How Long Have You Been A Duke BB Fan?

[Henderson]

Sagegrouse recently mentioned that he's been a Duke basketball fan for 55 years. That's pretty impressive to me, and a lot longer than most marriages last. Anyway, it made me curious about the group.

So let's take roll.

And let me say off the top that longevity of fandom has no bearing on quality of insights. Historical perspective is good, but there are a lot of younger fans here with much better insights than us old farts, or at least than me.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Sagegrouse recently mentioned that he's been a Duke basketball fan for 55 years. That's pretty impressive to me, and a lot longer than most marriages last. Anyway, it made me curious about the group.

Anyway, let's take roll.

And let me say off the top that longevity of fandom has no bearing on quality of insights. Historical perspective is good, but there are a lot of younger fans here with much better insights than us old farts, or at least than me.

2003. Freshman year of college. Duhon, Redick, Ewing, Deng, and S. Williams. Great introduction to Duke basketball.

NOTE: As sad as it is to say, college basketball internationally has about as much appeal as cricket does in the United States. Basketball is huge, but it's all NBA, NBA, NBA. I wish I had exposure to college ball growing up, but there was so little opportunity for me.

[The Gordog]

Sagegrouse recently mentioned that he's been a Duke basketball fan for 55 years. That's pretty impressive to me, and a lot longer than most marriages last. Anyway, it made me curious about the group.

So let's take roll.

And let me say off the top that longevity of fandom has no bearing on quality of insights. Historical perspective is good, but there are a lot of younger fans here with much better insights than us old farts, or at least than me.

Final Four 1978 - present, so 36 2/3 years.

It started when I was 14.

[cspan37421]

Freshman year at Duke, 1985-6. I went to college as a football fan. But then I saw:

Dawkins, Amaker, Alarie, Henderson, Bilas, Ferry, King
and
Strickland, Smith, Snyder, Williams, Nessley, Burgin

and it was a beautiful game to behold.

oh, and I was caught up the Cameron Crazies mania too.

[markbdevil]

Duke fan since the early 1970's, Willie Hodge and Pete Kramer and Mark Crow fan. Remember watching Mike McGee football teams on wooden splintered bleachers in Wallace Wade. Use to wear my Duke stuff to school and be made fun. Wallace Wade Stadium didn't have a digital clock, use to have a timer that looked like a watch, never knew how much time was left in a game. Remember when smoking was allowed in Cameron (Duke Indoor Stadium). By the end of the game, there was a haze so thick you could hardly see the other end of the stadium.

[brevity]

ACC basketball fan for 27 years, Duke specific for about 25. I say "about" because I injured my back a few years ago, so I don't know if that brief period counts toward the Silver Anniversary.

Hmm, Duke Silver...

4564

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

As the son of two Duke alums, my first memories of basketball are all Duke related.

My first clear memory of a particular game was losing to Louisville in 1986. I was a new enough fan that it never occurred to me that my team could lose a big game. I learned quickly over the next few years...

My other early Duke memory was going to the Smith Center in 1988 to watch Duke play SMU in the second round of the NCAA tourney. Earlier that same year, my sister took off for UNC and I remember watching Duke knock off JR Reid and UNC on her dorm lounge TV.

Anyways, when people ask how long I've been a Duke fan (I think most people expect my answer to go back to the Reddick days or some such thing) my usual answer is "long enough to remember when the line on Coach K was that he couldn't win the big one."

Go Duke!

[1 24 90]

If I had to pinpoint it, it would be January 24, 1990. I remember watching Duke host NC State with Bobby Hurley vs. Chris Corchiani from my college apartment at the University of Dayton. An overtime thriller won by Duke and I've been all in ever since. Thanks Bobby. 25 years in January.

[szstark]

50 years. Freshman year 1964. First game in the Indoor Stadium versus Michigan with Cazzie Russell and Bill Buntin. Hooked for life.

[mgtr]

We moved to South Carolina in July, 1984. Before that time I worked hard, then I had a no-work job in SC (college prof). We were always basketball fans, but my first remembrance of Duke BB was Bobby Hurley. We liked him a lot and have followed Duke BB ever since.

[AncientPsychicT]

My parents say that I was enthusiastically cheering on the Devils at as young an age as 2, but the first season I can really remember at all was the 1998-99 season, during which I turned 5.

In other news, my least favorite team is the one composed of prisoners from cell block C.

[luvdahops]

Since early 1978 (nearly 37 years)

Was an ACC fan dating back to the 72-73 season, when a local station in Ohio started showing the CD Chesley ACC games of the week. Was a huge David Thompson, and by extension NC State, fan initially, but loved watching those games no matter who was on (Devils were not on much back in those days). The Duke fire was lit when my older sister was accepted her senior year ('78), and Forever's team started gathering some national attention. What a ride that was.

[DukieInKansas]

Final Four 1978 - present, so 36 2/3 years.

It started when I was 14.

Thank you for doing the math - and I won't confess to how old I was at the time. :D

[drcharl]

Starting with watching Bob Verga play 1964-1967. As a senior he averaged 26.7 ppg. Also, enjoyed watching Jeff Mullins and Jack Marin.

[BluBones]

Since I showed up on campus in 1980 and on my first night met this guy in a bar named Gene Banks.

He was cool, so why not be a fan?

[Billy Dat]

Upon matriculation in 1990, nearly 25 years.

I am sad to say that I heartily rooted for Louisville in 1986 as I had liked the Cardinals since the local McCray brothers, Scooter and Rodney, played for Denny Crum. Upon becoming a fan and learning about the fan history of the program, largely from this board, it disturbs me to know that I rooted on the wrong side of what was the most painful loss in Duke history for so many diehard fans. Regrets, I've had a few...

[DukieInBrasil]

Since '86. My dad is a Duke alum and turned me on to college ball during that year's NCAA run. I was 10.

[wilson]

Since the mid 1980s. My father is a Duke alum, and my family first got cable television specifically so that we could watch more Duke games. The first specific things I remember watching on television are Duke games, and the first player I specifically remember watching is Danny Ferry when I was about 5 (I was born in 1982). I matriculated at Duke in the fall of 2000, but had already been a fan for almost 15 years by then.

[Atldukie79]

As a Durham native (born at Duke Hospital :)) and son of a Duke alum, I can claim being a Duke fan for as long as I can recall anything. Specifically, I remember listening to the radio in the early 60's and "shooting" a couch pillow at the door jam.

I would have to say 1963 as I recall Hayman's name being mentioned a good deal on the radio. so that would be 51 years.

My Dad would claim about 80 years, though he usually references Wallace Wade when referring to older Duke sports memories. But Dick Groat remains his favorite player.

[Kedsy]

Final Four 1978 - present, so 36 2/3 years.

It started when I was 14.

Same for me, except I was 17. I visited Duke in March of 1978 and chose to attend a month later, starting as a freshman that September. I wasn't much of a college basketball fan when I showed up (despite the famous "Big Five," Philadelphia is really a pro sports city), but it didn't take long for me to get caught up in it.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

50 years. Freshman year 1964. First game in the Indoor Stadium versus Michigan with Cazzie Russell and Bill Buntin. Hooked for life.

I was at that game. Sat under the basket where Cazzie came sliding in a few times.

The story in my family is that my first four words were Momma, Daddy, "potetbook" and Duke. My dad was a freshman when the football stadium was completed and was a teacher at Durham High while Indoor Stadium was being built. He proposed to my mother at the Duke-Pitt game payed by the original Iron Dukes. I'm not sure when to start counting for being a Duke fan (football and basketball). It's all I've ever ever known!;)

[Monmouth77]

Since '86. My dad is a Duke alum and turned me on to college ball during that year's NCAA run. I was 10.

Same here. I was 9 in '86. Duke was my first, and remains my most enduring, sports love. Supposedly I went to games in the late '70s but I cannot remember. My user name is the street off east campus where I lived as a baby and the year I was born.

[jimsumner]

I'm old enough to remember Harold Bradley.

[plimnko]

i'm into my 57th year

[wilson]

...My user name is the street off east campus where I lived as a baby and the year I was born.I seem to (not) recall killing quite a few brain cells on that street.

[cowetarock]

Wade and Cameron were not stadia in the fall of 1950 when I was a freshman but more important,Dick Groat was a player and I quickly became a Duke basketball fan.

[AIRFORCEDUKIE]

I was born in 1982 so my earliest memory of Duke Basketball was around 1989 or so. It was sitting on the couch surrounded by my dad (a Duke fan) and my cousins and uncle (all state fans) I don't remember the opponent but I remember how fun it was to sit and watch with my family. Even the state fans were rooting for Duke which leads me to believe it was a game against UNC. Then I vividly remember 91 and 92, and I really started to get into it during Grant Hills era to the point where I would tape every game and re watch them looking for tips on how to play. Unfortunately I didn't have near the athletic ability of G. Hill but I did alright. The following years bordered on obsession to where I would let my mood be decided on how Duke played. I've mellowed out not, and I try not to let my mood be based on what college kids do on the court any given night.

[timmy c]

As part of the crowd at the Cole Field House with my Dad (a Univ. of Maryland Medical School Alum) I got a very quirky feeling. Maybe it was indigestion or maybe the onset of some pre-teen rebellion. By halftime I stopped rooting with my father and by the end of the game I was quite excited that my new favorite player, Danny Ferry, had led his team to victory.

[duke1954]

I have been a fan since 1950 when I arrived at Duke. That must make it 64 years. We took the bus to West, walked into Cameron and had our choice of seats. There were jump balls instead of possession arrows and Fred Shabel was my favorite player.

[elvis14]

1991 - I was in grad school at Clemson and really started to get into ACC hoops. I also moved to the Triangle area in September of 1991. It was easy to start being a Duke fan because they were winning and I was pretty quiet about it for a while (not being a big fan of bandwagon fans, I didn't want to be one). I'm not quiet about it any more. I hardly every wear anything Clemson but I'm wearing something Duke all the time.

[JStuart]

Ahh, not too shabby, Atldukie:
Son of two Duke Alums, Durham native, (Watts Hospital, though); first game I saw in Duke Indoor was Villanova, 1957, and I was 7 then. The cigarette smoke by the end of the game was so thick, one couldn't see the fans across the way from the upper seats. And the old scoreboards on the ends of the stadium were terrific.
Games were Tuesday nights and Saturday afternoons, even on Tuesday school nights one could be home by 9:30 or ten.
I. too, remember Coach Bradley, Prof. Summers!
I also remember the players' majors would be announced during the introductions. Duke had plenty of history majors....and State once had a starting lineup majoring in 'Rural Recreation' The late Art Chandler had a blast savoring those 'R's.
My Dad also liked Dick Groat, as well as Lefty Driesell playing center, using a left-handed hook shot.
Wonderful times.
JStuart

As a Durham native (born at Duke Hospital :)) and son of a Duke alum, I can claim being a Duke fan for as long as I can recall anything. Specifically, I remember listening to the radio in the early 60's and "shooting" a couch pillow at the door jam.

I would have to say 1963 as I recall Hayman's name being mentioned a good deal on the radio. so that would be 51 years.

My Dad would claim about 80 years, though he usually references Wallace Wade when referring to older Duke sports memories. But Dick Groat remains his favorite player.

[Henderson]

I have been a fan since 1950 when I arrived at Duke. That must make it 64 years. We took the bus to West, walked into Cameron and had our choice of seats. There were jump balls instead of possession arrows and Fred Shabel was my favorite player.

At the risk of hijacking a thread I started, do you 50's guys remember what was on offer at the concession stands?

[DukeDiva]

I became a Duke fan during the 90-91 Season. My mom was in the hospital recovering from a bone marrow transplant at the time, so we spent a lot of time that year visiting. Not much to do in the hospital, so I watched a lot of basketball. Loved the Devils run that year leading to the first of back to back championships. Laettner hit two free throws to put Duke on top and I held my breath as Hunt took that 3 at the buzzer. I was hooked, grew up in Rock Chalk country wearing my Duke blue proudly. Married a Georgia Tech alum, who I have converted during basketball season (unless Duke and Tech are playing).

[wilko]

Final Four 1978 - present, so 36 2/3 years. It started when I was 14.

In following the religion of my Dad and uncles - this too is my 1st distinct and individual memory of Duke Basketball.
I was 10 :-)

[Tripping William]

Earliest things I remember about Duke basketball (apologies that some of this is painful for many):

(1) The Goose Givens Sports Illustrated cover in 1978 (I was almost nine, but a subscriber. Mom hid the swimsuit edition from me for several years . . . ).

(2) The 1986 Final Four (the good of the semis and the bad of the finals).

(3) Billy King shutting down Mark Macon in 1988.

I was out of the country for Special and for the 1990 loss to UNLV, so I didn't become what anyone would consider a "fan" until March 30, 1991. I have been hooked ever since, though!

[duke79]

I became a Duke BB fan in the mid-70's when I came to Duke to begin college. Although I grew up in a "Duke" household (my father had been a great baseball player at Duke in the halcyon days of Duke baseball under Coach Combs and my mother was also a Duke grad, so I knew a lot about Duke), I don't think I had ever seen Duke play basketball before I showed up on campus. Admittedly, the late 60's and early 70's were lean years in Duke BB history and these were the days before ESPN and extensive college basketball coverage on TV. Also, I grew up in Massachusetts where college basketball was almost non-existent and pro sports (the Bruins, Celtics, Red Sox and Patriots) dominated the local sports scene. I was a hockey fanatic growing up and huge fan of the Bobby Orr-led Bruins in the late 60's.

[jv001]

Hate to say it, but I became a fan of ACC bb in 1957, when the now cheating tarheels won the national championship. I don't know if they cheated to win the championship or not. I started leaning to Duke when Bobby Joe Harris(King, NC) was at Duke. Then in the 1960-1961 season, I became a big Duke Blue Devil fan. That team had 5 players that averaged double figures, beginning with Art Heyman at 25 ppg. He also averaged about 11 rpg. The starters were: Mr. Heyman, Carroll Youngkin, Howard Hurt, Doug Kistler and John Frye. That remains one of my all time favorites. GoDuke!

[DukeFanSince1990]

I forget.

[aimo]

I attended a Duke basketball game two days before I was born. I don't remember not being a Duke basketball fan. Going on 45 years . . . god, did I just admit that?:o

[mbd1mbd1]

Since fall of 96 for me, so I guess I'm on my 19th season? 96-97 was a good year, John Feinstein even wrote a book about it.

I grew up in Arkansas though, and first got into college basketball with Alvin Robertson, Joe Kleine, and Eddie Sutton. I rooted for Arkansas in the 94 title game.

[dairedevil]

Both of my parents are Duke graduates, so I was exposed to a love of all things Duke all my life. Growing up in the Atlanta area in the 60's, though, Duke didn't get a lot of exposure with the local sports media.

I remember watching the 1978 championship game with my folks and newborn son. Ga Tech joined the ACC, ESPN came to cable and showed lots of games, and it was much easier to watch and follow our beloved Blue Devils. In 1986, I made DUKE t-shirts for my son and me to wear during the Final Four - you couldn't find any Duke apparel in Atlanta then. Times have certainly changed....

[MarkD83]

I grew up watching big 5 basketball in the palestra. They also televised regional games of interest on the local station. One day I turned on the game and duke was playing unc. Unc went four corners and I thought how stupid is this. At halftime it was 7 0 duke and I was hooked. I then went to duke in 79 pre K and watched west philly star tinkerbell and reaffirmed my love of duke ball. One last comment thank you Tom Butters.

[rasputin]

My family moved to Greensboro in the fall of 1968. Not exactly the glory days for Duke athletics. Of course the majority of kids rooted for the Cheaters. I've never been one to go along with the crowd.

[weezie]

I attended a Duke basketball game two days before I was born. I don't remember not being a Duke basketball fan.

For me there is no beginning of fandom and no end. The circle will be unbroken.

[CharlestonDevil]

Since the day in 2nd grade when a UNC fan in a Walmart purchased TarHeel sweatshirt made a joke about me not pulling for "Michael Jordan's school".

22 years ago my love for Duke basketball started with hatred for U*NC. Seems appropriate now that we know they have been cheating for the majority of my life...

[JTH]

I can't remember exactly, but I do recall that the world was still just rocks and dirt was yet to be invented. Funny, I never thought dirt would catch on. We all thought it was just a fad.

Actually, I first got hooked by Jeff Mullins and Hack Tison. I regret that I do not recall seeing Art Heyman, so I must have started following the year after he graduated. That would be the early 60's.

Yes, I am older than dirt.

[wavedukefan70s]

My first duke shirt has spanarkel and Gminski on it.so I'd would guess mid late 70s.

[Native]

I posted this in a Reddit thread a while back. I've always been a Duke fan, but this is the day I became a die-hard.


My parents are both UNC alumni, but my maternal grandfather has taught business at Duke's Fuqua School since the late sixties.

When I was little, they both worked full time, so I would go spend the day at my grandma's house often. She'd take me over to campus to hang out at my grandpa's office all day, so I spent a ton of time on Duke's campus growing up.

For these reasons I grew up a Duke fan, even with my pretty voracious UNC fan of a dad. My grandpa sat on the academic advisory council for athletics at Duke, so through those connections I actually had the privilege of being a ball boy for the team in the late 90s and early 2000s.

Before one home game in 2001, a few of the players on the team were out shooting around during warmups. This was after the student doors had opened but prior to general admission doors opening, so it's just the players and the students in there.

As a ball boy, my job during this time was to rebound for the team. While doing this, Chris Duhon came up to me and jokingly challenged me to a game of one-on-one. I was 8 or 9 at the time, so I was scared out of my mind — never mind the fact that I was giving up about three feet or so to the guy — but we started "playing" anyway.

After a few go-arounds, the Crazies started to chant my name more loudly and cheered me on against Duhon. When Duhon went back to the locker room, the students called me over and crowd-surfed me all the way up to the upper level in Cameron and back down.

Since that time, I worked my a** off to get into Duke, will be a senior here in the fall, and am currently a Line Monitor that organizes the Krzyzewskiville campout every year.
Time flies.

[Saratoga2]

I was born in 1941 and played high school ball along the way. Since I thought I was a decent player, I tried playing at Northeastern Univeristy but quickly found being an all star at a small town didn't qualify me to play at the college level. Still I loved the game and found Duke to have a BB program that I really admired. I don't think I can say 55 years, but it is pretty close. Duke has been consistently fan worthy for all those years.

[Tommac]

Since at least the 65-66 season when Duke lost to Kentucky in the NCAA semifinal because Bob Verga was sick. Kentucky went on to lose to the famous Texas Western team.

[Jarhead]

My time at Duke started in September, 1949. Wallace Wade was the football coach, Jerry Gerard was the basketball coach, and Jack Coombs was the baseball coach. The crowds for most sports seemed very large. I didn't miss a game, and soon became a fan in all Duke sports. Freshmen had to memorize all of the Duke songs and cheers. The basketball roster included Ceep Youmans, Zeus Kulpan and Carl Sapp. Dick Groat was on the freshman team. Duke had two All-Americans prior to that, but Groat was, to me, the start of the modern era of Duke basketball, and please don't argue with me. Just look up in the rafters. Groat's #10 was the first retired jersey up there.

My season tickets for football date back to the early seventies, and I had season hoops tickets until two seasons after I moved to Northern Virginia around 30 years ago. For those two years we made it to just two games, so we gave them up. Luckily, Duke is well covered on TV.

[hudlow]

....Bill Foster was wearing plaid pants when I started following the Blue Devils.

[fidel]

When I was a 16 in '78...still remember the Sports Illustrated cover of tinkerbell fighting for points in the paint...'Duke Breaks Loose'. That's a long time ago!

Moved to the triangle in 87, loved watching Duke from the cheap seats (parking lot purchases).

Fuqua grad along the way.

It's been the Good Old Days for a long time now, and I have enjoyed it all.

[CDu]

My story is somewhat similar to Billy Dat's story, though a few years later. I grew up rooting against Duke. I didn't become a fan until I got accepted to Duke. So things really took hold in the Fall of 1997, when (along with Brand, Battier, Burgess, Avery, and Simpson, I made my arrival at Duke. Diehard ever since, though.

[bbosbbos]

A fan from 2005 after finding a job in DUMC.

[bluedevil31]

I grew up 45 minutes north of Syracuse, NY and just never cared for SU or Jim Boeheim, even though everyone around me loved them. I loved playing and watching basketball though. The first Duke game I remember watching is the battle of the Danny's, Danny Ferry and Danny Manning, not sure of the year, late 1980's but I loved watching Duke play and Coach K, I was hooked. I've been a Duke fan ever since then. As life happens, I graduated from college, moved to NC, married a Durham native and Duke fan, and we now have season tickets for football and attend as many basketball games as we can!

[Bostondevil]

I probably became a Duke fan when my father accepted a scholarship to Duke in the fall of 1954. I wasn't born yet but as Jim Valvano once said, in the ACC fans are born not made. I wasn't brought home to a crib decorated in Duke's colors, but, I've been cheering for them all my life. My first favorite player was Gary Melchionni. I think I liked him best because I was kinda proud I could say his name. When I was a kid and you asked me what I wanted to be when I grew, I'd come up with an answer, but really, all I ever wanted to be was a Duke grad/Cameron Crazie (although we weren't the Cameron Crazies until after I graduated).

AncientPhysicT maybe can't remember the comeback against Carolina in the '97-'98 season but I remember him watching the game. I'd date his awareness of Duke basketball to that game.

We have one rule in my house, you do not root for Carolina. Have I ever made a kid stand outside in the cold for testing those waters by pretending to root for the baby blues? Yes. Yes, I have. Actually, that's wrong, we have two rules. The other rule is you can study at any university you want to (and get accepted to), but if you go to UNC, I will not pay for it.

Side note: I was permanently scarred by that game in 1974. I never, ever, ever believe it's over until the buzzer sounds. I'd make Yogi Berra proud.

[Kedsy]

The other rule is you can study at any university you want to (and get accepted to), but if you go to UNC, I will not pay for it.

I set this exact rule for my own son. Funny, I worded it almost exactly the same way. Though he's a sensible boy so I don't expect him to want to go to UNC. Still, always helps to set expectations properly, right?

[superdave]

Freshman year at Duke, 1985-6. I went to college as a football fan. But then I saw:

Dawkins, Amaker, Alarie, Henderson, Bilas, Ferry, King
and
Strickland, Smith, Snyder, Williams, Nessley, Burgin

and it was a beautiful game to behold.

oh, and I was caught up the Cameron Crazies mania too.

I became a fan in 1985 as well, but I was 7 years old. I had two family friends who were at Duke who got me interested. I had the 1985-1986 "Formula For Success" team poster in my room, and I seem to remember having a Duke Big Apple (preseason) NIT tshirt.

[Jim3k]

Sage and I are tied at 55. As freshmen we were on the same floor in House J. He may actually have been a fan earlier since he was southern-born and was more aware of Duke than I. I confess that growing up in Colorado and living for two years in New England did not result in fandom of the basketball team, even though the '59-'60 team had made its mark nationally. As a high schooler I was only aware of Duke as a target school. Walking into DIS in the fall of 1960 changed everything.

[rolm]

Moved to the United States (DC) in fall of 1981 from India at the age of 14. I had never seen a basketball game before. Didn't have many friends in school in a new country. Since I had always been an avid sports fan, I tried to follow whatever sport was on TV. Football, I didn't understand at all for the first couple of years. But when the college basketball season started, I began to follow it. I had no concept of college basketball rivalries. I was just watching to better understand the game. Then one day, I was watching Duke play Maryland. Here was a young, enthusiastic coach towards whom I took an instant liking. Have been a fan ever since. 33 years onwards, both my sons (the older one is now a first year engineering student at Virginia Tech) are avid Duke basketball fans. This has been my small contribution towards growing the fan base :)

[Indoor66]

1955 - when I went to the Orange Bowl for Duke's win over Nebraska. In 1960 I added Basketball - I date back to Vic's first season and that wonderful year.

[kmspeaks]

My first season playing organized basketball was 1996. Because of the way the age cut-off worked I had to play in the 10-11 year old league even though I was 9 for most of the season. I was short for my age so playing against older kids made me seem even smaller, plus they're weren't enough girls to have our own league so I was playing against boys. I happened to catch a Duke game on TV and saw this point guard with a funny name running all over the place and thought "that's how I need to play!" I may not have lit up the scoreboard but nobody was going to question my effort or toughness. Wojo was my man and Duke has been my team ever since.

[Mike Corey]

I can't claim being a Duke fan from birth, but my parents--particularly my father, a 1969 alum--inculcated a love of all things Duke from as far back as I can remember, which is to say, 1987 or so.

If my Dad wasn't wearing a suit, he was wearing Duke clothes. I have done my best to duplicate those efforts.

My first memory of a specific game was from the 1988 Final Four, when we turned the ball over 3 times before we scored a point, en route to a double-digit loss to Seton Hall. I watched in the family room with my dad--he on one couch, me sitting directly across from him. We'd bounce a Jordan Jammer basketball back and forth during timeouts, one of our superstitions that would last through our back-to-back titles in 1992.

I met Coach K that same year of 1989, during my Dad's 20th reunion. Coach was sitting at the Washington Duke, having breakfast. My Dad--perhaps wise enough to know that his seven-year old would have a better chance of securing an autograph--sent me over to introduce myself. Coach K was kind enough to oblige: "Michael: Always try your best. Coach K."

I met Coach K again in 2003, in one of my first duties as sports editor at The Chronicle. It was a wide-ranging interview, and I barely asked anything, I was so shell-shocked. My recorder ended up running out, but I didn't tell Coach. I just kept listening, trying to take as many mental notes for my personal edification, if not for my three loyal readers.

I remember walking out of Cameron Indoor, calling my Dad to report on The Greatest Moment of My Life Thus Far. Dad's first question, "Well, did you tell him that he and I have the same birthday? Did you tell him about us?"

Dad was just as giddy as I had been. But I had not, no. That conversation with Coach K would come later, I promised.

In nine months' time, Duke was in the Final Four, and I had a ticket for my Dad to use. He was too busy at work, and had not been feeling well, and so opted to just watch from home. Not pressing him on this, and missing out on the chance to watch a Final Four game with my father, is one of my life's great regrets.

August came, along with the start of my senior year and the discovery of the source of my father's ailment: esophageal cancer. Through six months of fighting, few went out of their way as much as the Duke basketball family did, though they barely knew me and only knew of my dad. The basketball Coach signed for my Dad sits in his home office still.

After my father passed away in February 2005, my mother and I sat in hospice, trying to draft my father's obituary and to identify a fund or two for which funds might be solicited in my father's memory. The choice was easy: It had to include Duke. I called up one of the great men I met at Duke, and he directed me to an opportunity to "name" a blue window in Cameron Indoor. I'm very proud and grateful that a plaque emblazoned with "George Nassif Corey" resides in Cameron Indoor to this day.

The good folks here at DBR were kind enough to permit me to write a story about my father and Duke basketball. It was raw and emotional, but I'm eternally grateful to DBR for having allowed me to print it. The story found its way to Coach K's desk, and he called me shortly thereafter. I finally had the opportunity to introduce Coach K to my dad.

In the time since, Duke basketball has continued to provide me the opportunity to feel closer to my father, if for no other reason than as a mere fan. And I know, having spoken with many members of the DBR community about this over the years, that such experiences are not at all uncommon, nor is an engagement with the humanity of Coach K and the program he has built. I am grateful to be a part of this family. And I know how this family has taken care of our military abroad, and of countless going through personal and familial challenges at home. I saw it with my and Donald's dear friend Gloria Borges, and I know Coach K will be reaching out with the same level of compassion for the rest of his time on this earth.

In the meantime, we have the distinct pleasure of watching the young men in his care play a game we all love, year after year after year.

[jimsumner]

I can't claim being a Duke fan from birth, but my parents--particularly my father, a 1969 alum--inculcated a love of all things Duke from as far back as I can remember, which is to say, 1987 or so.

If my Dad wasn't wearing a suit, he was wearing Duke clothes. I have done my best to duplicate those efforts.

My first memory of a specific game was from the 1988 Final Four, when we turned the ball over 3 times before we scored a point, en route to a double-digit loss to Seton Hall. I watched in the family room with my dad--he on one couch, me sitting directly across from him. We'd bounce a Jordan Jammer basketball back and forth during timeouts, one of our superstitions that would last through our back-to-back titles in 1992.

I met Coach K that same year of 1989, during my Dad's 20th reunion. Coach was sitting at the Washington Duke, having breakfast. My Dad--perhaps wise enough to know that his seven-year old would have a better chance of securing an autograph--sent me over to introduce myself. Coach K was kind enough to oblige: "Michael: Always try your best. Coach K."

I met Coach K again in 2003, in one of my first duties as sports editor at The Chronicle. It was a wide-ranging interview, and I barely asked anything, I was so shell-shocked. My recorder ended up running out, but I didn't tell Coach. I just kept listening, trying to take as many mental notes for my personal edification, if not for my three loyal readers.

I remember walking out of Cameron Indoor, calling my Dad to report on The Greatest Moment of My Life Thus Far. Dad's first question, "Well, did you tell him that he and I have the same birthday? Did you tell him about us?"

Dad was just as giddy as I had been. But I had not, no. That conversation with Coach K would come later, I promised.

In nine months' time, Duke was in the Final Four, and I had a ticket for my Dad to use. He was too busy at work, and had not been feeling well, and so opted to just watch from home. Not pressing him on this, and missing out on the chance to watch a Final Four game with my father, is one of my life's great regrets.

August came, along with the start of my senior year and the discovery of the source of my father's ailment: esophageal cancer. Through six months of fighting, few went out of their way as much as the Duke basketball family did, though they barely knew me and only knew of my dad. The basketball Coach signed for my Dad sits in his home office still.

After my father passed away in February 2005, my mother and I sat in hospice, trying to draft my father's obituary and to identify a fund or two for which funds might be solicited in my father's memory. The choice was easy: It had to include Duke. I called up one of the great men I met at Duke, and he directed me to an opportunity to "name" a blue window in Cameron Indoor. I'm very proud and grateful that a plaque emblazoned with "George Nassif Corey" resides in Cameron Indoor to this day.

The good folks here at DBR were kind enough to permit me to write a story about my father and Duke basketball. It was raw and emotional, but I'm eternally grateful to DBR for having allowed me to print it. The story found its way to Coach K's desk, and he called me shortly thereafter. I finally had the opportunity to introduce Coach K to my dad.

In the time since, Duke basketball has continued to provide me the opportunity to feel closer to my father, if for no other reason than as a mere fan. And I know, having spoken with many members of the DBR community about this over the years, that such experiences are not at all uncommon, nor is an engagement with the humanity of Coach K and the program he has built. I am grateful to be a part of this family. And I know how this family has taken care of our military abroad, and of countless going through personal and familial challenges at home. I saw it with my and Donald's dear friend Gloria Borges, and I know Coach K will be reaching out with the same level of compassion for the rest of his time on this earth.

In the meantime, we have the distinct pleasure of watching the young men in his care play a game we all love, year after year after year.

Mike,

The 1988 FF loss was to Kansas. Duke fell way behind early, almost caught up but never could het over the proverbial hump.

Ironically, Duke had edged Kansas a few weeks earlier in Lawrence. Those were the two Danny v. Danny gamed referenced earlier. Ferry and Manning did square off in the 1986 FF but Dawkins and Alarie were the stars of that Duke team. Ferry, however, did get huge basket late.

The Seton Hall loss was the next year. Duke actually led 26-8 but lost Brickey to a knee injury on a cheap shot and got blown out after intermission.

Somebody asked earlier about concessions in the 1950s. I believe the only thing sold then was cigarettes. It was Durham, after all.

[fuse]

Fall of 1989, when I was accepted early decision to Duke.

I put $20 in a hotel staff basketball pool during my senior year spring break ski trip, and came within 30 points of winning the pool by virtue of picking Duke to win it all. I was not a big basketball fan prior, and I recall telling the guy at the front desk Duke would win next year and I'd win the pool.

Ah, precocious youth- I had no idea what I was talking about, and even though I returned the following year and Duke did win, there was no hotel staff pool to win.

Great thread, awesome stories!

[Mike Corey]

Mike,

The 1988 FF loss was to Kansas. Duke fell way behind early, almost caught up but never could het over the proverbial hump.

Ironically, Duke had edged Kansas a few weeks earlier in Lawrence. Those were the two Danny v. Danny gamed referenced earlier. Ferry and Manning did square off in the 1986 FF but Dawkins and Alarie were the stars of that Duke team. Ferry, however, did get huge basket late.

The Seton Hall loss was the next year. Duke actually led 26-8 but lost Brickey to a knee injury on a cheap shot and got blown out after intermission.

Somebody asked earlier about concessions in the 1950s. I believe the only thing sold then was cigarettes. It was Durham, after all.

Nothing gets past you, good sir. Meant to write 1989. :)

[jbarrygoodman]

Being raised in Durham and being 61,I recall seeing Art Heyman, Jay Buckley, Hack Tyson, Doug Kistler, Jeff Mullins and Bob Vergara just name a few. It was sometimes brutal in Durham with all the Tarheel fans and other irritants. We'd argue at school and even church. Kinda felt for preacher.The four championships have been extremely gratifying. Signed Preaching Devil.

[Bostondevil]

I would have caught that too - that '88 Kansas semi-final loss was my first date with my now husband (Duke '84).

[sagegrouse]

Somebody asked earlier about concessions in the 1950s. I believe the only thing sold then was cigarettes. It was Durham, after all.

Cigarettes on the Duke campus in the early '60s? 25 cents a pack in the vending machines.

[CBDUKE]

My earliest memory of basketball was in 1959. My dad took me to a Duke game. Sadly, I don't remember who played. In football I can remember Sonny Jurgenson. I was born two days after my mon and dad attended a Duke football game in 1948. I have waited a long time for football to get back to what it was when I was a kid.

[gotoguy]

I grew up in central Illinois and until I matriculated at Duke in 72 I was a Big Ten fan. My Dad played enough basketball at the U of I to letter in the late 40's and was a huge fan of all basketball, high school and college. Nighttime winter entertainment in the rural Midwest was often either a movie or the best regional hoops matchup and we might drive 90 miles to view a game in person. My hometown radio station in addition to broadcasting my high school games had the contract to broadcast the games at the U of I and my Dad's best friend was the play-by-play announcer for the Fighting Illini.

I often had the opportunity to be the spotter for the radio broadcasts at the Champaign games. It was there at a game while home on winter break I first met Bob Bender and implored him to attend Duke instead of the hated IU. He finally figured that one out.

So Willie Hodge, Terry Chili, Paul Fox and Dave O'Connell were fellow classmates during those leaner years.

Hard to list the highlights. There have been so many. My lowest days as a fan much clearer: 8 points in 17 seconds(yes the game for me is never over 'til its over), FF Saturday 1989 in Seattle when both the Illini and Duke lost and of course 2005 when the cheaters edged the Illini in the final. 42 years a Blue Devil fan.

[BD80]

I can't remember exactly, but I do recall that the world was still just rocks and dirt was yet to be invented. Funny, I never thought dirt would catch on. We all thought it was just a fad.

Actually, I first got hooked by Jeff Mullins and Hack Tison. I regret that I do not recall seeing Art Heyman, so I must have started following the year after he graduated. That would be the early 60's.

Yes, I am older than dirt.

Ah, the days before fire. Good times. Kids these days don't understand what roughing really means. Of course, it did create romantic opportunities by sharing a sleeping bag while waiting in line for a game.

I came to Duke a Steeler fan, having followed the Steelers' rise from awful to SB champions, I was rewarded with a similar rise by the Blue Devils. It started with watching Tate Armstrong battle junk defenses to single-handedly win occasional games.

[Sandman]

I became a big Tobacco Road (Duke, State, Wake, and the other thing) BB fan in the mid-50s from listening to Dixie Classic games on the radio. I became a Duke only fan the first time I saw the campus as a Freshman in 1957. Although I have to admit -- I was more a football fan then. Wallace Wade was packed every Saturday afternoon there was a home game with 40-50,000 fans, the fans were enthusiastic, the feeling was electric -- what a fun atmosphere! Of course, once basketball season started I never missed a home game my four years at Duke. No long waiting lines; you only needed to present the appropriately numbered coupon from your "activity book" which had a coupon for every scheduled home athletic event. You then could wander in and sit wherever you liked - space for every student at every event, the way it should be. The Blue Devils played just as hard and just as intensely then as they do now. Duke has always been well-represented by our student-athletes.

[blueduke59]

Duke fan since 1965

[jimsumner]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned freshman games. We'd settle in for the freshman game at sixish and stay for the varsity game around eight.

We paid some attention to recruiting in those days. But we didn't form any strong opinions until we saw them in some freshman games.

A lot easier to reserve judgment in those days, when we didn't have a top-100 for 14-year-olds.

I still remember a freshman game when Dave Elmer scored 40 or against Tommy Burleson, fouling Burleson out late. We all knew that Elmer was going to be an absolute star for Duke. Instead, he never played a second for Duke, essentially transferring at the start of a game.

Ended up at the Ohio version of Miami. Good but not great player there.

[fisheyes]

1975!

4566

Tate Armstrong
Jim Spanarkel
Terry Chili
Steve Gray
Willie Hodge
Mark Crow

And then onto teams with G-man, Dennard, Banks, Johnny Harrell, Bob Bender along with Jim Spanarkel:

4567

Gotta love those plaid paints on Bill Foster!!!

[DownEastDevil]

I remember pretending to be Bob Verga and Steve Vacendak while shooting hoops in my driveway back in the 60's. My parents said I hated the Heels back then also and cried when we lost to them, just like I do now. ;)

[Brockt10]

Born in 1988..... Fan since 1987

[-jk]

Genetically? Too far back to say with conviction. Two grandparents were alums. My third was on faculty, and my fourth gave herself to Duke, too. My mother and father were both alums and faculty. I was born in Duke Hospital, and stitched back together there a half dozen times. Yeah, I've bled a lot of Duke Blue...

My first memories of the team are of me stepping over passed-out players the morning after my parents' keggers (a clear violation today; it was different then!). I really got to be a fan in the latish '60's and early 70's. I went through grade school in the Bucky era in D'erm, as one of only two openly Duke kids in my entire grade. UNC and DT's State (not "NC State" then, just "State") were far more popular with my (really obnoxious) classmates.

It's been a fun ride since, though!

-jk

[Atldukie79]

Genetically? Too far back to say with conviction. Two grandparents were alums. My third was on faculty, and my fourth gave herself to Duke, too. My mother and father were both alums and faculty. I was born in Duke Hospital, and stitched back together there a half dozen times. Yeah, I've bled a lot of Duke Blue...

My first memories of the team are of me stepping over passed-out players the morning after my parents' keggers (a clear violation today; it was different then!). I really got to be a fan in the latish '60's and early 70's. I went through grade school in the Bucky era in D'erm, as one of only two openly Duke kids in my entire grade. UNC and DT's State (not "NC State" then, just "State") were far more popular with my (really obnoxious) classmates.

It's been a fun ride since, though!

-jk

Boy do I remember going to school (Jr. high and High school) in Durham in the late 60's and early 70's. The usual fan distribution in any typical class was something like 15 UNC, 8 State, 3 Duke and a variety of "other" schools. On the bright side, I recall buying season tickets to Duke basketball for something like $16 bucks (hard earned change at $1.60 /hr. wages). Sadly I witnessed the 1974 Paul Fox to Bobby Jones inbound play which paired with the 8 point comeback by the evil ones. It was all up hill from there though.

[Dukehky]

Day I was born over a quarter of a century ago. Duke head warmer in the hospital. First Duke basketball memory was watching Duke/Michigan in the second year of the Fab Five. Hurley went bonkers. First trip to Cameron memory was Maryland in 1996. My mom asked security if she could walk me across the court, and Keith Booth patted me on the head as we walked by.

[BlueDevilBrowns]

1988, when my family moved to NC from NW PA where College BBall was as popular as curling.

I was the new kid in 4th grade so I had a quick decision to make: State, UNC, or Duke.

Duke was the only team I heard of as they were in the FF the same year.

Also, Royal Blue is my favorite color. So the choice was easy... Duke.

The 2nd best decision I ever made. The first being proposing to my wife.

[JetpackJesus]

I think I would have to say 22ish years. My parents have a picture of me as an infant wearing a Duke Class of 2006 shirt/onesie (they called that one) so I've been a fan pretty much since birth. I know that I have no memories of not being a Duke basketball fan. I kinda remember rooting for the team going back to 1990-91ish, but I'm not sure how much I understood what was going on at that age. I definitely have vivid memories of watching The Shot and running around the living room like a chicken with its head cutoff. So I'll pick 1992 as the starting point.

[DukeDevil]

A fan through my brother attending Duke starting in 92, but I would say officially a crazy from when I got in in '99, so 15 years.

[53n206]

since 1953. Clas of '57

[Dev11]

You know how when you're a kid, you have a handful of videos you watch a thousand times? One of those videos for me was Sports Illustrated's The Year in Sports 1991. Therefore, Christian Laettner has been my favorite basketball player since I was a wee child. On a related note, I have strong positive feelings about Kirby Puckett even though I grew up in Maryland.

[wilson]

I can't claim being a Duke fan from birth, but my parents--particularly my father, a 1969 alum--inculcated a love of all things Duke from as far back as I can remember, which is to say, 1987 or so.

If my Dad wasn't wearing a suit, he was wearing Duke clothes. I have done my best to duplicate those efforts.

My first memory of a specific game was from the 1988 Final Four, when we turned the ball over 3 times before we scored a point, en route to a double-digit loss to Seton Hall. I watched in the family room with my dad--he on one couch, me sitting directly across from him. We'd bounce a Jordan Jammer basketball back and forth during timeouts, one of our superstitions that would last through our back-to-back titles in 1992.

I met Coach K that same year of 1989, during my Dad's 20th reunion. Coach was sitting at the Washington Duke, having breakfast. My Dad--perhaps wise enough to know that his seven-year old would have a better chance of securing an autograph--sent me over to introduce myself. Coach K was kind enough to oblige: "Michael: Always try your best. Coach K."

I met Coach K again in 2003, in one of my first duties as sports editor at The Chronicle. It was a wide-ranging interview, and I barely asked anything, I was so shell-shocked. My recorder ended up running out, but I didn't tell Coach. I just kept listening, trying to take as many mental notes for my personal edification, if not for my three loyal readers.

I remember walking out of Cameron Indoor, calling my Dad to report on The Greatest Moment of My Life Thus Far. Dad's first question, "Well, did you tell him that he and I have the same birthday? Did you tell him about us?"

Dad was just as giddy as I had been. But I had not, no. That conversation with Coach K would come later, I promised.

In nine months' time, Duke was in the Final Four, and I had a ticket for my Dad to use. He was too busy at work, and had not been feeling well, and so opted to just watch from home. Not pressing him on this, and missing out on the chance to watch a Final Four game with my father, is one of my life's great regrets.

August came, along with the start of my senior year and the discovery of the source of my father's ailment: esophageal cancer. Through six months of fighting, few went out of their way as much as the Duke basketball family did, though they barely knew me and only knew of my dad. The basketball Coach signed for my Dad sits in his home office still.

After my father passed away in February 2005, my mother and I sat in hospice, trying to draft my father's obituary and to identify a fund or two for which funds might be solicited in my father's memory. The choice was easy: It had to include Duke. I called up one of the great men I met at Duke, and he directed me to an opportunity to "name" a blue window in Cameron Indoor. I'm very proud and grateful that a plaque emblazoned with "George Nassif Corey" resides in Cameron Indoor to this day.

The good folks here at DBR were kind enough to permit me to write a story about my father and Duke basketball. It was raw and emotional, but I'm eternally grateful to DBR for having allowed me to print it. The story found its way to Coach K's desk, and he called me shortly thereafter. I finally had the opportunity to introduce Coach K to my dad.

In the time since, Duke basketball has continued to provide me the opportunity to feel closer to my father, if for no other reason than as a mere fan. And I know, having spoken with many members of the DBR community about this over the years, that such experiences are not at all uncommon, nor is an engagement with the humanity of Coach K and the program he has built. I am grateful to be a part of this family. And I know how this family has taken care of our military abroad, and of countless going through personal and familial challenges at home. I saw it with my and Donald's dear friend Gloria Borges, and I know Coach K will be reaching out with the same level of compassion for the rest of his time on this earth.

In the meantime, we have the distinct pleasure of watching the young men in his care play a game we all love, year after year after year.
I'm out of sporks for you right now, but this is a beautiful story, made only more beautiful by your telling of it.

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

Arrived in 1968 with my husband coming to help start a business school. We and two other couples bought 6 seats in a row. We're the only couple that has made it all the way. We're still in those seats. I was born the same year as Cameron Indoor Stadium. I deserve a facelift, too!!
Love, Ima

[camion]

Since Jeff Mullins.

[NSDukeFan]

I was a basketball fan first, liking the Showtime Lakers, especially Kareem, Worthy and Byron Scott. I also started watching some college basketball at the time and cheered for St. John's with Chris Mullin and Walter Berry over Georgetown. I watched the 1986 final and hoped for Johnny Dawkins and Duke over Louisville, but I think I liked Kenny Smith more then and really liked Armen Gilliam and especially Freddy Banks at UNLV. I then became a Syracuse fan and Derrick Coleman was my favorite player for many years. I don't remember who I was hoping for in the 91 final as I would have been fascinated by that UNLV team. 1993 is the when I believe Duke became my favorite team after seeing them repeat with guys I liked, Grant and Thomas Hill, Brian Davis, Laettner and Hurley. I remember being very disappointed when he played his final game against Jason Kidd. Grant was also a guy that solidified Duke as my favorite team. I also liked the way the team played and thought their coach was good. I also liked that the first big Canadian recruit that I heard of, Greg Newton, went there.

One of my best friends took a job in Greensboro for a few years and so I made a trip in 2001 and was a huge Battier fan - who wasn't? We got tickets to see a double header round of 32 games with Duke vs. Kareem Rush and Missouri, as well as Jason Kapono, Earl Watson, Dan Gadzuric and UCLA in the next game. Awesome to see. I was also very impressed with watching golf lived, even though I am not a huge golf fan. The Greater Greensboro Open was very enjoyable for second? round action in a tournament Hale Irwin won. I also remember walking behind the end of the driving range when John Daly was practising and seeing his balls fly over the 290 yard net.

This site has really helped my fandom. I was looking all over the internet for Duke basketball information Kyle's freshman year and came upon this site. I hovered here almost every day for most of a year, before finally deciding to sign up and contribute. It's been a great community to share my Duke fandom.

[resikg23]

I have been a Duke fan since 1962-63. My brother came to the Duke basketball camp. I got to see Mullins and Heyman. I remember standing beside Hack Tison who was 6' 10" and I was 7 years old. He was the tallest person I had ever seen. I will always love Duke basketball.

[roywhite]

It's over 50 years now. The first connection came when Denny Ferguson (nephew of my dad's best friend) went from the Pittsburgh area to play for Vic Bubas; Denny turned out to be a good complementary player and was captain of the 1965 team. First Duke game I recall watching on TV was the 1964 championship game loss to UCLA.

[revmel53]

Fell in love with Duke in Final Four, when Duke lost to Kentucky because Verga was ailing.

[jv001]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned freshman games. We'd settle in for the freshman game at sixish and stay for the varsity game around eight.

We paid some attention to recruiting in those days. But we didn't form any strong opinions until we saw them in some freshman games.

A lot easier to reserve judgment in those days, when we didn't have a top-100 for 14-year-olds.

I still remember a freshman game when Dave Elmer scored 40 or against Tommy Burleson, fouling Burleson out late. We all knew that Elmer was going to be an absolute star for Duke. Instead, he never played a second for Duke, essentially transferring at the start of a game.

Ended up at the Ohio version of Miami. Good but not great player there.

I remember when I would get excited about an incoming freshman class. I would follow them almost as much as the varsity team. There was one incoming class of: Dick DeVenzio, Randy Denton, Brad Evans, Rick Katherman and Larry Saunders. At least that's who I think the class was. I was thinking this would be the team to win a National Championship before they left school, but it never happened. The record for those 3 years was: 51-31. They had a good record at Cameron of 26-6, but fell short on the road. To this day, Randy Denton is the most under appreciated player to attend Duke University. In the 69-70 season, he averaged 22 ppg and 12.5 rpg. I also remember a neighbor of mine that attended UNC. He came home one summer raving about a kid that played on State's freshman team. His name was David Thompson. Man was he right about DT. GoDuke!

[Dukeblue91]

Good lord it's been awhile :o
I came over here from Germany in 1985 and became a Duke fan by the 1987 season.
I now have a 14 year old son that too is a Duke fan and incidentally named Cameron Duke :cool: no really he is.
Did not happen on purpose like that but I did not fight it when my wife came up with the first name without knowing what it meant lol.

[sagegrouse]

Good lord it's been awhile :o
I came over here from Germany in 1985 and became a Duke fan by the 1987 season.
I now have a 14 year old son that too is a Duke fan and incidentally named Cameron Duke :cool: no really he is.
Did not happen on purpose like that but I did not fight it when my wife came up with the first name without knowing what it meant lol.

Clear evidence, here and in other posts, that this thread is worth burning a few millimeters off the internet candle. What a great story!

[duke79]

Good lord it's been awhile :o
I came over here from Germany in 1985 and became a Duke fan by the 1987 season.
I now have a 14 year old son that too is a Duke fan and incidentally named Cameron Duke :cool: no really he is.
Did not happen on purpose like that but I did not fight it when my wife came up with the first name without knowing what it meant lol.

With a name like that, he HAS to go to Duke !! LOL I hope he is planning on applying

[Duke95]

Since 1991, my freshman year at Duke. Before that I was a UNC fan.

[DevilSpawn]

Duke has always been my first team - my dad played basketball at Duke as well as running track during the late 30's (I believe he was Class of '41). He was a sub on the basketball team, and I remember he told me his main responsibility was putting a body on the other team's best guard in order to tire him out. Dad was an All State running back in prep school and was recruited by Duke during their football zenith. Once he got down to Durham he realized how punishing high level college football was - and decided to find another sport or two. That's how he ended up on the basketball team. He also was a good 100 yard sprinter, and at one point he was the Southern Conference champ until some fellow named George MacAfee showed up.

I remember going to Duke football games in the 70's with my dad - Duke was usually just below .500 during most of those years - but I fondly remember watching players like Mike Dunn and Troy Slade. Basketball was a little better then (Tate Armstrong era) but it wasn't until '78 that Duke hoops took off during my lifetime. I watched all of Duke's televised '78 NCAA games on TV. I specifically remember Kentucky's Jack "Goose" Givens going "lights out" and kissing a shot off the left side of the backboard and into the basket - it was doom for us. Unfortunately, Duke's back to back NCAA titles were won after my dad passed away in 1988. I guess that's one reason why I continue to be a Duke fan - for the memory of my dad and our time together. It's certainly been sweet to watch Duke achieve its successes these last few decades.

I do have a confession or two to make; the maternal side of my family is composed of many Carolina graduates, and in fact, my grandfather was William Donald Carmichael, Jr., who has a certain arena named after him. He wasn't only an administrator at UNC; he played on the varsity mens' basketball team. His brother - my great-uncle - Cartwright Carmichael, was the first All-American in any sport at UNC and his jersey hangs in the Dean Dome. I'm proud of my ancestors' accomplishments at UNC, but quite disgusted by "The Scandal".

Both of my parents refused to fall into the irrational fan think that pervades Tobacco Road and especially the Duke/UNC/State rivalry. When I was still in elementary school my dad told me that we were fortunate to have three excellent schools within 30 miles and that each one of them could provide a great education. I was never steered in any direction in terms of an allegiance.

Unfortunately, my sister and two first cousins (essentially my 2nd and 3rd sisters) are all full-immersion Carolina zombies. I can't even have conversations with them about ACC sports.

I matriculated at State in the fall of '82 and rode the Cinderella train with them on the way to the '83 NCAA Championship. I never expected that to happen - it was a great run for State.

My career is in television as a location sound mixer and have worked with Coaches K, Smith, Williams, and Gottfried, among others. Working with all of them has been a pleasure. K has an incredible bearing, and in the last few years, a nice aura of inner peace to go with his still undiminished intensity. I worked on the 60 Minutes II profile on him shot about ten years ago and a few more recent commercial pieces. I have done several shoots with Coach Smith over the years and as I first met him when I was in grade school, I will always have great respect for him. Coach Williams is fun to be around. He and Gottfried did an ESPN/Infiniti Coaches' Challenge spot in Raleigh a few years ago - they were a riot off camera, cracking jokes at their expense just to entertain the extras.

I try not to engage in schadenfreude - I'm happy for all three of these teams when they have successes, and disappointed when/if they mis-step. It's certainly been enjoyable to keep Duke right at the top of my allegiances and I like to think my dad has been watching from above for the last 26 years.

[diablesseblu]

The Duke fight song was the first one I was taught......probably when I was wearing my "I'm a little Blue Devil" shirt. This must have been around 1950.

Golly, I'm old. In school, was always one of the very few Duke fans. But, that's fine. Lots of happy memories.

[indy1duke]

One of the reasons I chose Duke was its great basketball tradition, but I wasn't really a fan until I arrived in the fall of 1967. I remember the Davidson game when Lefty brought in a very fine team led by Maloy and Cook. I ended up standing in one of the corners amazed by the noise, intensity and emotion of that game, which Duke won behind strong efforts by Mike Lewis and Dave Golden. Maybe my hearing loss is attributable to too many Duke basketball games. I learned my lesson about standing at Duke games. The problems of finding a good seat or standing weren't overcome until my friend Fred Robertson talked me into becoming a cheerleader my junior year which gave me the best seat in the house.

Later that season was the titanic triple overtime game when Fred Lind became the unlikely hero and sent UNC home to the Hill an 87 to 86 loser. Fred had 16 points in relief of Mike Lewis who fouled out. Fred only had 50 points the entire season. Duke had four players foul out. Duke won despite unc going into its infamous four corners offense with no shot clock. I don't think they had ever lost doing that before. That remained the greatest game I had ever seen in person until Coach K's great run with the '91 championship game against UNLV followed up the next year by famous Kentucky game and Laetner's improbable winning shot.

[PDDuke85]

Arrived in Durham in the heat of the summer of 1983 to attend the Duke PA program. Having arrived from Massachusetts with the newly minted Mrs PDDuke85, we embarked on a 2 year journey which has opened into a never ending love affair with Duke.

As a kid of short stature, growing up in New England, everything was baseball and hockey. It wasn't until Duke that we discovered basketball. Despite the intensity of the PA program, an occasional game was had, thanks to visiting team tickets given to Mrs PDDuke85 as she worked at a hotel where so many teams stayed. As much fun as it was, we never dreamed we were watching the foundation being constructed for what the program is today.

After a career in the Air Force, we settled into the greater Charleston SC area for the next phase of life. The passion for all things Duke, including season tickets to football, the RARE opportunity to see Duke hoops at home, has been handed down to our family. In fact, I knew I had done my job well when my grandson, at 18 months of age, during a quite moment of a Baptism, blurted out "Lets Go Duke"

[jjredickrules]

I would say that my fandom has been growing up with me over the years. These are a few highlights:

My dad's freshman year was K's initial year with Duke. Both his younger brothers graduated from Duke as well, so my money's on K retiring the year my youngest brother graduates (he is currently a High School freshman).

I was only ~6 months old for "The Shot", but my parents had me in the room where they were watching with their friends. My mom went to UVA (during the Sampson era), but she deferred to my father on matters of athletics.

I knew to pick Duke when I filled out my first bracket in 2001, and I finished top 10 in my dad's large office pool by picking 3 of the final 4 (I was from MD, so I picked them). I knew as much about basketball at that point as I currently do about rocket science, so call it blind faith. I believed in Duke.

I started playing CYO hoops during middle school, which really helped me appreciate the game. JJ was tearing it up at that point, and he became my favorite Duke player (still is). I'd have to say '04 is when I started watching with any consistency, but I was never that dedicated, although I watched when I could.

I matriculated in 2010 and did not miss a game my freshman year; however, I would say my die-hard, legen-waitforit-dary fandom status can be pinpointed to 11/11/11, specifically at and right after 11:11 PM, when 'Dre hit that miracle shot to put us up 4. We had Presby the next afternoon, so I decided to get right back in line after the game so I could be front row. That night I met the previous year's tent 1, and the rest is history. Wish granted.

[rsvman]

Since the 1997-98 season, so comparatively not that long, I guess.

I've been a HUGE college basketball fan for as long as I can remember. My father got his PhD at the University of New Mexico; I remember going to the games in The Pit when I was in 4th and 5th grades. From there, he took a job at BYU. I attended every BYU home game from 1969 through 1984 except if I was out of town. Went to many NCAA games at the Marriot Center or up in Salt Lake City (there's almost always some early games either in SLC or in Provo).

I have to admit that I rooted for Kentucky in the famous overtime game in which Laettner made the awesome game-winning shot. I know, it's sad.

I became a Duke fan when I took a job at Duke in 1997. The combination of years of college basketball fandom plus the Duke environment won me over very, very quickly.

Now there's no going back. :cool:

[gw67]

I became a Duke fan in 1960. A friend of mine (Buzzy Harrison) was on the Duke freshmen team along with Jeff Mullins and Jay Buckley and they joined up with Art Heyman the next year to form a top team for three years. I also became a fan of another ACC school, Maryland, in the early 70's and I have wonderful memories of numerous ACC games involving these two teams as well as all of the original league teams/players.

gw67

[sagegrouse]

I matriculated in 2010 and did not miss a game my freshman year; however, I would say my die-hard, legen-waitforit-dary fandom status can be pinpointed to 11/11/11, specifically at and right after 11:11 PM, when 'Dre hit that miracle shot to put us up 4. We had Presby the next afternoon, so I decided to get right back in line after the game so I could be front row. That night I met the previous year's tent 1, and the rest is history. Wish granted.

Belmont, 77-76.

[devil17]

Same for me, except I was 17. I visited Duke in March of 1978 and chose to attend a month later, starting as a freshman that September. I wasn't much of a college basketball fan when I showed up (despite the famous "Big Five," Philadelphia is really a pro sports city), but it didn't take long for me to get caught up in it.


As a young boy in the late 40,s, I lived across the hall in a Richmond apartment complex from Ed Koffenberger and his wife Winnie. That is when I learned about Duke. I first saw the campus in the early 50's, when we visited some NC relatives. It was quite an experience for me then.

Ironically, four of us kids used to play together in a sandbox in that Richmond apartment complex. We were about 5-7 at that time.We all went our separate ways in the early 50"s, when our parents moved.

I never saw one of the kids again--but reconnected with the other two when I arrived at Duke for Freshman orientation in the fall of 1962. One was in my class; the other was a year or two ahead. As I played basketball in high school, I have been a rabid Duke fan ever since--with loads of memories of both the high and low points.

[olddevil]

I came to Duke in 1967 as a graduate student. I had wrestled as an undergraduate and was not a basketball fan until I saw a gritty Duke team gradually work its way up the rankings until it defeated No. 2 UNC in the Fred Lind game. I have been a basketball fan and a Duke basketball fan ever since.

[NYBri]

Dad was an alum, so it's hard to say.

I enrolled in 1970, so at least that long, and probably earlier...but you aren't really a fan until you set foot into Cameron and that for me was 1970...but it was Duke Indoor Stadium then.

[BrazyATX]

2001 during the tourney. They were matched up with Mizzou my senior year of high school and I lived in Columbia at the time. I was a very anti Mizzou fan just because it was a cool high school thing to do when everyone else routed for them. Duke smacked em around and then went on to win the whole thing. Been routing for them ever since and each year I learn more and more about them with more and more avenues to the team.

[BrazyATX]

Dad was an alum, so it's hard to say.

I enrolled in 1970, so at least that long, and probably earlier...but you aren't really a fan until you set foot into Cameron and that for me was 1970...but it was Duke Indoor Stadium then.

I was a fan for 12 years before I got the opportunity to step foot in Cameron in 2013.

[ArnieMc]

Over 60 years.

Highlights: Watching part of an ACC Tournament game with Johns Frye and Cantwell.

Watching the Duke freshmen beat Pistol Pete and company. I think we used a box and 1 with the box around Pete. He still scored over 40 (50?), but we won.

Playing pick up with a floppy-haired freshman named Verga.

[bluenorth]

Being from the Great White North we didn't get as much exposure to NCAA ball back in the day. Duke first came to my attention in 1978 - they just played so hard and had so much fun that I liked them right away. Spanarkeling became a thing in our pickup games. Then a lapse until I was in Dallas for the Final Four. Saw an interview with some players, in which they were asked how to pronounce K's name. Again, they were having so much fun with everything that it re-kindled my Duke spirit, and it's been there ever since. I just admire the way that Duke runs its program and the way the players grow while there. Love the campus and the whole atmosphere.

[DukeHLM'13]

I've been a Duke fan my whole life (or at least as long as I can remember). Neither of my perents went to Duke, but my Dad's best friend did, and since my Dad went to a small D-3 school, my Dad adopted Duke along with his friend and brought me up as a fan.

But the moment that I became a real Duke fan was when I was 8 years old and we lost the 1999 National Championship game. I was out in California with my family and my Uncle is the kind of guy who just likes to rile people up so he was cheering for UConn just to spite my dad and me. I'm pretty sure that how mad I was at my uncle at the end of that game burned my love for Duke (and hate for UConn) too deep for it to ever go away.

And of course there was also the whole going to Duke for 4 years, tenting, being a line monitor, hardly ever missing a game (yeah a did miss a few though), and pretty much dropping anything that had to do with class if something basketball related came up. All that probably didn't help my GPA too much, but it sure was a ton of fun!

[devilpadre]

I started law school in the fall of 1971 and my wife and I went to all the games during our three years there. The team was pretty bad in those days with Bucky Waters as the coach. Gary Melchionni was the best player in those years and he won a few games almost singlehandedly. There were a few highlights over our three years, including an upset of Carolina with Bob McAdoo shooting 1-12 for the Heels, a win over a Terps team that featured McMillin, Elmore, Lucas and company, and the opportunity to watch David Thompson play for State. In those days, a student could come to Cameron about five minutes before the game started and find a good seat. The undergrads were creative, unchoreographed, and a bit mean. I remember Lefty Dreisell had a broken leg and a half dozen kids with casts on their legs and bald wigs walked on to the court in lockstep behind him. As things improved under Foster and then under Coach K, it obviously became easier to get excited about Duke basketball and more difficult to get a seat. Go Duke!

[jimsumner]

I remember when I would get excited about an incoming freshman class. I would follow them almost as much as the varsity team. There was one incoming class of: Dick DeVenzio, Randy Denton, Brad Evans, Rick Katherman and Larry Saunders. At least that's who I think the class was. I was thinking this would be the team to win a National Championship before they left school, but it never happened. The record for those 3 years was: 51-31. They had a good record at Cameron of 26-6, but fell short on the road. To this day, Randy Denton is the most under appreciated player to attend Duke University. In the 69-70 season, he averaged 22 ppg and 12.5 rpg. I also remember a neighbor of mine that attended UNC. He came home one summer raving about a kid that played on State's freshman team. His name was David Thompson. Man was he right about DT. GoDuke!

Saunders actually transferred from Northwestern. I believe he was the only transfer brought in by Bubas.

The fifth freshman in that class was Steve Litz, who never played much. It was an interesting class in several respects. One was DeVenzio, who was considered a major recruit, top five in his class. DeVenzio and Waters didn't see eye-to-eye and DeVenzio always felt Waters ruined his career. But DeVenzio was a very bright guy and he loved Duke's academics. So, he hung around.

Then there was Evans, more highly regarded as a football player at Durham High. Was a great QB in high school but a lot of experts thought his NFL future was at safety. He played hoops through his junior year, then switched back to football, where he played receiver.

And Denton was a stud. He actually has the highest rebound-per-game average in Duke history, just ahead of Mike Lewis.

This was Bubas' last great class. Unfortunately, it was sandwiched around two decidedly mediocre classes, the Doug Jackson, Ray Kuhlmeier, John Posen, Glenn Smiley class and the Don Blackman, Stu Yarborough, Robbie West, Pat Doughty class.

Jackson and Blackman were both top-20 recruits. But Jackson had knee problems and Blackman transferred to Rhode Island after his sophomore year.

The Denton, et. al. class didn't mesh all that well as sophomores with a senior class that included Fred Lind, Dave Golden and Steve Vandenberg and Bubas' last team went a shocking 15-13. When they were seniors, they were reinforced by a sophomore class that included Richie O'Connor, Gary Melchionni, Alan Shaw and Jeff Dawson. That team went 20-10. But a rash of transfers ensued and Duke became a .500 program until 1978.

The last freshman team was 1972, the same year Thompson was a freshman. Duke had Bob Fleischer, Kevin Billerman and Pete Kramer on that team. They played as sophs for Bucky Waters, as juniors for Neil McGeachy and as seniors for Bill Foster. Talk about living in interesting times.

[BD80]

1988, when my family moved to NC from NW PA where College BBall was as popular as curling.

I was the new kid in 4th grade so I had a quick decision to make: State, UNC, or Duke.

Duke was the only team I heard of as they were in the FF the same year.

Also, Royal Blue is my favorite color. So the choice was easy... Duke.

The 2nd best decision I ever made. The first being proposing to my wife.

You chose wisely. And relate that fact judiciously.

As for your avatar ... this Steeler fans believes: You chose poorly.

[sagegrouse]

The last freshman team was 1972, the same year Thompson was a freshman. Duke had Bob Fleischer, Kevin Billerman and Pete Kramer on that team. They played as sophs for Bucky Waters, as juniors for Neil McGeachy and as seniors for Bill Foster. Talk about living in interesting times.

FWIW, Bob Fleischer (Duke Med) has had a fine career as a urologist. His brother Jim, whom I know, played at Dartmouth (grad 1973) and went to Duke Law, where he was graduate assistant on the basketball team, probably while his younger brother was on the team.

As most DBR readers know, Kevin Billerman is the coach at Ravenscroft, helping prepare Ryan Kelly (and Sean) for Duke.

Pete Kramer, whom I don't remember, bequeathed us his daughter Sheila, who was on the soccer team at Duke a few years ago and whose uncle is Tate Armstrong. Sheila's aunt Melissa Moore Armstrong was also at Duke, and I am afraid I can't work out the family tree with this info.

[jv001]

Saunders actually transferred from Northwestern. I believe he was the only transfer brought in by Bubas.

The fifth freshman in that class was Steve Litz, who never played much. It was an interesting class in several respects. One was DeVenzio, who was considered a major recruit, top five in his class. DeVenzio and Waters didn't see eye-to-eye and DeVenzio always felt Waters ruined his career. But DeVenzio was a very bright guy and he loved Duke's academics. So, he hung around.

Then there was Evans, more highly regarded as a football player at Durham High. Was a great QB in high school but a lot of experts thought his NFL future was at safety. He played hoops through his junior year, then switched back to football, where he played receiver.

And Denton was a stud. He actually has the highest rebound-per-game average in Duke history, just ahead of Mike Lewis.

This was Bubas' last great class. Unfortunately, it was sandwiched around two decidedly mediocre classes, the Doug Jackson, Ray Kuhlmeier, John Posen, Glenn Smiley class and the Don Blackman, Stu Yarborough, Robbie West, Pat Doughty class.

Jackson and Blackman were both top-20 recruits. But Jackson had knee problems and Blackman transferred to Rhode Island after his sophomore year.

The Denton, et. al. class didn't mesh all that well as sophomores with a senior class that included Fred Lind, Dave Golden and Steve Vandenberg and Bubas' last team went a shocking 15-13. When they were seniors, they were reinforced by a sophomore class that included Richie O'Connor, Gary Melchionni, Alan Shaw and Jeff Dawson. That team went 20-10. But a rash of transfers ensued and Duke became a .500 program until 1978.

The last freshman team was 1972, the same year Thompson was a freshman. Duke had Bob Fleischer, Kevin Billerman and Pete Kramer on that team. They played as sophs for Bucky Waters, as juniors for Neil McGeachy and as seniors for Bill Foster. Talk about living in interesting times.

Thanks Jim for the memories of those classes. Did Waters recruit O'Connor, Melchionni, Shaw and Dawson? If my memory serves me correctly, that was a very promising group of kids as well. Transfers wrecked the promise to that group of players. GoDuke!

[83and86]

35 years next month.

I came to Duke as a January freshman in January 1980. I didn't come to Duke for basketball; I never paid any attention to it or college basketball in general other than a little Philadelphia Big 5 basketball in the late 60's.

On the Saturday afternoon before classes began, everybody was all excited to go to this basketball game. I probably would not have gone but I didn't have anything else to do. I only knew a few people in the city of Durham and every last one of them was going to this game. So, this is what people in Durham do on a Saturday afternoon in the winter? Well, what the heck, I'm the new guy. I'll follow along and it will give me something to do. When in Rome.... I had heard of this Duke player Gene Banks because he was a Philly guy so there was that. And, oh yeah, Duke was playing this team that everyone really seemed to hate, the University of North Carolina from down the road. I didn't know anything about them either but there was this visceral dislike that everyone seemed to share.

So even though we lost that afternoon, it must have made quite an impression on me because here I am 35 years later. I never missed a Carolina game in Cameron for my remaining 6+ years as a student. And it's been a great ride. All because I was just going along and looking for something to do my first weekend in Durham.

[lmb]

I started watching Duke when I was in 6th grade. I've had a lot of favorite players over the years. My first favorites were Alarie because he seemed to be able to do anything and Billy King because I loved his defense. Then Ferry came along and he was my next favorite. Then I loved Hurley, then Wojo, etc. down the line. I don't know if I could pick an overall favorite player.

I went to college in Arkansas and didn't have a tv in my room so I had to watch the '92 Final Four and championship in the student center. Of course, I also had to watch it there in '94 and most of those folks were pulling for the Razorbacks. Ugh!

I have no connection to the school. I've just been a fan since middle school and I've sucked my husband in too! We'll be at Cameron with our boys on the 29th to see the Toledo game. They both love Duke basketball and lacrosse!

[Trey21]

I was born in Durham but I was raised in Chapel Hill. Around kindergarden is when I really became a basketball fan. I simply choose Duke because of three reasons. My dad went to MBA school there, royal blue is my favorite color, and I was born in Durham. It was tough being a Duke fan in Chapel Hill as a elementary school kid. Trash talk starts young between UNC and Duke fans. I would say I became a hardcore Duke fan in 2000 when I was 8 years old. Fell in love with guys like Battier and Williams. Was lucky enough to go to Duke Basketball camp in the summers of 01-04 got a chance to meet some of the players and coaches. Duke basketball and basketball in general was a huge part of my childhood.

[Tom B.]

30 years, give or take. There was no single "Aha!" moment when I became a Duke fan. It was more of an evolution.

I grew up in South Carolina, so I had plenty of exposure to ACC basketball. We got the Jefferson-Pilot games every week, and while South Carolina was (and still is) a football-first state, college hoops was a big enough deal that the principal at my middle school would set up a TV in the outer lobby of his office every year for the Friday ACC Tournament quarterfinals, so folks could check out the games during lunch or as they came and went over the course of the day.

I started following ACC basketball sometime in the early 80s. My mom's from North Carolina, so I had an affinity for the North Carolina schools -- UNC and State first, because they were enjoying success while Duke was laboring in the early K years.

Things changed (for both me and Duke) in 1983-84. Dawkins, Alarie, Henderson and Bilas were sophomores, Amaker was a freshman, and that was the first year they really started rounding into form and experiencing success. I was 11 years old and my father had passed away unexpectedly earlier that year, and basketball had become one of my outlets. I was a tall kid, and everyone kept telling me I should play basketball, but I was also kind of gangly and uncoordinated, so I wasn't very good. But that was the beginning of a love affair with the game that still hasn't died. (And I did get better, slowly, over time, and played varsity ball at my school as a junior and senior.)

Anyway, back to Duke. While the sophomores on the 1983-84 Duke team got lots of press, my guy was Dan Meagher. A gritty, dirty-work player who wasn't above spitting in an opponent's face if the situation called for it. That was the year I really started following Duke.

Back then, though, I was still naive enough to believe that you could be a fan of both Duke and UNC (and State too, for that matter). I rooted for Duke when they played head-to-head, but otherwise pulled for UNC and State when they played other teams.

If I had to pick one point in time when my allegiances began to shift irrevocably towards Duke, it would be March 10, 1984.

Earlier that year, Carolina had edged Duke in Cameron in the infamous "double standard" game, when Dean Smith banged on the scoreboard control panel while trying to send a sub into the game, added 20 points to Carolina's score, and received no technical foul (though I think they called one on Daniel Ewing). Then, in the last regular season game, Carolina beat Duke again -- this time in Carmichael, in double overtime, after Matt Doherty hit a jumper at the end of regulation to send it to overtime.

A week after the double-OT game in Chapel Hill, Duke and UNC met again in the ACC Tournament semifinals -- and this time, Duke finally broke through, winning 77-75. The physical and emotional effort left Duke gassed, and they fell to Maryland the next day in the title game, but that disappointment didn't last long. I was still elated about the win over Carolina, and Duke was going back to the NCAA Tournament. Anything else was gravy.

I still went through the next several years as a kinda-sorta UNC and State fan, but Duke was where I'd invested my chips, even if I didn't fully realize it at the time. What really drove it home for me was the 1986 NCAA championship game loss to Louisville -- man, I was just crushed after that. No way I'd have felt that bad if it had been Carolina or State losing to Louisville. But Duke? I was inconsolable.

So flash forward a few years to the summer of 1989, the summer between my junior and senior years of high school. Time to hit the road and visit colleges that I'm thinking about applying to in the coming school year. Both Duke and UNC are on the tour, and while I'm an unapologetic Duke fan at this point, I'm trying to be rational about the process -- UNC is a good school too, yada yada yada.

We do the Duke and UNC tours on the same day. The Duke tour is in the morning, and it's amazing. It starts with an info session in a classroom led by one of Duke's admissions officers, and he's fantastic. Engaging, energetic, entertaining and informative, all in one. Had he been a football coach, he's the kind of guy who would've made you want to run through walls. He was that good. Then there was the campus tour itself, which lived up to everything I thought it would be.

Then we head over to Chapel Hill for the afternoon. First, there's no walking campus tour -- it was summertime, and they apparently only did walking tours during the school year. There's just an information session. It's in a large lecture auditorium, and the guy who leads it is a small gray-haired man in a frumpy shirt and tie. Everything about his body language and demeanor says he doesn't want to be there and this is just a chore that he has to get through. He speaks almost too softly to be heard, and he starts the info session by asking all the people from out of state to raise their hands. I and a number of others raise our hands, at which point the guy basically tells us point-blank that we probably won't get in to UNC. Okaaayyyy.....

Honestly, I can't remember a thing he said after that, because I pretty much tuned him out at that point.

I did go ahead and apply to UNC, and I got in (Take that, Mr. Grumpy Info Session Guy!), but I'd already been accepted at Duke by that point, so it was a no-brainer. I made my final decision and picked Duke at the end of March in 1990 -- just in time to watch my future alma mater get pounded by UNLV in the NCAA title game.

Of course, that made the next two years -- and every year since then, really -- that much sweeter.

[roywhite]

Thanks Jim for the memories of those classes. Did Waters recruit O'Connor, Melchionni, Shaw and Dawson? If my memory serves me correctly, that was a very promising group of kids as well. Transfers wrecked the promise to that group of players. GoDuke!

Yes, and also Jim Fitzsimmons, which made for a dynamite freshman team that went undefeated. Unfortunately, the defections started early, with Fitzsimmons going to Harvard in the first semester, Jeff Dawson to Illinois after his sophomore year, and Richie O'Connor to Fairfield in his junior year.

Waters had some help recruiting from an aggressive assistant, Hubie Brown.

[60sDukie]

I became aware of Duke basketball in the early 60s when I was in high school. I loved sports. I was the one who actually watched the game - basketball and football - when I went to our high school games. I wanted to play basketball on my high school team so bad, but I was kinda short - even for a girl - and if you are short, you have to compensate by being very, very good. I was good but not very, very good. Even back then, before very many games were televised, Duke got quite a lot of press in my hometown in South Carolina. My mother wanted me to go to Winthrop, my home-town school, but there was no way I was going to let that happen (all women and no sports). I never told my parents that one of the main reasons I wanted to go to Duke was because of the basketball team.

One of my best memories at Duke was seeing Lew Alcindor play as a freshman. I remember we had to get to Indoor Stadium really early (5 PM or something like that) to get a seat (and we did sit). I also remember listening to tournament games on the radio in someone's dorm room. You haven't lived until you've listened to one of those stall games (final score: 11-10 or something like that) on the radio.

[jimsumner]

Yes, and also Jim Fitzsimmons, which made for a dynamite freshman team that went undefeated. Unfortunately, the defections started early, with Fitzsimmons going to Harvard in the first semester, Jeff Dawson to Illinois after his sophomore year, and Richie O'Connor to Fairfield in his junior year.

Waters had some help recruiting from an aggressive assistant, Hubie Brown.

Waters signed these guys but Bubas and his staff laid the groundwork.

In addition to Fitzsimmons, Dawson and O'Connor, Duke also lost Don Blackman, Sam May, Dave Elmer and Ron Righter during Waters' tenure, while Edgar Burch bailed after McGeachy's only season as head coach. And Brad Evans didn't use all of his hoops eligibility.

That's a lot of attrition for a five-year period.

Fitzsimmons and May never made it out of their freshman seasons, so it's hard to pin them on Waters. But several of the rest were quite critical of Waters, not from an X and O standpoint but rather from a program-management standpoint.

O'Connor left two-thirds of the way through a season in which he was Duke's best player.

But Dave Elmer's transfer was even stranger. Elmer was 6-9 and expected to help fill a void left by the graduation of Denton, Saunders and Katherman. Lots of available PT. It looked like he was going to start on the frontcourt, along with Alan Shaw and O'Connor. But a week or so before the first game, Waters moved Elmer's classmate Chris Redding into the starting lineup in Elmer's place.

So, Elmer doesn't start in the opener, against Richmond. A few minutes into the game Waters turns to Elmer and prepares to send him in. Elmer refuses.

Incredible. Sometime after getting dressed for the game, warming up and taking a place on the bench, Dave Elmer decided to transfer.

Supposedly, he thought that he could save a semester's eligibility if he didn't go in. Or maybe he had a really bizarre epiphany early in the game.

He did have to sit out until the spring semester of the next year. Adding insult to injury, Miami (Ohio) actually beat Carolina in Chapel Hill during a period when Duke went almost two decades without winning in Chapel Hill and couldn't even win in Cameron for five seasons; Duke did win once in the Big Four.

Pete Kramer, btw, ended up as a lawyer. Bill Suk was another member of that class. I've been told by his teammates and coaches that the 6-5 Suk absolutely destroyed people in practice but could never convert that into game situations. Coulda, woulda, shoulda.

[AtlDuke72]

Sagegrouse recently mentioned that he's been a Duke basketball fan for 55 years. That's pretty impressive to me, and a lot longer than most marriages last. Anyway, it made me curious about the group.

So let's take roll.

And let me say off the top that longevity of fandom has no bearing on quality of insights. Historical perspective is good, but there are a lot of younger fans here with much better insights than us old farts, or at least than me.

I would say since 1960 when my family moved to Wilson, N.C. so 54 years. I was 10 years old and ask for foregiveness since I rooted for both the Devils and the Tar Heels until I entered Duke in 1968. Just missed the Freddie Lind , triple overtime win over UNC.

[AtlDuke72]

"But Dave Elmer's transfer was even stranger. Elmer was 6-9 and expected to help fill a void left by the graduation of Denton, Saunders and Katherman. Lots of available PT. It looked like he was going to start on the frontcourt, along with Alan Shaw and O'Connor. But a week or so before the first game, Waters moved Elmer's classmate Chris Redding into the starting lineup in Elmer's place.

So, Elmer doesn't start in the opener, against Richmond. A few minutes into the game Waters turns to Elmer and prepares to send him in. Elmer refuses.

Incredible. Sometime after getting dressed for the game, warming up and taking a place on the bench, Dave Elmer decided to transfer.

Supposedly, he thought that he could save a semester's eligibility if he didn't go in. Or maybe he had a really bizarre epiphany early in the game."


I was there when the great freshman class came in and they were really good, especially Melchionni, O'Connor and Dawson. I don't think Hubie Brown had anything to do with recruiting them. He coached the freshman team. Calling Hubie aggressive is kind - a better decscrition would be obnoxious. Elmer was in the class behind those guys. Don't know why he left but my recollection is that Chris Redding was a better player.

[AtlDuke72]

Saunders actually transferred from Northwestern. I believe he was the only transfer brought in by Bubas.

The last freshman team was 1972, the same year Thompson was a freshman. Duke had Bob Fleischer, Kevin Billerman and Pete Kramer on that team. They played as sophs for Bucky Waters, as juniors for Neil McGeachy and as seniors for Bill Foster. Talk about living in interesting times.

Great memories and very accurate. I saw the 1972 freshman team play against David Thompson's freshman team. It was unusual because they played mid week in Cameron and not before a varsity game which was the usual pattern. Thompson was so well known that the stadium was packed. He scored about 45 points and fouled out the whole Duke team, which was a good team, if I remember correctly. The place was roaring for him by the end of the game.

[Chillduck]

I became a Duke fan in '86. I was in college in Wisconsin and coaching YMCA basketball. This team from Durham ran the best man-to-man I had ever seen. I bought his book on Man-To-Man Defense and have been hooked ever since. I moved to Greenville, NC in 1989 with a Duke license plate and a North Carolina bumper sticker on my car. I was told by some obnoxious UNC fans that I had to choose. The bumper sticker came off the next day! I got married the same day UNC and Duke played in The Final Four in 1991. I missed the UNLV game, but she let me watch the Kansas game. I also have the memory of watching "The Shot" at the Raleigh Marriott on my first anniversary. My wife I think screamed louder than I did because she knew what kind of mood I would have been in if we had lost! Now, I live in Wake Forest and get to check out a game once a year, but every game on TV. My anniversary still has a tendency of happening around Final Four time, so here's hoping to another anniversary watching Duke basketball!

[jimsumner]

I was there when the great freshman class came in and they were really good, especially Melchionni, O'Connor and Dawson. I don't think Hubie Brown had anything to do with recruiting them. He coached the freshman team. Calling Hubie aggressive is kind - a better decscrition would be obnoxious. Elmer was in the class behind those guys. Don't know why he left but my recollection is that Chris Redding was a better player.

Hubie Brown was the freshman coach in 1968-'69, my freshman year. That team-Blackman, Yarbrough, West and Doughty were the scholarship guys-went something like 5-13.

Brown became Waters' chief assistant the next season. Jack Schalow coached the 16-0 1970 freshman team.

A final word about my class. Blackman transferred after his sophomore season and Doughty never got much PT. West and Yarborough were buried on the bench until the guys I referenced upthread bailed. Waters didn't have much of a choice. And low and behold, they came through. West hit the famous jumper to beat Carolina in the Cameron-dedication-game and Yarbrough had a number of double-figure scoring games down the stretch, including a 16-point game in a road win over a nationally-ranked Virginia team.

Yarbrough was a Durham guy and married one of Bubas' daughters. I don't think the marriage lasted but I could be mistaken on that.

Bubas didn't successfully recruit a lot of top NC kids during his heyday. He inherited a very good post player from near Winston-Salem named Carroll Youngkin and recruited SID Ted Mann's son, Ted, Jr. The latter tragically drown and Duke gives the Ted Mann Award to the team's top reserve. Greensboro's Bob Jamieson played sparingly.

Bubas lost NC guys like Rusty Clark and Bill Bunting to Smith and Carolina. Bunting was especially galling because his father had gone to Duke. Then, late in the game, Bubas got Denton from Raleigh and Evans and Yarbrough from Durham.

It didn't really start a trend. Duke continued to be a hard sale for NC kids until Foster got Kenny Dennard from King and got Durham's transfer John Harrell from NC Central.

[Clocktower]

Hey guys from a long time reader and first time poster. Great stories. I'm third generation, with a frosh son there now and I've been a Duke fan for life, but my earliest real Duke hoops memory was attending a Bucky Waters-coached Duke game in the Grady Cole Center in Charlotte - pretty sure I have that right and maybe somebody can help me with opponent and date. I'm a 1982 grad and my only classmate on the BB team was . . . Vince Taylor. So, I bridged the Foster/K years as an undergrad. Three memorable games attended in person:

1. 7-0 halftime score game vs UNC (and I do agree that the "Airball" taunt was invented that night)
2. Gene Banks senior night game - I was under the basket that he hit the game-tier on
3. Duke-UK regional final at the Spectrum in 1992 - luckiest ticket of my life

[oldfogie]

It was easy to fall in love with Duke basketball when I arrived as a freshman in 1962. Art Heyman, Jeff Mullins, Jay Buckley, Hack Tison, Buzzy Harrison, Denny Ferguson, Ron Herbster were good and were bringing national attention to Duke. Mullins was by far my favorite player - Heyman's "swagger" was too much for my rural upbringing. Watching this group along with Jack Marin, Steve Vacendak, Bob Verga in subsequent years was one of the highlights of my 4 years.

[Rogue]

1963, I was 11 ..
The 1964 team was the first team I followed every game on the radio.. laying in bed listening was great.
I use to hear the older fans say things like " they had to take Mullins out of the game so Heyman could get his 20" etc.. so funny to think about those comments now.

The '66 team was special to me.. Verga, Riedy, Lewis, Vacendak , and Marin .. Losing to Ky in the Simi, I didn't think it could happen.. I think we beat Utah in the game for 3rd and 4th place,,
Was that the last year teams had to play for 3rd and 4th place ?

The early 70's were tough on me,, ( I was young, never understood why Bubas stopped coaching ) unc-ch was having success,, NC State had Thompson,,

That's why '78 was special.. we had life again..

Many other special years and players since.. UNC fans swore Spanarkle played for 6 yrs lol,,

The 80's brought us to today,, and we can all still smile.

[SoCalDukeFan]

My original first college choice was Dartmouth. However we had a bad winter in Philly in 1960 and I decided I did not like bad winters.
Duke moved up to Numero in early 1961.

Frosh in 61/62. Grad in 66.

Say the GREAT Art Heyman and Jeff Mullins, Jack Marin, Steve Vacendak and others. 3 Final Fours my 3 years.

Followed them ever since. Could not figure out why Butters kept K but thought Butters knew more than me. Kindof worked out ok for Duke and K.

It has been very special to be a Duke basketball fan. We should think our lucky stars.

SoCal

[jimsumner]

1963, I was 11 ..
The 1964 team was the first team I followed every game on the radio.. laying in bed listening was great.
I use to hear the older fans say things like " they had to take Mullins out of the game so Heyman could get his 20" etc.. so funny to think about those comments now.

The '66 team was special to me.. Verga, Riedy, Lewis, Vacendak , and Marin .. Losing to Ky in the Simi, I didn't think it could happen.. I think we beat Utah in the game for 3rd and 4th place,,
Was that the last year teams had to play for 3rd and 4th place ?

The early 70's were tough on me,, ( I was young, never understood why Bubas stopped coaching ) unc-ch was having success,, NC State had Thompson,,

That's why '78 was special.. we had life again..

Many other special years and players since.. UNC fans swore Spanarkle played for 6 yrs lol,,

The 80's brought us to today,, and we can all still smile.

Virginia won the last consolation game for third place in 1981.

[roywhite]

Yarbrough was a Durham guy and married one of Bubas' daughters. I don't think the marriage lasted but I could be mistaken on that.



Yes, Stu married Sandy Bubas, who also went to Duke, as did her younger sister Vikki. Both very nice young women.

Stu has had a successful business career, and was a partner of Mark Alarie in one venture. Stu has also been generous to his alma mater.

My Giving Story: Stuart Yarbrough
(http://dukeforward.duke.edu/ways-to-give/gift-planning/gift-planning-blog/my-giving-story-stuart-yarbrough)

[westwall]

I came to Duke as an 18 year old freshman with no knowledge of Duke basketball, only football. Went to the football game in Columbus that year, 1955, when Duke won over the defending National Champion Buckeyes as Duke came from behind in the second half.

In winter, however, I became enchanted with Duke basketball, as played then by Bucky, Bobby Joe, Jim and Paul, and none over 6'5'' -- how times have changed! As others have noted, back then a student activity book allowed one to wander into DIS 20 minutes before a game and take a seat on the front row -- perhaps to see a young Jerry West shooting corner jumpers a few feet away (yep, I remember that).
I stayed at Duke long enough (courtesy of Duke Law) to see the beginning of the Bubas era, including Arty (who always followed his own shot), Jeff (the better shooter), Buzzy and the rest.
I still follow the Blue Devils to their annual games in NYC (and even Brooklyn!) as well as a couple of games in Cameron. My voice now gives out after a few minutes of game action, so I guess you can now label me a "crustie". Ouch!

[TruBlu]

. . . so far.

At night at our house, we could not receive the Charlotte AM radio station that carried Duke football and basketball broadcasts. One of the reasons for being happy on my 16th birthday and getting my drivers license was that I could get in my dad's car and drive 20 miles to park in a Shoneys Drive-thru and listen to the games on the car radio. I had a notebook with me for basketball games, and kept a running stat sheet of Duke players' shooting percentages, rebounds, etc. for individual games. (This probably did not look weird at all the the other teenagers who were cruising Shoneys for flirting.)

[hurleyfor3]

1989. They gave me a scholarship. Although the first year I seriously started following college basketball was 1987, the first time in my life Pitt was good.

[BlueDevilCorvette!]

30 years I've been a devoted Duke Basketball fan!

[wsb3]

Since the days of Jeff Mullins.

[devil84]

1976. I was 13 and living in Chicago with my family where we were lifelong Chicago Blackhawks fans. My brothers and I would spend hours playing hockey on an ice rink my parents rigged up in our backyard. In the innocence of youth, we all thought we'd play professional hockey as a career. Then Dad came home and told us we were moving to North Carolina, as he had taken an administrator position at Duke Hospital.

We arrived in Durham to find that the only ice in the area is contained in this beverage called "sweet tea." (It was pretty delectable, too!). OK...there WAS the Daniel Boone ice rink in Hillsborough (Daniel Boone...ICE RINK??!!). Anyway, in the era before ESPN and the Internet, we were disappointed that we didn't have hockey anymore.

Dad came home from the office one day, and at dinner told mom and the three kids that we could get Duke basketball tickets, which seemed to be a popular activity for the other guys he worked with. Mom and Dad had Lyric Opera tickets for probably 20 years before moving to Durham, and Dad comes up with basketball tickets? We all looked at him like he had sprouted three heads, and Mom actually said something like, "You want us to watch a bunch of hot, sweaty guys run around a smelly gym?" So he replied, "So I'll get 5 tickets."

We were hooked by halftime. We were shocked -- shocked -- that we heard the GTHC cheer and it contained a bad word. And EVERYONE was saying it! (Didn't take us too long to start chanting it right along with everyone else!) The fact that basketball was an interactive activity was SO much fun. And with Spanarkel, Gminski, Tate Armstrong, and Mark Crow...that was some good basketball. Turns out, Bill Foster was our neighbor and we went to school with his daughters. And one of my dad's good buddies was the Faculty Sports Advisor, who was instrumental in making sure I knew when the tryouts were for being a basketball manager. And the guys my dad worked with were definitely Cameron Crazies, living up to the name before it had been invented, even if they weren't current students (right, Alteran? :) )

Dad's been gone for a long time now, but Mom still has tickets and takes us with her. We have many, many terrific family memories with trips to various road games, whether regular season or tournament games.

[WV_Iron_Duke]

My father graduated from Duke in the mid 30's so I have been a real fan since the Bubas era and even before. Charles Town WV was only 55 miles from DC so we got the ACC game of the week every winter Saturday afternoon and went to too many Duke/ Terp games to remember. I remember seeing Gary Williams play.My first ACC Tournament was in Raleigh in '62 when Duke was upset by Clemson when Press Maravich was the coach and Wake won behind Len Chappel and Billy Packer (Bones called him "My little star from Bethlehem"). My father was Postmaster so he blurred the postmarks for mail order tickets so we had great seats for the 1966 Finals at Cole. The key to the UK Duke matchup in the first Semi was that Verga was sick and only scored a few points while I had seen him score 30 points or so in a losing effort at Cole earlier in the year. At the time Cole was likely the largest college venue north of Reynolds so we went to numerous regional finals including Duke beating NYU. My father was an Iron Duke and I recall his last tourney was when Duke beat Md with Albert King during that big snowstorm (for Raleigh).

[Henderson]

When I started this thread I didn't expect the rich effusion of oral history. Can we preserve it in a way that both allows people to add on and prevents it from dropping down to page 7? Is that what stickies do?

[ricks68]

Cigarettes on the Duke campus in the early '60s? 25 cents a pack in the vending machines.

23 cents over the counter in the Dope Shop.

ricks

[ricks68]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned freshman games. We'd settle in for the freshman game at sixish and stay for the varsity game around eight.

We paid some attention to recruiting in those days. But we didn't form any strong opinions until we saw them in some freshman games.

A lot easier to reserve judgment in those days, when we didn't have a top-100 for 14-year-olds.

I still remember a freshman game when Dave Elmer scored 40 or against Tommy Burleson, fouling Burleson out late. We all knew that Elmer was going to be an absolute star for Duke. Instead, he never played a second for Duke, essentially transferring at the start of a game.

Ended up at the Ohio version of Miami. Good but not great player there.

I know you arrived at Duke a few years after me, but were you as lucky as I was to see Pistol Pete lay it on us in a freshman game? Even after watching Verga for 3 years, it wasn't until JJ began lighting it up, that I felt his performance style was surpassed.

ricks

[jimsumner]

I know you arrived at Duke a few years after me, but were you as lucky as I was to see Pistol Pete lay it on us in a freshman game? Even after watching Verga for 3 years, it wasn't until JJ began lighting it up, that I felt his performance style was surpassed.

ricks

Did not get to see Pistol Pete. But I did get to see David Thompson and I would not hesitate for a second to take DT over Maravich. Best college player in ACC history, IMO.

The best performance I ever saw by an opposing player, however, was Len Bias scoring 43 points against the great 1986 team. Duke still won, handily. But Bias was amazing.

[ricks68]

Over 60 years.

Highlights: Watching part of an ACC Tournament game with Johns Frye and Cantwell.

Watching the Duke freshmen beat Pistol Pete and company. I think we used a box and 1 with the box around Pete. He still scored over 40 (50?), but we won.

Playing pick up with a floppy-haired freshman named Verga.

From the other students sitting around me, it did not appear that anyone even really knew who he really was. After missing his first 2 or 3 shots attempted from somewhere closer to half court than the top of the key, however, we all started razzing him to keep on shooting. That was a mistake.

ricks

[Jim3k]

23 cents over the counter in the Dope Shop.

ricks


In the early '60s, you could frequently get free mini-sample packs of cigs from the giveaway boys and girls who wandered both campuses.

The marketing theory was much like Tom Lehrer's 1953 tune "The Old Dope Peddler (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNWvdtt5sxs):"

He gives the kids free samples,
because he knows full well
that today's young innocent faces
are tomorrow's clientele.

And many of us fell into the tobacco trap as a result.

[ricks68]

Such good stuff from everyone. Didn't we have a similar thread a few years ago?

The week I arrived on campus in the fall of 1964 I was required to be a Duke fan in order to go to the freshman dance. It's a long story, but it obviously turned out very well over the past 50 years.:D

ricks

[wgpatrick]

Long time reader, infrequent poster. I first became a Duke fan when I was born ('88) to a Duke alum. Growing up in Chapel Hill, I made a big choice at the age of 4 to become a Tarheel fan after Carolina won the national championship. From 4-18, I loved the Heels. I remember being extremely upset about the 2004 Duhon layup in OT, which I watched in person as a concessions staffer at the Dean Dome. I loved the '04-'05 team, especially Jackie Manuel, David Noel & Raymond Felton, and ran around Franklin St after they won the national championship. I find the recent academic scandal sad - as it implicates the teams that I used to admire. I became a Duke fan (again) in August 2006 when arriving for freshman year at Duke. When I enrolled, I didn't know where my allegiances would lie, then quickly figured out that I couldn't root against my fellow classmates and became a crazie. Strangely, two doors down on my freshman hall were two fellow North Carolinians & Tar Heels, who remained Carolina fans at Duke. One of them is still one of my best friends. And we constantly rib each other. One for cheering against his classmates. The other for being a traitor.

So - I guess I've been a Duke fan since '88 but for only 12 years total. : )

[bjornolf]

Beginning of the 1992-1993 season. That's when I decided Duke was where I wanted to go to college and applied there as a high school senior. So, I just missed the second championship, and arrived on campus just in time for the '95 debacle.

[Phoenix22]

Since February 1997 when I received my acceptance package from Duke! Its always nice to receive the big package rather than the little envelope! I matriculated with Battier's class and we won the Title my senior year! Go Duke 2001!!!

[duke1954]

23 cents over the counter in the Dope Shop.

ricks

20 cents would get you a pack of Chesterfields and a pack of matches at the Dope shop ca. 1950.

[sagegrouse]

20 cents would get you a pack of Chesterfields and a pack of matches at the Dope shop ca. 1950.

Ahhh.... those Duke matches, with a cover picturing the campus and the football stadium during the Jan. 1, 1942 Rose Bowl game -- no Allen Building, no Wannamaker...

[wavedukefan70s]

Found it.my first duke shirt.http://i60.tinypic.com/14jwy0j.jpg

[McDougald]

Started as a Duke fan after Art Heyman graduated and Jeff Mullins was the star. Went on to to see games featuring Bob Verga, Hack Tyson, Steve Vacendak, etc. in Duke Indoor Stadium and get their autographs on a basketball whilst visiting in the locker room after a game.

[jimsumner]

Started as a Duke fan after Art Heyman graduated and Jeff Mullins was the star. Went on to to see games featuring Bob Verga, Hack Tyson, Steve Vacendak, etc. in Duke Indoor Stadium and get their autographs on a basketball whilst visiting in the locker room after a game.

That would be 1963-'64.

It's Hack Tison, btw. Hack is a shortened version of his given name Haskell, fwiw, not a commentary on any propensity to foul. Tison actually was a very good defender. Had they kept stats on blocked shots in those days, I suspect he would have been amongst the national leaders. Long, thin, quick and active.

He actually started in 1964 alongside Jay Buckley, giving Duke a pair of 6-10 starters in an era when many teams started 6-5 guys at center. Mullins was the 3 and sophomore Jack Marin came off the bench believe it or not.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Found it.my first duke shirt.http://i60.tinypic.com/14jwy0j.jpg

Wow. What a gem. Those are some terrible haircuts ;)

[oldnavy]

I grew up in Durham, and from the age of 8 or so worked concession stands almost every Duke home basketball and football game until I left for the Navy in 1989, hundreds of games over about 20 years!!

Favorite memories: WOW, where to start?

Robbie West, beating UNC on a buzzer beater... has to be one, especially since I remember my normally very stoic father jumping up and down like a kid (I have no other memories of him EVER moving that much or that quickly!!)

The "air ball" game. We didn't have seats so we would squeeze in where we could. This game I was sitting on the floor opposite the Duke bench about baseline in front of the Crazies. In fact there is a video that was posted on DBR where I could see myself (wearing my old high school football jersey, white with red numbers, guess which school...) jumping up when we scored early in the first half. That was a GREAT game!!

And so many more... God has blessed me in so many ways, this being just one example...

[sagegrouse]

He actually started in 1964 alongside Jay Buckley, giving Duke a pair of 6-10 starters in an era when many teams started 6-5 guys at center. Mullins was the 3 and sophomore Jack Marin came off the bench believe it or not.

Ah yes, the "incredibly shrinking twin towers." Jay Buckley was listed as 6-11 as a freshman and Hack Tison, a year later, was listed at 7-0. By the time both were on the varsity, they were listed as 6-10, a phenomenon that may have been the fashion of the day -- minimize the size of really tall basketball players.

[throatybeard]

My mother tells me I was pretending to be Mike Gminski with a nerf ball and a piece of pottery as the hoop in 1980, when I was three and a half.

I generally find that there's no percentage in contradicting her.

[budwom]

Ah yes, the "incredibly shrinking twin towers." Jay Buckley was listed as 6-11 as a freshman and Hack Tison, a year later, was listed at 7-0. By the time both were on the varsity, they were listed as 6-10, a phenomenon that may have been the fashion of the day -- minimize the size of really tall basketball players.

Living in Connecticut (that's a small state in the Northeast!) in 1964 I must confess to being a Husky fan, and first really focused on Duke in the NCAA tourney that year when the heroic Huskies, led by Wes Bialosuknia and Toby Kimball (the best bald player in America back then) faced Duke and sustained a horrific 101 to 54 beatdown. Three years later I was in Derm.

[throatybeard]

Ah yes, the "incredibly shrinking twin towers." Jay Buckley was listed as 6-11 as a freshman and Hack Tison, a year later, was listed at 7-0. By the time both were on the varsity, they were listed as 6-10, a phenomenon that may have been the fashion of the day -- minimize the size of really tall basketball players.

My mother was friends with both of those dudes, plus Buzzy Harrison. She has a funny story about someone trying to fit Buckley into a VW Bug.

For years, Duke fans accused Dean Smith of some vast conspiracy to minimize the size of his seven footers. Even then, I was like, this is the worst of the dude's sins against us? C'mon.

[jimsumner]

My mother was friends with both of those dudes, plus Buzzy Harrison. She has a funny story about someone trying to fit Buckley into a VW Bug.

For years, Duke fans accused Dean Smith of some vast conspiracy to minimize the size of his seven footers. Even then, I was like, this is the worst of the dude's sins against us? C'mon.

Smith thought that being listed as a seven-footer led fans to have unrealistic expectations. So, seven-footers like Rusty Clark and Brad Daugherty were listed as 6-11 3/4 or some such. We used to joke that Daugherty was 6-11 15/16.

[throatybeard]

Smith thought that being listed as a seven-footer led fans to have unrealistic expectations. So, seven-footers like Rusty Clark and Brad Daugherty were listed as 6-11 3/4 or some such. We used to joke that Daugherty was 6-11 15/16.

Smith thought a lot of things. Like playing chicken keepaway for five minutes at a time was an honorable thing to do.

[jimsumner]

Smith thought a lot of things. Like playing chicken keepaway for five minutes at a time was an honorable thing to do.

Lots of coaches did it. it was legal and if executed properly was a good way to win games. Smith didn't start it. He just perfected it.

Check out some of Duke's scores from K's first seasons, when there was no shot clock and Duke was a bit undermanned. I once saw Maryland beat Duke 40-36 in Cameron and Dean Smith was nowhere to be seen.

[Tripping William]

Smith thought that being listed as a seven-footer led fans to have unrealistic expectations. So, seven-footers like Rusty Clark and Brad Daugherty were listed as 6-11 3/4 or some such. We used to joke that Daugherty was 6-11 15/16.

Making Serge Zwikker, what, 6'14"? 😄

[Henderson]

Lots of coaches did it. it was legal and if executed properly was a good way to win games. Smith didn't start it. He just perfected it.

I guess scoring zero points in a half evidences a certain type of perfection.

[chrishoke]

Living in Connecticut (that's a small state in the Northeast!) in 1964 I must confess to being a Husky fan, and first really focused on Duke in the NCAA tourney that year when the heroic Huskies, led by Wes Bialosuknia and Toby Kimball (the best bald player in America back then) faced Duke and sustained a horrific 101 to 54 beatdown. Three years later I was in Derm.

Ha. That was my first NCAA tournament game - thanks dad. It was the Eastern Regional Finals and was played in State's Reynolds Coliseum. I was 10 and kept a scrapbook of Duke's season that year - I still have it - including a picture of baldy Kimball and the UConn team posing after their regional semifinal win. Duke beat Villanova in the semis - Jeff Mullins had 43 and hit a half court shot to end the first half. Great memories.

[jimsumner]

Ha. That was my first NCAA tournament game - thanks dad. It was the Eastern Regional Finals and was played in State's Reynolds Coliseum. I was 10 and kept a scrapbook of Duke's season that year - I still have it - including a picture of baldy Kimball and the UConn team posing after their regional semifinal win. Duke beat Villanova in the semis - Jeff Mullins had 43 and hit a half court shot to end the first half. Great memories.

The NCAA didn't seed teams in those days. The de facto title game was Duke's win over a very good Villanova team in the semis. That team had two future NBA starters, Jim Washington and Wally Jones and a future ABA star named Bill Melchionni. Bill's younger brother Gary attended the game and was bitterly disappointed at the Duke win. But when Villanova declined to recruit him, he remembered how impressed he was with Vic Bubas and his program.

Ironically, by the time Gary Melchionni was ready to sign on the dotted line Bubas had retired. So he never got to play for him. But he was a very good player for Bucky Waters.

UConn's semifinal win was over Princeton and Bill Bradley, who famously changed from Duke to Princeton on the day he was supposed to start orientation at Duke.

Another Duke connection. UConn was coached by Fred Shabel, a former Duke player for Harold Bradley and assistant coach under Bubas. A few years later Shabel became AD at Penn, where he hired another former Duke assistant, Chuck Daly, as their head coach.

[royalblue]

Jim,
I would defer to you 99% of the time but I do have a much different perspective on the slow down game issue. I think all coaches have used it at one time or another over the years but Dean takes the cake. He used it more when the talent level was close or he even had the edge in talent than any coach I can remember. I'm not as wise as you and will never claim to be but I would like to know any HOF level coach in the last 60 years that used that cowardly type play over and over like Dean did. From my take if your talent level is not on par with the team you are playing I understand and accept it. If it is on the same level I see it as playing scared.
Maybe I am too much antidean to give him any credit but no credit for stall ball with his teams full of talent will come from me.

[jimsumner]

Jim,
I would defer to you 99% of the time but I do have a much different perspective on the slow down game issue. I think all coaches have used it at one time or another over the years but Dean takes the cake. He used it more when the talent level was close or he even had the edge in talent than any coach I can remember. I'm not as wise as you and will never claim to be but I would like to know any HOF level coach in the last 60 years that used that cowardly type play over and over like Dean did. From my take if your talent level is not on par with the team you are playing I understand and accept it. If it is on the same level I see it as playing scared.
Maybe I am too much antidean to give him any credit but no credit for stall ball with his teams full of talent will come from me.

I just don't see it as cowardly. It was a tactic designed to win basketball games and Carolina ran it with unaccustomed efficiency. As often as not, the four corners was designed to pull teams out of zones, designed to force teams to chase superior ball-handlers like Phil Ford, designed to generate mismatches and lay-ups.

Opposing teams always had the option to come out and play defense away from the basket. The famous Carolina-Virginia game in the 1982 ACC Tournament title game helped lead to a shot clock, which was a good thing. But just as much as Smith made the decision to go to the four corners, Terry Holland just as much made a decision to keep his team back in a zone and let them. Vic Bubas made the same decision against NC State in 1968, Bill Foster against Carolina in 1979. Both thought staying back maximized their chances of winning. It took two to turn a delay into a stall.

Sometimes it was designed as an end game. Superior teams with leads use stratagems to shorten games all the time. Football teams run out the clock. Soccer teams kick the ball in the corner and try to keep it there. Hockey teams clear their zone with no intention of trying to score. Even with a shot clock, K goes into a delay darn near every chance he gets, even with superior talent, sometimes because he has superior talent.

I just can't fault a coach for using a legal tactic to help win games. Entertaining fans may be part of the job description but winning games always is.

[Stratrat]

Sagegrouse recently mentioned that he's been a Duke basketball fan for 55 years. That's pretty impressive to me, and a lot longer than most marriages last. Anyway, it made me curious about the group.

So let's take roll.

And let me say off the top that longevity of fandom has no bearing on quality of insights. Historical perspective is good, but there are a lot of younger fans here with much better insights than us old farts, or at least than me.

The father of a friend of mine, McAfee, worked for Jefferson pilot and took us to Duke games. Players a lot you will not know but we had 2 twin towers back then-- Jay Buckley and Hack Both 6 ft 11 . Bob Verga, Steve Vacendeck, Dick Groat.
Glory days. Fell in love with Duke way back then while every friend I had were tarholes.

I remember the press conference when Coach K was introduced. He had to spell his name. I was dissappointed that we
didn't get a big name coach. Shows u what I know.

I was also recruited by Duke football but their teams were not good back then,

Go Blue Devils!!!! THis is our year.

[-jk]

I just don't see it as cowardly. It was a tactic designed to win basketball games and Carolina ran it with unaccustomed efficiency. As often as not, the four corners was designed to pull teams out of zones, designed to force teams to chase superior ball-handlers like Phil Ford, designed to generate mismatches and lay-ups.

Opposing teams always had the option to come out and play defense away from the basket. The famous Carolina-Virginia game in the 1982 ACC Tournament title game helped lead to a shot clock, which was a good thing. But just as much as Smith made the decision to go to the four corners, Terry Holland just as much made a decision to keep his team back in a zone and let them. Vic Bubas made the same decision against NC State in 1968, Bill Foster against Carolina in 1979. Both thought staying back maximized their chances of winning. It took two to turn a delay into a stall.

Sometimes it was designed as an end game. Superior teams with leads use stratagems to shorten games all the time. Football teams run out the clock. Soccer teams kick the ball in the corner and try to keep it there. Hockey teams clear their zone with no intention of trying to score. Even with a shot clock, K goes into a delay darn near every chance he gets, even with superior talent, sometimes because he has superior talent.

I just can't fault a coach for using a legal tactic to help win games. Entertaining fans may be part of the job description but winning games always is.

It's not quite time for my annual "Dr. K: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Stall" post, but it'll come after some nail-biter or other...

-jk

[DevilFalcon]

Some of my first words were 'go Duke', so about 30 years. I really started paying attention and have memories from JJ's years though.

[moonpie23]

I'm a gamecock, moved to raleigh in 1982. I've detailed my hatred for the heels more than once on DBR. As SC's bb program was fading, i was drawn to what was becoming the sharpest thorn in UNC's side.......Duke....

once i began "following" Duke, my son and i became the most steadfast of fans.........It was even more cemented when coach K took personal time (on a number of occasions) to single out my handicapped son, and take him back to the locker room for one-on-one time with the players and coaching staff. (the story of my son, Sam, and his Brian Zoubek fascination, and support, is chronicled on DBR around may, 2010..

we bleed royal blue...

[RPS]

I became a fan when I visited the campus as a prospective student 37 years ago. After enrolling, I never missed a home game as a student (Spanarkel, Gminski, Banks, 7-0, 1981 OT). I've seen many games since, mostly in the NCAA Tournament (included the Mark Macon game and "Special"). Perhaps this year I'll get to my first Final Four....

[gurufrisbee]

I started watching college basketball in 1985. I was nine years old. The year before I started watching MLB. I saw the San Diego Padres were good, so I picked them to be my team and a sweet swinging outfielder named Tony Gwynn to be my favorite player. I've never swayed for a second since then - and if you know anything about the Padres, that means it's mostly been a very rough thirty years (and a very sad summer this past year about Gwynn). But apparently it's in my DNA to pick a team and stick. So in 1985 I saw that Duke was good and I picked them. Obviously that went mostly very well that season (although Pervis Ellison might be the first opposing player I ever really hated) and I've stuck with Duke completely ever since. It's been a much more successful fandom than my baseball pick. Sadly I don't think I've given my daughters any real choice. Both the 8 year old and now the 2 year old had some of their first words as "Go Duke!" and the older one even now makes a perfectly lovely vomitting sound if you say "Carolina". She even got her big box of Crayolas and immediately threw a couple away - they were too Carolina Blue. I was so proud.

[gurufrisbee]

I should also add in 1985 I lived in the Bay Area. There were not a lot of Duke fans in elementary schools north of San Francisco at the time. From there we moved near Houston and then to Spokane where I finished high school and I've been in the state of Washington ever since. I've only ever been to Durham once (my family took a road trip in the summer of 1987 - I got to stop in the bookstore at Duke and get a shirt) and I've still never been to a Duke game in person. Almost got down to Oregon for Singler's senior game, but daughter got sick. Someday.

[jv001]

I started watching college basketball in 1985. I was nine years old. The year before I started watching MLB. I saw the San Diego Padres were good, so I picked them to be my team and a sweet swinging outfielder named Tony Gwynn to be my favorite player. I've never swayed for a second since then - and if you know anything about the Padres, that means it's mostly been a very rough thirty years (and a very sad summer this past year about Gwynn). But apparently it's in my DNA to pick a team and stick. So in 1985 I saw that Duke was good and I picked them. Obviously that went mostly very well that season (although Pervis Ellison might be the first opposing player I ever really hated) and I've stuck with Duke completely ever since. It's been a much more successful fandom than my baseball pick. Sadly I don't think I've given my daughters any real choice. Both the 8 year old and now the 2 year old had some of their first words as "Go Duke!" and the older one even now makes a perfectly lovely vomitting sound if you say "Carolina". She even got her big box of Crayolas and immediately threw a couple away - they were too Carolina Blue. I was so proud.

But it looks like the owner of your baseball team is finally getting off his wallet and spending some money this off season. I've had a warm feeling for the Padres since Jack Clark was traded from my Cardinals to the Padres. Let's hope they play well enough in 2015 to make the playoffs. Maybe to lose to the Cardinals in the playoffs.:cool: GoDuke!

[RPS]

I started watching college basketball in 1985. I was nine years old. The year before I started watching MLB. I saw the San Diego Padres were good, so I picked them to be my team and a sweet swinging outfielder named Tony Gwynn to be my favorite player. I've never swayed for a second since then - and if you know anything about the Padres, that means it's mostly been a very rough thirty years (and a very sad summer this past year about Gwynn). But apparently it's in my DNA to pick a team and stick. So in 1985 I saw that Duke was good and I picked them. Obviously that went mostly very well that season (although Pervis Ellison might be the first opposing player I ever really hated) and I've stuck with Duke completely ever since. It's been a much more successful fandom than my baseball pick. Sadly I don't think I've given my daughters any real choice. Both the 8 year old and now the 2 year old had some of their first words as "Go Duke!" and the older one even now makes a perfectly lovely vomitting sound if you say "Carolina". She even got her big box of Crayolas and immediately threw a couple away - they were too Carolina Blue. I was so proud.

I too love Duke (see above) and the Pads. T-Gwynn lived a short walk from me and, before he got really sick, he'd be "around" a lot. Our daughters played high school basketball against each other (rivalry schools). Tony was always at the games but up in a corner trying to stay inconspiculous. I never saw him be other than friendly and gracious. The loss of him is a very big one for this city.

[jmck214]

March 1992. I was 7 years old walking out the door to go to school and my dad who was watching Sportscenter told me there was a highlight I had to see. Of course it was the Laettner shot and I was so amazed by the play that I became a fan