and power of that dunk. Keep in mind that in 1980, we had not been treated to the succession of ESPN Sportscenter In-Your-Face dunks that we see today. It was a truly new and awe-inspiring experience.

The loss that night was very disappointing. The only excuse I'll offer is that Kenny Dennard didn't play that night (and he missed the first Duke-Virginia game too). A number of other players were banged up. That was in the midst of a losing streak (compounded by the injuries) that saw a Duke team ranked No. 1 on Jan. 12 drop out of the top 20 by the end of February. Gminski actually outplayed Sampson in C'ville, but Jeff Lamp scored 21 and that was enough.

I do have a soft spot for the Dennard reverse dunk against Villanova. Remember how Doug Gottlieb dissed the 2010 team, calling Duke's big men "alarmingly unathletic"?

Well, something similar happened in Providence during that NCAA regional. Duke got caught in a very tough slowdown game against Penn in the Sweet 16 and barely pulled out the victory. During the off day, Villanova coach Rollie Massimino was laughing about Duke's lack of speed. He compared the Devils to "a herd of elephants."

The next afternoon, Duke's elephants trampled Villanova. Banks and Dennard got out on the fast break and just destroyed Massimino's team. Dennard's reverse dunk was the icing on the cake. I'll never forget visiting the team hotel that night and seeing a very tipsy Bill Foster use his arm to mimic an elephent's trunk and shout, "The elephant's are stampeding!" followed by a honking sould that I think was supposed to be an elephant's bellow (can't be sure, I was a bit tipsy too).

We were all tipsy at the hotel that night. The bus ride back from the game was an experience of being with a lot of horse people. Massimino ate a lot of crow that day. I loved it!

[fogey]

I was at the Meadowlands for this one, crowd went ballistic. Here is Utube link to "top 5" Duke dunks, and Johnny is in there:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=Ri4d7sPGXXg.

Great athlete, superb guy, Duke was so lucky to have him jump start the program after K arrived.

[jimsumner]

Not taking anything away from Banks over Sampson, but my vote for all time best dunk has to be the Corey Maggette backboard slap against Florida in Cameron. Maybe not the best video but this is one of the most jaw dropping feats of athleticism I have ever seen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLsuG9dCckE

Grant's dunk against Kansas (how did he get that high???) and Dante Jones pushups at UVa were pretty darn spectacular, too.

I take points off the Maggette dunk for excessive and pointless showboating. Same with Dahntay but not as much, because he was being guarded and it was on the road, where a team can use some juicing.

Go ahead, call me an Old Fogey. I've been called worse.

[mapei]

I note that no one has nominated one from the last 20 years. Well, someone did mention Dahntay, but that had to be 15 years ago, right? Has the game changed?

My vote goes to Grant - in part because I'm also a Georgetown fan and don't remember PH's dunk with the same degree of fondness. ;) I do remember that was a hell of a game, and the better team won. Unfortunately, I wasn't paying attention when Banks was playing and I wish I had been.

[jimsumner]

I note that no one has nominated one from the last 20 years. Well, someone did mention Dahntay, but that had to be 15 years ago, right? Has the game changed?

My vote goes to Grant - in part because I'm also a Georgetown fan and don't remember PH's dunk with the same degree of fondness. ;) I do remember that was a hell of a game, and the better team won. Unfortunately, I wasn't paying attention when Banks was playing and I wish I had been.

Dahntay's dunk was in 2003, Maggette 's 1999.

Gerald Henderson probably had as many highlight-reel dunks as anyone in recent memory. But he doesn't have a signature dunk, perhaps because he didn't do push-ups or slap the backboard and get a T.

[Duvall]

Dahntay's dunk was in 2003, Maggette 's 1999.

Gerald Henderson probably had as many highlight-reel dunks as anyone in recent memory. But he doesn't have a signature dunk, perhaps because he didn't do push-ups or slap the backboard and get a T.

I would argue that Henderson's "message" dunk at Maryland in 2009 could be considered a signature dunk given the circumstances around it.

[jimsumner]

I would argue that Henderson's "message" dunk at Maryland in 2009 could be considered a signature dunk given the circumstances around it.

I accept the amendment with pleasure.

[sagegrouse]

Dahntay's dunk was in 2003, Maggette 's 1999.

Gerald Henderson probably had as many highlight-reel dunks as anyone in recent memory. But he doesn't have a signature dunk, perhaps because he didn't do push-ups or slap the backboard and get a T.

Yeah! But he had a signature BLOCK!

sage

[jimsumner]

Yeah! But he had a signature BLOCK!

sage

Well, he was called for a foul on the play, so technically there was no block.

If we're talking signature blocks, I'm thinking of Battier v. Forte, c. 2001.

But that's another thread.

[-jk]

I can understand the debate over the greatest dunk. In context, I agree that Henderson's dunk over Mourning was more significant -- Duke did lose the Banks game to Virginia after all .

But taken in isolation, I'd still vote for the Banks' dunk over Sampson. And, yes, it was in U-Hall and I was there that night. Again, I repeat, the slow motion doesn't really show the speed and power of that dunk. Keep in mind that in 1980, we had not been treated to the succession of ESPN Sportscenter In-Your-Face dunks that we see today. It was a truly new and awe-inspiring experience.
...


Heck, these youngsters probably don't remember that dunking was still pretty new to the college game in 1980. DT did all his acrobatics just a few years before with the dunk forbidden. Allie-oop layups.

Different era.

-jk

[Newton_14]

The Banks dunk was at UVA. Virginia won that game 73-69, the second of a nine-game winning streak against Duke, a streak that culminated in a 43-point win in the 1983 ACC Tournament.

Sampson played in all nine of those wins. After he left, Duke won 16 straight against Virginia.

But if this dunk is A, then Phil Henderson's dunk over Alonzo Mourning in 1989 is 1A. This dunk came at a crucial juncture in the East Regional title game and thus was more important than Banks' dunk in a regular-season game.

Grant Hill's dunk against Kansas in the '91 title game gets top marks for degree-of-difficulty. But he had neither Ralph Sampson nor Alonzo Mourning waiting at the other end.

Agree Jim! Close call but those two are most definitely 1 and 1A. My 3 all time best Duke dunks below:

1. Banks over Big Ralph
2. Phil Henderson over Mourning
3. Johnny Dawkins 2 Hand Backwards Dunk over the Navy kid in the 86 NCAA Regionals. Incredible athleticism in that dunk.

[Kimist]

Everyone's points here are well taken.

Maybe I need to add a new category?: "Dunk which resulted in the most complete collection of uttered words I would NOT want my mom to hear" ??

If so, the winner is clearly the Henderson dunk on Mourning.

As I mentioned earlier, that "award" involves the totality of the moment to include the message plainly sent to the Hoyas!

k

[hq2]

But if this dunk is A, then Phil Henderson's dunk over Alonzo Mourning in 1989 is 1A. This dunk came at a crucial juncture in the East Regional title game and thus was more important than Banks' dunk in a regular-season game.

Grant Hill's dunk against Kansas in the '91 title game gets top marks for degree-of-difficulty. But he had neither Ralph Sampson nor Alonzo Mourning waiting at the other end.

These three dunks are usually given the nod for top of all time, because two of them were outrageous facials, and one was incredibly difficult
and came in the National Championship game. I usually rank them

1. G Hill -saw it in person, totally breathtaking

2. Henderson on Alonzo

3. Gene's slam on Ralph

I rank Henderson's higher, because it was the more improbable of the two. Gene served up facials pretty regularly, but for a skinny guard
like Henderson to tomohawk one on Alonzo was truly incredible. Johnny D's reverse slam on Doug Wojcik (Navy) makes top five.

[licc85]

These three dunks are usually given the nod for top of all time, because two of them were outrageous facials, and one was incredibly difficult
and came in the National Championship game. I usually rank them

1. G Hill -saw it in person, totally breathtaking

2. Henderson on Alonzo

3. Gene's slam on Ralph

I rank Henderson's higher, because it was the more improbable of the two. Gene served up facials pretty regularly, but for a skinny guard
like Henderson to tomohawk one on Alonzo was truly incredible. Johnny D's reverse slam on Doug Wojcik (Navy) makes top five.

I agree with your top 3, and that Hill's dunk still comes in at #1 for me (possibly because it's the only one where I was old enough to actually have seen it), but I would switch the Banks dunk and the Henderson dunk. The Hill dunk had to be the most difficult just because the angle and the ball's distance from the basket. To be able to catch it with one hand that far away from the hoop and still have the leverage and strength to slam it through was incredible. Also to do it on that stage definitely makes the dunk more meaningful.

The Henderson dunk was impressive because of how small Henderson was in comparison to Mourning, but the difficulty of the dunk was far below the other 2 in my opinion. That's no slight on Henderson, it's actually a tribute to his quickness. He got past the defense and up to the rim so quickly that nobody, including Mourning had time to react before the posterization had already occurred. In other words, he was about to slam it through before Mourning had even reacted. Impressive, but the Banks dunk absolutely had a higher degree of difficulty.

First of all, Ralph Sampson was 7'4", and athletic, AND was the national player of the year . . . I understand Banks regularly dunked on all manner of players, but 7'4" is still 7'4". Secondly, Sampson absolutely fouled the bejeezus out of Banks on that dunk, and he still managed to power it down. Third, he put some flair on that thing. I mean, you could definitely argue that it was a certified windmill. He cocked it back and threw it down hard. So I gotta put the Banks dunk #2.

[TheTrain]

Phil Henderson's dunk in a landslide for me
Taking into account that Georgetown was viewed by many as a prohibitive favorite, that it occurred in a Regional Final, and that Henderson was not known as a dunker

But the real kicker for me is that people forget the fear that Alonzo Mourning imposed on others at that time. People were legitimately scared of him....shaking in their boots scared of him. He simply was a far more physically imposing player than Sampson was even though Sampson was several inches taller. Sampson was a legitimate matchup problem, but players were not scared of being physically hurt by him

[hq2]

I agree with your top 3, and that Hill's dunk still comes in at #1 for me (possibly because it's the only one where I was old enough to actually have seen it), but I would switch the Banks dunk and the Henderson dunk. The Hill dunk had to be the most difficult just because the angle and the ball's distance from the basket. To be able to catch it with one hand that far away from the hoop and still have the leverage and strength to slam it through was incredible. Also to do it on that stage definitely makes the dunk more meaningful.



The video of the Hill dunk doesn't quite do it justice. I saw it from beyond the end zone of the other basket, and from my angle it was breathtaking. G Hill's arm was about two feet above the basket, and he slammed
it falling away from the basket as his momentum carried him out of bounds. From my angle, it was truly incredible.

[NashvilleDevil]

There must be something about Duke players dunking on Alonzo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkC-is6cW9U) Mourning (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h52L7ngbgX4).

[Olympic Fan]

While Grant's dunk against Kansas is impressive (basically because he had to go so high to get the lob ... he didn't really slam it with authority), there is another Grant Hill dunk that I think is more imoressive -- against Michigan in the 1992 championship game.

It was late in the second half and while Duke had the lead, it looked for a moment like the Devils were running out of gas. Coming out of a timeout, Duke got the ball to Grant in the corner. He drove the baseline, passing under the basket, then exploded up from the reverse angle and slammed it home.

That was the play that broke Michigan's back ... instead of fading, Duke coasted to the 20-point win.

I can't find that dunk on youtube, but in my memory, it was more impressive than the Kansas dunk -- especially if we consider context.

[aheel4ever]

I have a recollection of another Banks dunk that hasn't been mentioned here. It occurred during Phil Ford's senior game in CH, 1978 I believe, Banks' freshman year. I was a student at UNC at the time, and at that game. Very late in the game, Banks had a vicous dunk in the middle of the lane. From where I was sitting in the student section, it looked to me like his body was parallel to the floot. For years I referred to it as the Gene Banks Horizontal Dunk. I'm not sure I've ever seen a replay of that dunk, so perhaps it wasn't as impressive as I recall, but I still remember it these many years later.

[MChambers]

While Grant's dunk against Kansas is impressive (basically because he had to go so high to get the lob ... he didn't really slam it with authority), there is another Grant Hill dunk that I think is more imoressive -- against Michigan in the 1992 championship game.

It was late in the second half and while Duke had the lead, it looked for a moment like the Devils were running out of gas. Coming out of a timeout, Duke got the ball to Grant in the corner. He drove the baseline, passing under the basket, then exploded up from the reverse angle and slammed it home.

That was the play that broke Michigan's back ... instead of fading, Duke coasted to the 20-point win.

I can't find that dunk on youtube, but in my memory, it was more impressive than the Kansas dunk -- especially if we consider context.

I don't remember that one, but I remember back to back possessions late in the first half of that game, when Duke was really struggling, with Laettner having an absolutely horrible half. Both times, in the half court offense, Grant got the ball on the baseline facing the basket against Webber. First time, he faked baseline (left) and went right around Webber and dunked. Duke couldn't get the stop at the other end, however, so came down the court needing a basket once again. Ball went to Hill in the same location, with Webber on him again. This time, Grant started by faking right, then left, then went right and dunked again. I thought those two possessions kept us in the first half.

But I'd still vote for Phil Henderson's dunk. It was a "holy ***! Where did that come from?" from sort of moment.

[luvdahops]

While Grant's dunk against Kansas is impressive (basically because he had to go so high to get the lob ... he didn't really slam it with authority), there is another Grant Hill dunk that I think is more imoressive -- against Michigan in the 1992 championship game.

It was late in the second half and while Duke had the lead, it looked for a moment like the Devils were running out of gas. Coming out of a timeout, Duke got the ball to Grant in the corner. He drove the baseline, passing under the basket, then exploded up from the reverse angle and slammed it home.

That was the play that broke Michigan's back ... instead of fading, Duke coasted to the 20-point win.

I can't find that dunk on youtube, but in my memory, it was more impressive than the Kansas dunk -- especially if we consider context.

Oh yeah. I was sitting facing that baseline, and clearly remember Grant starting his drive with his back to me and finishing it with an emphatic 180. A great dunk at a critical juncture.

Another incredible Grant dunk that always seems to get overlooked in these discussions was his supreme facial on Marquette's 7-1, NDPOY Jim McIlvaine in the closing minutes of a hard fought Sweet 16 game in 1994 tourney. We were deliberately chewing clock in the halfcourt when Grant exploded out of the stall and down the lane, going horizontal and damn near ripping McIlvaine's head off. Game over in that case, too.

[Duvall]

Another incredible Grant dunk that always seems to get overlooked in these discussions was his supreme facial on Marquette's 7-1, NDPOY Jim McIlvaine in the closing minutes of a hard fought Sweet 16 game in 1994 tourney.

Eighteen years later and it's still kind of funny.

[Cameron]

I nominate Corey Maggette's interpretation of "Stairway to Heaven" in '99 against Temple at the Meadowlands. I still don't know how he found the courage to come back down. In the dulcet words of Al McGuire, "Maggette, Maggette, Spaghetti!" Corey had wings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5ZF_oaO1lA

Another off-the-radar vote: the time Andre Dawkins, as a fragile, forgotten frosh reduced to playing single-digit minutes per game, reawakened everyone when he came out of nowhere in the ACC title game and took two hard dribbles through traffic for a one-handed throw-down that temporarily turned the lights out in Greensboro. He put together a bang-bang spurt of seven points in a matter of a few minutes, foreshadowing the cold-blooded exploits that were to come in Houston, saving Duke's hopes for a fourth national championship.

[rthomas]

History is great. And they all mean a lot and I love them all. And I'm an old timer and Phil Henderson's dunk was huge. But there were a couple dunks by Nolan Smith that were freaking amazing and I can't put my finger on the you tubes, that series of tubes that makes the inter nets, but Smitty rivals all the ones mentioned.

[phaedrus]

History is great. And they all mean a lot and I love them all. And I'm an old timer and Phil Henderson's dunk was huge. But there were a couple dunks by Nolan Smith that were freaking amazing and I can't put my finger on the you tubes, that series of tubes that makes the inter nets, but Smitty rivals all the ones mentioned.

The ones that I'll remember.


SIU:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwLlOafV3hg

82-50:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCi6NnGd7aQ

[mapei]

Context: The Duke-Gtown '89 game was a 1 vs. 2 matchup, so it wasn't like the Hoyas were all that big a favorite. Also, although 'Zo was a heralded recruit who had had a great freshman season, he was still a freshman and hadn't yet fully established his reputation as a great defensive player. Charles Smith was the leader of that Hoyas team, which closed to within two points after PH's slam. 'Zo only played 11 minutes in the second half of that game, though he did block 4 shots in his 26 total minutes.

I remember that game more for Laettner's superb performance than any other individual's play. That tournament was where many of us who didn't follow all of Duke's games at the time first got a glimpse of how much potential he had. His stats were better than Danny Ferry's in that game, even though Ferry was the big name at the time.

I agree with jimsumner about Dahntay's showboating.

And, as for Shane's blocks, wow, there are so many to choose from!

[Sir Stealth]

Another great one that isn't remembered as much as the pushups dunk against UVA (and is apparently harder to find video of) is the Dahntay dunk in the Maui invitational where he literally jumped completely over the defender to dunk the ball. Dahntay could get up there.

[Olympic Fan]

Context: The Duke-Gtown '89 game was a 1 vs. 2 matchup, so it wasn't like the Hoyas were all that big a favorite.

Yes and no.

You are right that Georgetown-Duke was a 1-2 ... but in the 1991 NCAA semifinals Duke over Vegas was a 2 ovr a 1 ... was that a huge upset?

Now, I don't mean to suggest that Duke over Georgetown in 1989 was that magnitude, but it was significant. Georgetown came out of the Big East Tournament that year annointed as a the pretournament favorite -- even though the Hoyas were ranked No. 2 to Arizona. But Georgetown was still the betting favorite and were viewed as a monstrous team.

How monstrous?

Well, look at the action of the NCAA selection committee. Duke and North Carolina were both given No. 2 seeds by the committee, but North Carolina, coming off a narrow victory over Duke in the ACC tournament was clearly regarded as the strongest No. 2 on the s-curve. At the time, balancing the field was the most important consideraing for the committee (geographic considerations played no role in that era). Dean Smith, who was angry the year before when Duke got to play in Chapel Hill in the NCAA Tournament (at the time teams could play on their home courts -- and usually did; but Duke had beaten UNC three times in '88 and was given the choice location), expected to get the spot in the East Regional in Greensboro when UNC beat Duke in Atlanta.

But Georgetown -- the strongest No. 1 -- was in the East and the committee didn't want to put its strongest No. 1 and its strongest No. 2 in the same region. So they moved UNC to the South (where they won two games in Atlanta and lost a Sweet 16 game to third-seeded Michigan (which eventually won the title). Duke was bracketed with Georgetown and allowed to start with two games in Greensboro, then move on to the Meadowlands. As it turned out, Duke had a fairly easy path to the regional championship game, getting unranked Minnesota in the Sweet 16. Duke beat the Gophers on the same night UNC lost to Michigan in Lexington. Afterwards, Dean uttered his famous complaint, "I'd rather have played Minnesota" -- revealing just how much the placement bothered him (which he privately blamed on Tom Butters, wo was on the selection committee).

My point is that while nobody would call Duke over Georgetown a monumental upset -- especially in hindsight when we see what Laettner and company would accomplish -- it was perceived as a major upset at the tim. You can't recapture it now, but that Georgetown team was thought to be a juggernaut.

[Cameron]

Here's a link to the Dawkins dunk in the 2010 ACC championship game that I referenced earlier (you have to scroll through a little bit). While at first glance maybe not as spectacular as some of the others mentioned, given the circumstances of where Andre's game was at the time -- he had almost completely disappeared to the bench by that point in the season, and had not scored a single basket in three games, with only 19 points over the previous 11-game stretch -- the out-of-nowhere jam helped propel the Blue Devils to an ACC title. The energy in the building just completely changed from that point forward. I have chills still.

http://www.dukeblueplanet.com/retro-duke.asp

Looking back through the Duke Blue Planet archives, which you can find in the link above, there is an entire world of Duke dunks about which I had completely forgotten. Take, for example, Gerald Henderson's spinning, one-handed slam overtop Illinois' Rodney Alexander in Maui. Incredible mid-air exploits by the man known simply as "G."

[hq2]

My point is that while nobody would call Duke over Georgetown a monumental upset -- especially in hindsight when we see what Laettner and company would accomplish -- it was perceived as a major upset at the time. You can't recapture it now, but that Georgetown team was thought to be a juggernaut.

I don't think that quite gets it right. The '89 team had a lot of talent on it, with multiple NBA players, including Ferry, Laettner and Abdelnaby (did I miss anyone else?). The team had been a preseason #1, but had faltered due to issues with chemistry and inconsistency; they had problems at point guard with Quin Snyder, and also had teamwork and chemistry issues. The result was that Duke lost a number of games during the regular season, and slipped into the bottom of the top 10.

That Georgetown team had both Dikembe and Alonzo on it, probably the best inside defensive college front line in history, but Duke's frontcourt D
was pretty decent too, and the rest of the team was clearly better; I mean, Georgetown did not have one player on the team, including their guards,
who could throw the ball in the ocean. They were a horrible shooting team, and Duke wasn't. Duke forced them to come out and guard Ferry and the
rest of the team, which left the back door open for Laettner who repeatedly burned them. Overall, given the way the teams matched up, it wasn't really that much of an upset.

The Henderson slam was memorable because it was so outrageous, and Alonzo, even though only a freshman (and not that bulked up yet, either)
was already establishing a reputation as a pretty scary shotblocker. To believe that a skinny guard like Henderson could deliver a facial to someone
like Alonzo was simply incredible. That's why I ranked it ahead of Gene's dunk, even Gene's was more spectacular.

[mapei]

I don't think that quite gets it right. The '89 team had a lot of talent on it, with multiple NBA players, including Ferry, Laettner and Abdelnaby (did I miss anyone else?). The team had been a preseason #1, but had faltered due to issues with chemistry and inconsistency; they had problems at point guard with Quin Snyder, and also had teamwork and chemistry issues. The result was that Duke lost a number of games during the regular season, and slipped into the bottom of the top 10.

That Georgetown team had both Dikembe and Alonzo on it, probably the best inside defensive college front line in history, but Duke's frontcourt D
was pretty decent too, and the rest of the team was clearly better; I mean, Georgetown did not have one player on the team, including their guards,
who could throw the ball in the ocean. They were a horrible shooting team, and Duke wasn't. Duke forced them to come out and guard Ferry and the
rest of the team, which left the back door open for Laettner who repeatedly burned them. Overall, given the way the teams matched up, it wasn't really that much of an upset.

The Henderson slam was memorable because it was so outrageous, and Alonzo, even though only a freshman (and not that bulked up yet, either)
was already establishing a reputation as a pretty scary shotblocker. To believe that a skinny guard like Henderson could deliver a facial to someone
like Alonzo was simply incredible. That's why I ranked it ahead of Gene's dunk, even Gene's was more spectacular.

That's closer to the way I remember it. I was just becoming a Duke fan at the time but was already a big Gtown fan, having gone to school there and living in DC. I followed that team very closely, and they just weren't close to the great Hoya teams of the Ewing years with great college players like Sleepy Floyd, Reggie Williams, David Wingate and Gene Smith, still the best defensive guard I have ever seen.

Mark Tillmon and Jaren Jackson on the '89 team actually could shoot OK, and Charles Smith was Big East POY and, I think, second-team all-American. But Tillmon and Jackson weren't great ball-handlers or defenders. Mourning was on his way to becoming one of the best college defenders ever, but was still a freshman at a time when most good players still stayed four years. Mourning-Mutombo would become a fierce front line, but Deke was strictly a bench player at the time and Thompson hadn't yet figured out that he should actually play them together.

Duke was the better team IMO - remember, Gtown needed a miracle last-second shot just to get past Princeton in the first round that tournament.

That doesn't take anything away from Henderson's dunk over a much bigger and stronger player, and I can certainly understand why Duke fans consider it among the all-times. But, to be honest, as well as I remember that game watching as a Hoya fan, I don't even remember the dunk. It wasn't that big a deal from my side. I do remember Laettner and Ferry in that game all too well. ;(

I rooted hard for Duke in that Final Four and have ever since, though it's pure hell whenever my two favorite teams play each other. I know I'm going to feel bad no matter who wins.

[comdytrd]

And Grant's dunk came early in the 1991 NC game. It sent a message, was spectacular, and had an incredible degree of difficulty. We won our first NC that game, which gives his dunk added significance to me.

I was fortunate enough to be at that game, and can say that dunk stunned and electrified, somehow at the same time. It was like nothing I had experienced. :cool:

[hq2]

I was fortunate enough to be at that game, and can say that dunk stunned and electrified, somehow at the same time. It was like nothing I had experienced. :cool:

Pretty amazing wasn't it? The crowd simply gasped with disbelief. I think the SI photograph in the article on the game shows it about right.
Maybe someone filmed it from my angle; looked simply incredible. Given the difficulty and context (NC game), still the greatest.

[pfrduke]

Didn't think this was worth a separate thread, but the caption on the front page picture seems to be wrong. Pretty sure that's Dahntay against Ball State in Maui, and not against UVA.

[Dukehky]

Didn't think this was worth a separate thread, but the caption on the front page picture seems to be wrong. Pretty sure that's Dahntay against Ball State in Maui, and not against UVA.

It was against Ball State at the Maui Invitational in the 2001-2002 season. He jumped from way outside the lane, and it was called a charge. Coach K spent the next 2 minutes telling the ref that it wasn't because Tay jumped over the dude.

The Push Ups dunk was great too, K yanked his backside out of the game right after he hit that free throw though. Personally, I would have let it roll.

[pfrduke]

Didn't think this was worth a separate thread, but the caption on the front page picture seems to be wrong. Pretty sure that's Dahntay against Ball State in Maui, and not against UVA.

And now the caption has been updated - my work here is done.