4 Corners - Serious question

[excattyguy]

I am neither a Duke fan or a Duke hater. As a kid, I watched a Vic Bubbas team in the NCAA championship (I believe it had two 6" 10" players, and much later one of their sons also played for Duke -- Buckley?). I also followed Duke when Gene Banks went down there from Philly.

I have another memory that is a little hazy and I'm hoping someone here could clarify. I watched a Duke-UNC game in the mid to late 60's. UNC ran their 4 corners stall, and I think they shut themselves out 7 to 0 at half. Am I remembering this correctly, and if I am, what was the final score? I seem to remember that the difference in the Duke win was the 7 point lead at half. :confused:

[Troublemaker]

The game occurred in 1979.

Here's the box score for that game: http://goduke.statsgeek.com/basketball-m/games/boxscore.php?gameid=19790224

Here's the possible mythology for that game: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_ball

[excattyguy]

I got the decade confused because I started following UNC when Larry Miller went down there, and I followed Duke more closely for Gene Banks. I was pretty sure the game had one of those players in it, but I thought it was Miller.

Thanks again.

[Olympic Fan]

You may be confusing the 7-0 "Airball" game in 1979 with the 1966 ACC Tournament semifinals.

Dean Smith tried to run the Four Corners the entire game, but Vic Bubas (not Bubbas) refused to come out of the zone. The game turned into a stallathon that Duke won 21-20 on a late free throw by Mike Lewis. Larry Miller DID play in that game. Gene Banks played for Duke in the 1979 Airball game.

The other team you are thinking of was the 1964 Bubas team that lost to UCLA in the national title game. If featured 6-10 Jay Buckley (whose son Clay was a member of Duke's 1991 national champs) and 6-10 Hack Tison. But the star of the team was 6-5 All-American Jeff Mullins.

[BigWayne]

Here's the possible mythology for that game: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_ball

That article is pretty naive/off base. The 7-0 game was most likely the first use of the airball chant as a taunt for the opposing team. The article tries to refute the presumption that the term airball started that day, which I doubt anyone has ever claimed.

[ricks68]

You may be confusing the 7-0 "Airball" game in 1979 with the 1966 ACC Tournament semifinals.

Dean Smith tried to run the Four Corners the entire game, but Vic Bubas (not Bubbas) refused to come out of the zone. The game turned into a stallathon that Duke won 21-20 on a late free throw by Mike Lewis. Larry Miller DID play in that game. Gene Banks played for Duke in the 1979 Airball game.

The other team you are thinking of was the 1964 Bubas team that lost to UCLA in the national title game. If featured 6-10 Jay Buckley (whose son Clay was a member of Duke's 1991 national champs) and 6-10 Hack Tison. But the star of the team was 6-5 All-American Jeff Mullins.

I have to agree with OF here. The score was 7 to 5 at the half before we won it 21-20. Verga was our high scorer with 7. The game was projected on a large screen at center court in the Indoor Stadium for us (the student body) to watch. We were moaning throughout the entire game, as we expected an exciting high scoring game. What a disappointment!:mad: We did win, however, but it left a very sour taste in our mouths, so to speak.

Dean Smith did a great job of perfecting the Four Corners that Frank McGuire of South Carolina (formerly of UNC) unsuccessfully introduced us to in an earlier game that year. We won that game 41-38, and never imagined someone else would try that on us since we had successfully conquered that approach. We were a very high scoring team that year, and went all the way to the semi's of the NCAA Tournament. Many, including myself, sincerely believe that we would have made the finals if Verga had not been so sick. Bubas stated a number of years ago that the 1965-66 team was his best. They certainly were fun to watch.:D

ricks

[Jim3k]

I dunno who actually invented the phrase "air ball," but players were certainly using it when I was an undergraduate in the early sixties. I once shagged practice shots for Jack Marin, who uttered it on wide misses. He also told me "there's a lid on that thing," when his good shots refused to fall. So the phrase was in vogue with players long before it became part of the lexicon.

As a chant, our own, now absent, James Armstrong (former co-owner of DBR), claims to have started it when he was an undergraduate. If he shows up, he can describe it, but I think there are other old-timers here who know his story better than I.

[ricks68]

I dunno who actually invented the phrase "air ball," but players were certainly using it when I was an undergraduate in the early sixties. I once shagged practice shots for Jack Marin, who uttered it on wide misses. He also told me "there's a lid on that thing," when his good shots refused to fall. So the phrase was in vogue with players long before it became part of the lexicon.

As a chant, our own, now absent, James Armstrong (former co-owner of DBR), claims to have started it when he was an undergraduate. If he shows up, he can describe it, but I think there are other old-timers here who know his story better than I.

I still owe James some Texas BBQ, and I sure wish he would check in. It's been a long, long time. Same for Viking Hat Guy. :(

Mulletman needs to get on this, along with Throaty.

ricks

[hurleyfor3]

I thought the guy who popularized "air ball" was Chick Hearn. Maybe he didn't invent it, but he had a microphone.

[duke80]

The game occurred in 1979.

Here's the box score for that game: http://goduke.statsgeek.com/basketball-m/games/boxscore.php?gameid=19790224

Here's the possible mythology for that game: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_ball

I remember the game pretty well as I was there. The buildup to the game was unbelievable as it was at Cameron going up against a really good UNC team. The difference was that we had a really good offensive team and no one thought that UNC could keep up.

So instead of using the 4 corners to protect leads late in games, Dean decided to pull it out during the entire first half! Obviously UNC wanted to go into half with a narrow lead using the frustrating four corners to control and slow the play waaaayyyy down. The only thing is we still outscored them by 7 with solid defense and not letting them penetrate for easy scores or back doors. I think I remember G man blocking a few as well.

At first the crowd was incensed. However, as the half wore on everyone really got into it, as it became clear that UNC was not having their way with us and we were starting to beat them at their own game. By the end of the 1st half Cameron was back in full force and everyone was on their feet screaming even when UNC had the ball. So the crowd went from jeering to cheering.

The second half was rocking as well, as it was clear that the 4 corners had failed on this Duke team. After watching the frustrating 4 corners for years this was pretty amazing to see happen. As the box score above reminded me, the final margin of the game matched the margin of the 4 corners 1st half, 7-0. Amazing.

Here is a 2 minute video I found on YouTube of the game. Looks like a zone defense to me extended a little by Spanarkel, who was a good defender and tireless. I remember him doing wind sprints during half time of a scrimmage or Blue White game at some point that year. Amazing commitment to the game. And of course, it didn't hurt to have Gminski waiting in the paint.

I can't help wonder if there are any more videos of this game out there.

Go Duke.

[Reilly]

... Spanarkel, who was a good defender and tireless. I remember him doing wind sprints during half time of a scrimmage or Blue White game at some point that year. Amazing commitment to the game ...

Did there used to be a (monthly?) magazine called ACC Sports Journal or ACC Sports Report or something like that during this time period (late 70s)? I think it was in that magazine (or maybe it was in the pre-season ACC Basketball Handbook, but I don't think so) that I recall reading a Spanarkel profile, and it talked about how he had stuck around Duke in the summer, had his own key to Cameron, and would make 200 FTs every day ... there was something about that anecdote that imprinted itself on my young mind ... that someone could have his own key to a college gym ... that he could shoot any time he wanted ... the important thing being counting *makes* not *shots* ...

[Olympic Fan]

I just want to be clear about one thing -- neither the 1966 ACC Tournament stall nor the 7-0 stall in 1979 were examples of the Four Corners.

They were outright stalls -- like the 12-10 ACC Tournament game against NC State in 1968.

In both cases, Dean held the ball outside in an effort to pull Duke out of the zone. There was no real Four Corners action in either case because both Bubas in '66 and Foster in '79 refused to extend the defense. UNC did do some desultory passing around the perimeter, but in neither case ran the real Four Corners -- except for a couple of possessions in the 1966 game when UNC had the lead in the last few minutes. Bubas responded in that case with a tactic that Jim Valvano would later make famous -- by intentionally fouling. Under the rules at the time, the first six common fouls were one free throw. He successfully traded one free throw for the chance to score two points at the other end.

I think the longest stretch of actual Four Corners that UNC ever ran against Duke was the last seven minutes of the 1969 ACC title game. Duke had led by 10 at the half and 11 early in the second half, but Charlie Scott went nuts in the second half and UNC caught up and took the lead at the seven minute mark. From that point on, UNC ran the Four Corners with Scott in the middle.

[duke80]

Forgot to link the short video I found on YouTube of the game. Check it out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRVmc6dO0g8

[hudlow]

Forgot to link the short video I found on YouTube of the game. Check it out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRVmc6dO0g8

Back when shorts were short and possessions were not.

[Kedsy]

I remember the game pretty well as I was there. The buildup to the game was unbelievable as it was at Cameron going up against a really good UNC team. The difference was that we had a really good offensive team and no one thought that UNC could keep up.

So instead of using the 4 corners to protect leads late in games, Dean decided to pull it out during the entire first half! Obviously UNC wanted to go into half with a narrow lead using the frustrating four corners to control and slow the play waaaayyyy down. The only thing is we still outscored them by 7 with solid defense and not letting them penetrate for easy scores or back doors. I think I remember G man blocking a few as well.

I was also there. Gminski had three blocks in the game, but they were all in the second half. While UNC ran the stall, they only took two shots, both airballs (hence the chant). They also turned it over twice. Chick Yonakur, generally accepted to be one of the ugliest humans in the Western Hemisphere, was responsible for both turnovers and the first airball (the second airball was a near-halfcourt shot right before the second half buzzer).

The key to the game was that Duke won the opening jump ball and scored first. The rules at that time required the defense to come out and defend if the defensive team was behind or tied, but not if it was ahead. So since we started the game up 2-0, Bill Foster elected to stay back in the zone and wait Carolina out.



At first the crowd was incensed. However, as the half wore on everyone really got into it, as it became clear that UNC was not having their way with us and we were starting to beat them at their own game. By the end of the 1st half Cameron was back in full force and everyone was on their feet screaming even when UNC had the ball. So the crowd went from jeering to cheering.

I don't remember being incensed, or even particularly surprised (OK, I guess we were all surprised, but perhaps not shocked). It wasn't the first time that season an opponent had tried the tactic (LaSalle had tried it earlier that season -- Duke ended the first half of that game up 12-6), and Deano was well known for the Four Corners. My recollection is also that the crowd was into it from the get-go. I know I stood for the entire half, screaming at the top of my lungs but still not being able to hear my own voice. I was actually sitting in one of the "corners," screaming pretty much directly into Chick Yonakur's right ear. I half-joked later that the vocal talents of my friends (BD80, Nacho, and Jeff Frosh among them) and I were partially responsible for Yonakur's mistakes which directly led to 5 of the 7 first half points. The only time we stopped shouting was when Duke shot the two free throws (well, I think it was two, of which we made one; it's possible it was an "and one").

[duke80]

I was also there. Gminski had three blocks in the game, but they were all in the second half. While UNC ran the stall, they only took two shots, both airballs (hence the chant). They also turned it over twice. Chick Yonakur, generally accepted to be one of the ugliest humans in the Western Hemisphere, was responsible for both turnovers and the first airball (the second airball was a near-halfcourt shot right before the second half buzzer).

The key to the game was that Duke won the opening jump ball and scored first. The rules at that time required the defense to come out and defend if the defensive team was behind or tied, but not if it was ahead. So since we started the game up 2-0, Bill Foster elected to stay back in the zone and wait Carolina out.



I don't remember being incensed, or even particularly surprised (OK, I guess we were all surprised, but perhaps not shocked). It wasn't the first time that season an opponent had tried the tactic (LaSalle had tried it earlier that season -- Duke ended the first half of that game up 12-6), and Deano was well known for the Four Corners. My recollection is also that the crowd was into it from the get-go. I know I stood for the entire half, screaming at the top of my lungs but still not being able to hear my own voice. I was actually sitting in one of the "corners," screaming pretty much directly into Chick Yonakur's right ear. I half-joked later that the vocal talents of my friends (BD80, Nacho, and Jeff Frosh among them) and I were partially responsible for Yonakur's mistakes which directly led to 5 of the 7 first half points. The only time we stopped shouting was when Duke shot the two free throws (well, I think it was two, of which we made one; it's possible it was an "and one").

Hey Kedsey,
I think your memory is better than mine. Thanks for the walk down memory lane and what a memory it was. This was one of the few games I remember from that time frame.

[Dukeford]

The game occurred in 1979.

Here's the box score for that game: http://goduke.statsgeek.com/basketball-m/games/boxscore.php?gameid=19790224

Here's the possible mythology for that game: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_ball

Why didn't Banks start in this game?

[JasonEvans]

That article is pretty naive/off base. The 7-0 game was most likely the first use of the airball chant as a taunt for the opposing team. The article tries to refute the presumption that the term airball started that day, which I doubt anyone has ever claimed.

The story James Armstrong tells is this:

UNC was running their 4-corners stall in the first half and the rowdy Cameron crowd was chanting "Booor-ing, booor-ing!" in that rhythmic fashion that often do. When a UNC player finally took a shot and it hit nothing, the "booor-ing" chant was replaced with "aiiir-ball." James says he was the person in the crowd who changed the chant and that people around him picked up on it, resulting in it spreading throughout the arena. And thus, the "aiiir-ball" chant was born.

I agree that no one has ever claimed Duke fans invented the term airball, as that Wiki article tries to imply. But, it is believe that the 1979 game was the first time anyone had heard it chanted at an opposing team.

-Jason

[Reilly]

Why didn't Banks start in this game?

Don't know. Looks like Gene did not start 4 games that he played in -- 2 frosh year, and 2 soph year (this being one of those). It was the last home game -- last regular season game of the season -- but it's not like seniors got the start (Vince Taylor, frosh, got 2 starts in 1979 and this was one of those).

Why did Dean do this stall? He had a top 10 team. UNC beat Duke by 6 earlier in the year. He had Dudley Bradley, Al Wood and Mike O'Koren. Why? Seriously, why??

[duketaylor]

For the record, it's Rich Yonakor, and we abused him in CIS. He was a Proactiv commercial waiting to happen. Ugly and an awful complexion.

[jimsumner]

Don't know. Looks like Gene did not start 4 games that he played in -- 2 frosh year, and 2 soph year (this being one of those). It was the last home game -- last regular season game of the season -- but it's not like seniors got the start (Vince Taylor, frosh, got 2 starts in 1979 and this was one of those).

Why did Dean do this stall? He had a top 10 team. UNC beat Duke by 6 earlier in the year. He had Dudley Bradley, Al Wood and Mike O'Koren. Why? Seriously, why??

Smith always said that he was concerned about the emotion of Duke Senior Day, especially with it being Spanarkel's last home game and thought he could take the crowd out of the game early.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

For the record, it's Rich Yonakor, and we abused him in CIS. He was a Proactiv commercial waiting to happen. Ugly and an awful complexion.

It was also Mike O'Koren, who was unanimously voted permanent captain of the All Ugly team :cool: http://www.crazietalk.net/ourhouse/images/smilies/devil9f.gif

[Kedsy]

For the record, it's Rich Yonakor, and we abused him in CIS. He was a Proactiv commercial waiting to happen. Ugly and an awful complexion.

His real name was Rich. "Chick" was a nickname. I have no idea if it was a nickname given to him by his own friends or if it was bestowed upon him by Duke fans, but almost everyone I knew at the time referred to him as Chick.

I do apologize for spelling his last name incorrectly.

[YmoBeThere]

The 'heels might consider employing it today to keep the Panthers from ringing them up for triple digits.