25 Years Ago Today

[Tom B.]

Still the biggest win in Duke basketball history. And I was there!


https://youtu.be/csETfUrD6ME?t=4521

I've cued the video to the 4:00 mark in the second half, just before Greg Anthony fouls out.

[FerryFor50]

I'm wondering if there was a single win that was the turning point in Duke basketball. There are many candidates, but I'd argue that the UNLV win is #1, given the insurmountable odds and the amount it raised Duke's profile, not to mention leading to the first championship for K.

Other candidates:

Duke vs. UConn 1990
Duke vs. Kentucky 1992
Duke vs. Michigan 1992

Any others?

[aimo]

Watched it in the Hideaway b/c Satisfactions (Lakewood) was packed. Naked people running around outside afterwards. Good times!

[wsb3]

The years of frustration melted away that night

[OldPhiKap]

I'm wondering if there was a single win that was the turning point in Duke basketball. There are many candidates, but I'd argue that the UNLV win is #1, given the insurmountable odds and the amount it raised Duke's profile, not to mention leading to the first championship for K.

Other candidates:

Duke vs. UConn 1990
Duke vs. Kentucky 1992
Duke vs. Michigan 1992

Any others?

Duke v. Temple, 1988


(I assume you mean in the K era)

Also, sweeping all three games against UNC in 1988 -- really changed the dynamics of the rivalry.

[FerryFor50]

Duke v. Temple, 1988


(I assume you mean in the K era)

Also, sweeping all three games against UNC in 1988 -- really changed the dynamics of the rivalry.

I played a fun game of word association when you mentioned Temple.

Temple was coached by John Chaney.

Chaney once had it out with a young, upstart coach at UMass.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6jUpHClybQ

[OldPhiKap]

I played a fun game of word association when you mentioned Temple.

Temple was coached by John Chaney.

Chaney once had it out with a young, upstart coach at UMass.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6jUpHClybQ

I think about that encounter every time Cal's name comes up. Thanks for the link!

[FerryFor50]

I think about that encounter every time Cal's name comes up. Thanks for the link!

If only they hadn't held Chaney back...

[superdave]

Biggest shot in Duke history

Biggest free throws in Duke history

[FerryFor50]

Biggest shot in Duke history

Biggest free throws in Duke history

Also, biggest dunk.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv1bXGEzEfQ

[devildeac]

I'm wondering if there was a single win that was the turning point in Duke basketball. There are many candidates, but I'd argue that the UNLV win is #1, given the insurmountable odds and the amount it raised Duke's profile, not to mention leading to the first championship for K.

Other candidates:

Duke vs. UConn 1990
Duke vs. Kentucky 1992
Duke vs. Michigan 1992

Any others?

82-50 will always hold a warm, special place in my heart but this 79-77 win over UNLV is likely the most important W in Duke MBB history.

[FerryFor50]

82-50 will always hold a warm, special place in my heart but this 79-77 win over UNLV is likely the most important W in Duke MBB history.

Well, I mean in terms of making Duke a national power/household name.

Sure, beating UNC is nice and all. But what win really put Duke into the same conversation as Kentucky, UCLA, UNC, etc?

[rsvman]

A couple of thoughts.

1) Anthony fouls out on a charge call. No replay of the interaction. No endless referee second-guessing. Just "it's a charge!" and then Anthony goes to the bench. How refreshing was that? I can't remember how long it's been since I saw something like that happen even in November, let alone in the national semi-final game.

2) How long was the shot clock? I thought it was 45 seconds, but it almost seemed longer. They never showed it until it was under 15.


Anyway, great, great win.

[jv001]

Duke v. Temple, 1988


(I assume you mean in the K era)

Also, sweeping all three games against UNC in 1988 -- really changed the dynamics of the rivalry.

The sweep of the cheats and Duke's rise to fame, probably caused Saint Dean to begin the years of cheating. Was the Temple game the one where Billy Sky King held Mark Macon to way below his average? Those were great years but the win against UNLV was the biggest win . GoDuke!

[OldPhiKap]

The sweep of the cheats and Duke's rise to fame, probably caused Saint Dean to begin the years of cheating. Was the Temple game the one where Billy Sky King held Mark Macon to way below his average? Those were great years but the win against UNLV was the biggest win . GoDuke!

Sure was. Macon Bacon.

[TNDukeFan]

To me what stood out was officials having the guts to call a foul with 12 seconds left.

[Duke79UNLV77]

Still the biggest win in Duke basketball history. And I was there!


https://youtu.be/csETfUrD6ME?t=4521

I've cued the video to the 4:00 mark in the second half, just before Greg Anthony fouls out.

I was too! But, perhaps my name gave me away ...

I remember not being satisfied with just being close at half time and believing we could win. Their big men could not match up with Laettner, and Augmon had not faced a Grant Hill to match, and even exceed, his length and athleticism before. Has anyone ever seen Bobby Hurley and Tyus Jones in the same place at the same time?

[bluenorth]

Still the biggest win in Duke basketball history. And I was there!


https://youtu.be/csETfUrD6ME?t=4521

I've cued the video to the 4:00 mark in the second half, just before Greg Anthony fouls out.

I was there too, courtesy of a D.I coach and an extra ticket he had. The memory that still sticks out was thinking "Why did Hurley throw that pass?" just before Hill finished the play. Just a great weekend all around. Twenty-five years though - are you sure it isn't more like 15 or 16? We can't be that old!

[94duke]

A couple of thoughts.

1) Anthony fouls out on a charge call. No replay of the interaction. No endless referee second-guessing. Just "it's a charge!" and then Anthony goes to the bench. How refreshing was that? I can't remember how long it's been since I saw something like that happen even in November, let alone in the national semi-final game.

2) How long was the shot clock? I thought it was 45 seconds, but it almost seemed longer. They never showed it until it was under 15.


Anyway, great, great win.

A couple of things for me.

1. On Laettner's last rebound where he was fouled for the winning free throws: today, that foul would never be called. (of course, he made the put-back :p)
2. The crowd after the game was over: wow it was loud.

[ramdevil]

My memories of this day (weekend): Mr. ramdevil & I went backpacking - Mr. ramdevil carried a (rather large) portable radio & 4 D batteries so we could listen to the game. But it snowed, so we cut the trip short and got back in time to watch on TV.

-ramdevil

[MChambers]

How the game has changed in 25 years! Especially the pick and roll/ball screen.

[devildeac]

Well, I mean in terms of making Duke a national power/household name.

Sure, beating UNC is nice and all. But what win really put Duke into the same conversation as Kentucky, UCLA, UNC, etc?

Totally agree with you but I rarely miss a chance to post that score :o .

[devildeac]

The sweep of the cheats and Duke's rise to fame, probably caused Saint Dean to begin the years of cheating. Was the Temple game the one where Billy Sky King held Mark Macon to way below his average? Those were great years but the win against UNLV was the biggest win . GoDuke!

13 points on 6/29 (no typo) shooting :eek: .

[weezie]

Watched it from a recovery bed in the hospital after ruptured appendix surgery. Weakly yelled and then cried. Seems I always cry when we win.

Hope I get to blubber again next season!

[OldPhiKap]

I cry whenever I hear a good version of Danny Boy.

Winning makes me smile!

So may your tears next year be mixed with the blessings of smiling faces. And may the road always rise to meet you, may your free throws fall softly through the nets . . .




Sorry, I just spun myself way off-track and back. Go Duke, go to Hell Carolina. May the greatest victory in Duke history be in next year's championship game!

[sagegrouse]

Well, I mean in terms of making Duke a national power/household name.

Sure, beating UNC is nice and all. But what win really put Duke into the same conversation as Kentucky, UCLA, UNC, etc?

With five Final Fours in six years, Duke already was a household name in college basketball, celebrated for its accomplishments but with a lingering doubt about ever winning the big prize. Defeating UNLV and winning the NC put Duke at the highest point of college hoops. The UNLV win was bigger than the Kansas win because it was so unexpected and a complete turnaround from the year before in Denver (I was at that one).l

[MChambers]

With five Final Fours in six years, Duke already was a household name in college basketball, celebrated for its accomplishments but with a lingering doubt about ever winning the big prize. Defeating UNLV and winning the NC put Duke at the highest point of college hoops. The UNLV win was bigger than the Kansas win because it was so unexpected and a complete turnaround from the year before in Denver (I was at that one).l

The UNLV game put to rest the silly idea that Coach K couldn't win the big game.

[royalblue]

Dean ejected out of the Final Four and uncch loses
Then Duke wins a game for the ages = The Best Day Ever

[OldPhiKap]

Dean ejected out of the Final Four and uncch loses
Then Duke wins a game for the ages = The Best Day Ever

You make a compelling case.

[oldnavy]

Watched this game sitting on the floor about a foot away from the front of the TV.

When Hurley took his famous 3, I remember thinking, WT???? until it swished through the nets.

I was so happy we won, SO HAPPY... but in the back of my mind I wondered if we had enough in the tank to beat Kansas.... then the famous Hill ooop, and I knew then we were going to win our first National Championship.... that was a great feeling.

[jv001]

Watched this game sitting on the floor about a foot away from the front of the TV.

When Hurley took his famous 3, I remember thinking, WT???? until it swished through the nets.

I was so happy we won, SO HAPPY... but in the back of my mind I wondered if we had enough in the tank to beat Kansas... then the famous Hill ooop, and I knew then we were going to win our first National Championship... that was a great feeling.

One of my best friends and I took a Spring vacation to Florida to play golf and watch the Cardinals in Spring Training. Both of us are Duke and Cardinal fans and we watched the game in our hotel room. I thought that we might get thrown out of the hotel for all the yelling but we didn't and the win was the best one for me until "the shot". Those two games rank right up there as 1 and 1A for me. GoDuke!

[Henderson]

Still the biggest win in Duke basketball history. And I was there!


https://youtu.be/csETfUrD6ME?t=4521



Needless to say, the UNLV fans remember things a bit differently. There was a big feature on the game in the 3/30/16 edition of the Adelson, er... Las Vegas Review-Journal. The two baskteball programs went on to completely different trajectories after that game. To this day, when I wear my Duke gear around Las Vegas, someone (always someone 50+ years old) often comments on it bitterly, in a mostly-kidding sort of way.

BTW, Chase Jeter's dad Chris was on that UNLV team, though he didn't play in the FF. I'll bet Chase has heard his fill about that game over the years.

[Dev11]

Chase Jeter's dad Chris was on that UNLV team, though he didn't play in the FF. I'll bet Chase has heard his fill about that game over the years.

Hang on, that's an amazing fact. How did I go this long without knowing it?

[wilson]

...Chase Jeter's dad Chris was on that UNLV team, though he didn't play in the FF. I'll bet Chase has heard his fill about that game over the years.Can't spork, but this is a great factoid. Thanks for sharing.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Watched this game sitting on the floor about a foot away from the front of the TV.

When Hurley took his famous 3, I remember thinking, WT???? until it swished through the nets.

I was so happy we won, SO HAPPY... but in the back of my mind I wondered if we had enough in the tank to beat Kansas... then the famous Hill ooop, and I knew then we were going to win our first National Championship... that was a great feeling.

Your memory is identical to mine. I was at my grandparents' house, on the floor in front of the TV. Even as a very young man, I remember being wildly certain that we would exorcise the demons of the previous year's debacle. Of course, I had also been wildly certain every year since 1986. This just happened the be the group that lived up to the ridiculous expectations of my youth.

Such a great moment. I agree with the sentiment that it's likely the biggest moment in Duke basketball history, as far as setting a tone, changing the narrative, etc. It's the moment when Duke went from being a scrappy team that just couldn't win the big one, to a team on the way to being prohibitive favorites for decades.

Go Duke!

[Tom B.]

Needless to say, the UNLV fans remember things a bit differently. There was a big feature on the game in the 3/30/16 edition of the Adelson, er... Las Vegas Review-Journal.

You mean this article?

http://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/unlv-rebels/basketball/25-years-later-unlv-s-final-four-loss-duke-still-stings

My favorite excerpt:


Christian Laettner was fouled after grabbing a rebound with 12 seconds left. He made both foul shots for what would be the final margin of victory in a game that was tied 17 times with 25 lead changes.

Evric Gray, a freshman, was called for the foul.

"That still bothers me," he said. "I didn't foul him."

In addition to fouling Laettner (on the video, it's pretty clear that Gray whacks Laettner as they're going for the rebound), Gray also had not one, but two, goaltends in that game -- one offensive goaltend that erased a certain basket for UNLV (the ball was completely in the cylinder and about to drop), and one that gave Duke two points on a shot that looked on replays like it was going to fall short. Take away those two plays, and UNLV wins 79-77. So Evric Gray was one of Duke's most important players in that game. :)

[devildeac]

You mean this article?

http://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/unlv-rebels/basketball/25-years-later-unlv-s-final-four-loss-duke-still-stings

My favorite excerpt:



In addition to fouling Laettner (on the video, it's pretty clear that Gray whacks Laettner as they're going for the rebound), Gray also had not one, but two, goaltends in that game -- one offensive goaltend that erased a certain basket for UNLV (the ball was completely in the cylinder and about to drop), and one that gave Duke two points on a shot that looked on replays like it was going to fall short. Take away those two plays, and UNLV wins 79-77. So Evric Gray was one of Duke's most important players in that game. :)

Man, and that was a decade before Duke started getting all the calls :rolleyes: .

[Henderson]

Chris Jeter, Chase's dad, took his scholarship at UNLV seriously and hit the books. He graduated with a degree in criminal justice from UNLV and has been employed for almost 25 years as a Las Vegas Metro Police Officer.* I think I've mentioned this before, but Chris Jeter is also the half-brother of Derek Jeter (same dad, different moms), which means that Chase is Derek Jeter's half-nephew or something like that. If you look at Derek and Chase's faces, you can see it.

*I don't have a Duke sticker on my car for this reason.

[AustinDevil]

Well, that was fun to re-watch. My favorite is BD's dance after his drive that tied it at 76.

I still get nervous watching that last UNLV shot. It wasn't off by much.

[devildeac]

Well, that was fun to re-watch. My favorite is BD's dance after his drive that tied it at 76.

I still get nervous watching that last UNLV shot. It wasn't off by much.

And Singler was fouled. Oh, wait, wrong championship ;) .

[wsb3]

This thread cut into my productive planned morning. Had to pull the DVD out & watch. Brian Davis was huge in this game.

[Atlanta Duke]

Not everyone had bought into the "UNLV is invincible" storyline:)

When 'The Best' Went Bust

With the final 12 seconds still to go last Saturday night, right after Duke had taken its winning lead, a wise old man rose from his seat and hobbled out of the Hoosier Dome. "Let's wait and see about UNLV," former UCLA coach John Wooden had said more than once during the season. "A lot of teams have won one [NCAA title] in a row."

http://www.si.com/vault/1991/04/08/123959/when-the-best-went-bust

[Tom B.]

I still get nervous watching that last UNLV shot. It wasn't off by much.

The irony is that if the shot had been worse, UNLV might have won. Stacy Augmon had gotten free and was all alone under the basket. If Anderson Hunt had airballed his shot instead of clanking it off the backboard and the rim, it would've been Whittenburg to Charles II. There was still a second or so left, so if Augmon could've caught and dunked the ball, it would've counted and the game would've gone to overtime.

[royalblue]

The irony is that if the shot had been worse, UNLV might have won. Stacy Augmon had gotten free and was all alone under the basket. If Anderson Hunt had airballed his shot instead of clanking it off the backboard and the rim, it would've been Whittenburg to Charles II. There was still a second or so left, so if Augmon could've caught and dunked the ball, it would've counted and the game would've gone to overtime.

Can we keep this thread in a positive direction :)

[Henderson]

The irony is that if the shot had been worse, UNLV might have won. Stacy Augmon had gotten free and was all alone under the basket. If Anderson Hunt had airballed his shot instead of clanking it off the backboard and the rim, it would've been Whittenburg to Charles II. There was still a second or so left, so if Augmon could've caught and dunked the ball, it would've counted and the game would've gone to overtime.

Augmon is positively having a bad week, having been passed over (again) for the head coaching job at UNLV, despite a cascade of public support. The stated reason: The Search Committee had "Division 1 head coaching experience" as a requirement. Cruel irony, the new Head Coach, Chris Beard, is likely to fire Augmon from the UNLV staff entirely so he can bring in his own guys.

Don't give the poor guy flashbacks that will make him grind his teeth at night. Not this week.

[Newton_14]

You mean this article?

http://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/unlv-rebels/basketball/25-years-later-unlv-s-final-four-loss-duke-still-stings

My favorite excerpt:



In addition to fouling Laettner (on the video, it's pretty clear that Gray whacks Laettner as they're going for the rebound), Gray also had not one, but two, goaltends in that game -- one offensive goaltend that erased a certain basket for UNLV (the ball was completely in the cylinder and about to drop), and one that gave Duke two points on a shot that looked on replays like it was going to fall short. Take away those two plays, and UNLV wins 79-77. So Evric Gray was one of Duke's most important players in that game. :)

Did he conveniently forget that Laettner shot it immediately upon grabbing the rebound and it went in? So all the foul really did was take two sure points for Duke off the board and force Laettner to have to make the two free throws instead?

It was always striking to me how nervous Larry Johnson was at the line the possession before that, when he missed two but got a 3rd chance when Thomas Hill stepped in the lane early, compared to how dead-eye cold blooded, ice in his veins, Laettner was at the line. The look on his face, his demeanor, expression, etc... every single sign pointed to him nailing those free throws. I don't think either one touched the rim. Dude was just an assassin.

[Henderson]

It was always striking to me how nervous Larry Johnson was at the line the possession before that, when he missed two but got a 3rd chance when Thomas Hill stepped in the lane early, compared to how dead-eye cold blooded, ice in his veins, Laettner was at the line. The look on his face, his demeanor, expression, etc... every single sign pointed to him nailing those free throws. I don't think either one touched the rim. Dude was just an assassin.

Larry Johnson was a junior college transfer to UNLV, and people thought at the time that he was an academic ne'er do well. You know, another Jerry Tarkanian guy. But he kept working and finished his undergraduate degree at UNLV in 1997 while still playing in the NBA.

[tbyers11]

Larry Johnson was a junior college transfer to UNLV, and people thought at the time that he was an academic ne'er do well. You know, another Jerry Tarkanian guy. But he kept working and finished his undergraduate degree at UNLV in 1997 while still playing in the NBA.

Congrats to Larry for getting his degree but what does that have to do with the fact that he was extremely nervous on the free throw line in the last minute or that he passed on reasonably open 3 with about 6 seconds left that forced Hunt to take a contested prayer of a 3. Dude did not want to take the big shot that day.

[BandAlum83]

Duke got destroyed by UNLV offensive rebounds. I guess not much has changed.

K had 9 players in rotation. Granted, Crawford Palmer didn't have a lot of minutes, but we were DEEP.

I remember Hurley being whiney, but I thought he had gotten over it by then, lol. It was a lot worse earlier in the year before he was shown the video.

Larry Johnson seriously choked down the stretch. The "man among boys" didn't want to be the man. Missed free throws and passing up the open shot.

Toughness and heart are a trademark of K teams.

The crowd was really loud fate the win. I think maybe there were fewer Duke haters back then, or something. It wouldn't think Kansas and Carolina fans were cheering for us at the end.

Laettner was ice!

Even though it was 1991, the UNLV cheerleaders had seriously residual 80s hair

[Tom B.]

The crowd was really loud fate the win. I think maybe there were fewer Duke haters back then, or something. It wouldn't think Kansas and Carolina fans were cheering for us at the end.

I was there, and the crowd was definitely pro-Duke -- or at least anti-UNLV. The Carolina fans in the stadium didn't really root against Duke. UNC had lost the first game, so the Carolina fans who stayed for the second game mostly just sat there quietly, looking bummed.

The UNLV fans, obviously, cheered for UNLV, and the Duke fans cheered for Duke.

My impression of the Kansas fans was that they were cheering loudly for Duke. My seat was actually right on the dividing line between a Duke section and a Kansas section -- I literally had Duke fans on my right and Kansas fans on my left. The Kansas fans near me couldn't have been nicer, and when their game was over, they stuck around and enthusiastically rooted for Duke. I'm sure part of it was self-interest -- after all, they were probably thinking that they'd rather face Duke than UNLV in the title game. But the ones who sat near me, at least, were very complimentary of K and weren't shy about sharing their distaste for UNLV.

For the Kansas fans, you have to remember -- that Final Four was something of a resurrection for the program. After they won the title in 1988, Larry Brown skipped town and the program went on probation. To them, Roy Williams was a savior who restored the program to respectability after Brown left it in a mess. They were genuinely happy and appreciative just to be back in the Final Four, and were very gracious and pleasant to be around.

As for the neutral/unaffiliated fans in the building, my impression was that they rooted mostly for Duke, out of some combination of revulsion for UNLV and desire to see a history-making upset. At the time, widespread "Duke hate" wasn't a thing, so there was no significant countervailing force pulling against us. Put it all together, and it was a very pro-Duke crowd.

[OldPhiKap]

Most Carolina fans left after the first game, and Kansas fans did not want to face the unbeatable Vegas juggernaut.

Heh.

[oldnavy]

I was there, and the crowd was definitely pro-Duke -- or at least anti-UNLV. The Carolina fans in the stadium didn't really root against Duke. UNC had lost the first game, so the Carolina fans who stayed for the second game mostly just sat there quietly, looking bummed.

The UNLV fans, obviously, cheered for UNLV, and the Duke fans cheered for Duke.

My impression of the Kansas fans was that they were cheering loudly for Duke. My seat was actually right on the dividing line between a Duke section and a Kansas section -- I literally had Duke fans on my right and Kansas fans on my left. The Kansas fans near me couldn't have been nicer, and when their game was over, they stuck around and enthusiastically rooted for Duke. I'm sure part of it was self-interest -- after all, they were probably thinking that they'd rather face Duke than UNLV in the title game. But the ones who sat near me, at least, were very complimentary of K and weren't shy about sharing their distaste for UNLV.

For the Kansas fans, you have to remember -- that Final Four was something of a resurrection for the program. After they won the title in 1988, Larry Brown skipped town and the program went on probation. To them, Roy Williams was a savior who restored the program to respectability after Brown left it in a mess. They were genuinely happy and appreciative just to be back in the Final Four, and were very gracious and pleasant to be around.

As for the neutral/unaffiliated fans in the building, my impression was that they rooted mostly for Duke, out of some combination of revulsion for UNLV and desire to see a history-making upset. At the time, widespread "Duke hate" wasn't a thing, so there was no significant countervailing force pulling against us. Put it all together, and it was a very pro-Duke crowd.

I had a very similar experience in Maui with Kansas fans, very nice group as a whole...

[Edouble]

As for the neutral/unaffiliated fans in the building, my impression was that they rooted mostly for Duke, out of some combination of revulsion for UNLV and desire to see a history-making upset. At the time, widespread "Duke hate" wasn't a thing, so there was no significant countervailing force pulling against us. Put it all together, and it was a very pro-Duke crowd.

No, it was not, which is why it bugs me when people want to fabricate revisionist history and say that Laettner was this really hated college player. Yeah, some people were sick of him by the time he was a senior, but he was not as universally disliked the way that JJ was. By the time he was done at Duke, a few people scoffed at his inclusion on the Olympic squad, but I really do not recall a nation-wide distain for the guy. It was mostly Carolina and Kentucky fans.

[OldPhiKap]

No, it was not, which is why it bugs me when people want to fabricate revisionist history and say that Laettner was this really hated college player. Yeah, some people were sick of him by the time he was a senior, but he was not as universally disliked the way that JJ was. By the time he was done at Duke, a few people scoffed at his inclusion on the Olympic squad, but I really do not recall a nation-wide distain for the guy. It was mostly Carolina and Kentucky fans.

Well, the stomp -- er, love tap -- in the KY game sorta sealed his fate on the hate list. But as you say, that was his senior year. We went from plucky long shots in '91 to soul-crushing hate boys in '92, in large part due to how dominant that 1992 team was. (And my recollection is that, by and large, Hurley was hated more than Laettner for most of their four years).

[Edouble]

Well, the stomp -- er, love tap -- in the KY game sorta sealed his fate on the hate list. But as you say, that was his senior year. We went from plucky long shots in '91 to soul-crushing hate boys in '92, in large part due to how dominant that 1992 team was. (And my recollection is that, by and large, Hurley was hated more than Laettner for most of their four years).

Agree about Hurley being more disliked than Laettner in some circles, but also want to add that although we were no longer the Cinderella/Bridesmaid-never-the-Bride team that we were before winning our natty, we were still the good guys to the Fab Five "bad guys". I do not remember us in '92 as being villains.

[OldPhiKap]

Agree about Hurley being more disliked than Laettner in some circles, but also want to add that although we were no longer the Cinderella/Bridesmaid-never-the-Bride team that we were before winning our natty, we were still the good guys to the Fab Five "bad guys". I do not remember us in '92 as being villains.

Unless you identified with the Fab Five's street cre.

The 30 for 30 I Hate Christian Laettner did a good job of identifying where the hate came from. Most of it was for reasons I would say are bull. But if you were not a Duke fan, Christian's cockiness and Hurley's hound-dog whiny face were easy targets.

[sagegrouse]

Well, the stomp -- er, love tap -- in the KY game sorta sealed his fate on the hate list. But as you say, that was his senior year. We went from plucky long shots in '91 to soul-crushing hate boys in '92, in large part due to how dominant that 1992 team was. (And my recollection is that, by and large, Hurley was hated more than Laettner for most of their four years).

No question. Hurley's natural expression appeared to be a pout -- it wasn't, but that's what fans thought and when he displayed emotion it was even worse. Moreover, if you are gonna have a terminal case of physical jealousy over a player -- and this is at the heart of much of the Duke w.g. hate -- who better than Bobby Hurley? He looked like a kid on an intramural team but was a first-team A-A.

While Laettner could be accused of smugness, his expression was truly somewhat angelic. It was hard to believe what he was really saying to the refs sotto voce. I suppose someone could have a case of physical jealousy over Christian, but he really was 6-11 and no one could seriously imagine themselves doing what he did. Now he did get booed by the local fans when the Timberwolves announced him as the third pick of the 1992 draft, but he played well for the Wolves and had a good NBA career. (BTW, I have and have previously posted horizontal and vertical comparisons of Laettner vs. other draftees.)