Duke-UNC 1998 replay

[Faustus]

In my area MASN just re-played the season ending UNC game in 1998. I'm sure I've never seen this shown since then. Holy Cow. Famous for the scene of Wojo running back to the bench in triumph after the buzzer, and I sure remember the great performances down the stretch of Roshown McCleod and Elton Brand, just back from the (yes) broken foot. But I don't recall Duke being so deep in a hole, still down by 17 at the under-12 time out, before the final come-back, and I sure didn't remember that Brendan Heywood ALSO missed both foul shots after Ed Cota missed his, that could have tied the game at the end. (And of course we didn't really know UNC was cheating like crazy academically at the time...)

But what really struck me is what talent Duke had that year - Chris Carrawell and Trajan Langdon were still there, but so were new arrivals Battier, William Avery, even Chris Burgess to go along with Wojo, McCleod, and the magnificent Elton Brand. Man. Dick Vitale was even a decent color guy then, doing actual break-downs of plays (but I recall thinking Musburger being washed up even then...). Great stuff, getting to see that again. Hope some others among you did as well.

[Edouble]

When was it on?

Yeah, I remember all that stuff and a lot more. That was the penultimate Cameron experience for me.

We certainly were talented. Up big at the half vs Kentucky in a heartbreaker in the regional final.

[Faustus]

When was it on?

Yeah, I remember all that stuff and a lot more. That was the penultimate Cameron experience for me.

We certainly were talented. Up big at the half vs Kentucky in a heartbreaker in the regional final.


///////

Yeah, that latter is one I'd just as soon forget. MASN showed the UNC one here 7-9 p.m. They seem to re-run these things fairly often once they bring one out, but I'd never seen this one dusted off before. No idea what their regular schedule for these are...

[westwall]

In my area MASN just re-played the season ending UNC game in 1998. I'm sure I've never seen this shown since then. Holy Cow. Famous for the scene of Wojo running back to the bench in triumph after the buzzer, and I sure remember the great performances down the stretch of Roshown McCleod and Elton Brand, just back from the (yes) broken foot. But I don't recall Duke being so deep in a hole, still down by 17 at the under-12 time out, before the final come-back, and I sure didn't remember that Brendan Heywood ALSO missed both foul shots after Ed Cota missed his, that could have tied the game at the end. (And of course we didn't really know UNC was cheating like crazy academically at the time...)

But what really struck me is what talent Duke had that year - Chris Carrawell and Trajan Langdon were still there, but so were new arrivals Battier, William Avery, even Chris Burgess to go along with Wojo, McCleod, and the magnificent Elton Brand. Man. Dick Vitale was even a decent color guy then, doing actual break-downs of plays (but I recall thinking Musburger being washed up even then...). Great stuff, getting to see that again. Hope some others among you did as well.

Yes, I caught it beginning late in the 1st half. Great memories, and good to recall Battier's mature all-round game even as a freshman. I had forgotten how good McLoud was back then; his scoring in the second half was instrumental in the win. Wojo's parents went nuts at the end!

[Olympic Fan]

In my area MASN just re-played the season ending UNC game in 1998. I'm sure I've never seen this shown since then. Holy Cow. Famous for the scene of Wojo running back to the bench in triumph after the buzzer, and I sure remember the great performances down the stretch of Roshown McCleod and Elton Brand, just back from the (yes) broken foot. But I don't recall Duke being so deep in a hole, still down by 17 at the under-12 time out, before the final come-back, and I sure didn't remember that Brendan Heywood ALSO missed both foul shots after Ed Cota missed his, that could have tied the game at the end. (And of course we didn't really know UNC was cheating like crazy academically at the time...)

But what really struck me is what talent Duke had that year - Chris Carrawell and Trajan Langdon were still there, but so were new arrivals Battier, William Avery, even Chris Burgess to go along with Wojo, McCleod, and the magnificent Elton Brand. Man. Dick Vitale was even a decent color guy then, doing actual break-downs of plays (but I recall thinking Musburger being washed up even then...). Great stuff, getting to see that again. Hope some others among you did as well.

Just one small clarification.

Duke was up two when Cota went to the line with a couple of seconds left. When he missed first FT, he intentionally missed the second, hoping for a rebound.

Amazingly, Heywood got the rebound and was fouled with about a second left. Then he missed the first free throw, so he had to intentionally miss the second. This time the ball was still being fought over when the buzzer sounded.

So while technically UNC missed four free throws in the final 2-3 seconds, in reality Cota and Haywood each missed the first ... then purposely missed the second.

[mkirsh]

I also caught the end of the replay tonight - has to be my all time favorite as that was my senior year as well. Forgot how good Will Avery was as a Freshman, and how, I guess confident is the right word, he was, when at one point in the comeback he took 2 quick threes on the same possession (at least hitting the second - it was a huge shot)

One of the most amusing things in the replay was Musburger gushing about the "medical miracle" that brought Brand back from a broken foot so quickly. Those were the days...

[Tom B.]

You can watch the whole game here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SqGD4R-22k

It was one of those warm early March days that you sometimes get in North Carolina -- the outdoor temperature was around 80, so Cameron was an oven. K had to change shirts at halftime because he sweat through his first shirt. Carolina was totally gassed by the end -- they had nothing left and couldn't play defense for the last 10 minutes. Duke just kept chipping away at the lead, and Carolina couldn't do anything but hope the clock ran out before Duke caught up. No such luck.

The win made Duke the first team in ACC history to win 15 regular season games in conference play -- a record that lasted one whole year, until Duke broke it by going 16-0 in 1999.

[UrinalCake]

That is my favorite games among games I have seen in person. Many of our younger fans may not remember a time when UNC was actually better than us, but in the mid-90's they completely dominated us, always because they had bigger and better interior players. We had guards who could shoot threes but they could always kill us inside. Our class of Elton, Burgess, and Battier (along with Avery) was supposed to change that, but then Elton went down with a mysterious foot injury (sound familiar?) and Burgess turned into a bust. In the first matchup against the CHeats, they blew us out by like 25 points. Antawn Jamison had about 100 points by himself.

Then Elton miraculously comes back due to an experimental electrophoresis treatment that had been pioneered by the Duke Medical Center. (As a biomedical engineering major, I was doubly excited to see this happen). He comes into the game and it's like returning to the playground where the bullies have been beating you up, only now you've got your big brother with you and he's bigger than all of them. We're down by like 17 in the second half and Elton just goes to work. This was back when the undergrads filled both sides of the lower section, and that was the loudest Cameron has ever been for me.

[throatybeard]

Jayson Tatum was born three days after that game.

You're welcome. I'll be here all week.

[OldPhiKap]

Jayson Tatum was born three days after that game.

You're welcome. I'll be here all week.

Man. Just, man.

[mkirsh]

Jayson Tatum was born three days after that game.

You're welcome. I'll be here all week.

That hurts

[ricks68]

Jayson Tatum was born three days after that game.

You're welcome. I'll be here all week.

Welcome back. Missed you. Now, what about Ed?

ricks

[Tom B.]

That is my favorite games among games I have seen in person. Many of our younger fans may not remember a time when UNC was actually better than us, but in the mid-90's they completely dominated us, always because they had bigger and better interior players. We had guards who could shoot threes but they could always kill us inside. Our class of Elton, Burgess, and Battier (along with Avery) was supposed to change that, but then Elton went down with a mysterious foot injury (sound familiar?) and Burgess turned into a bust. In the first matchup against the CHeats, they blew us out by like 25 points. Antawn Jamison had about 100 points by himself.

Carolina actually blew us out twice in that game. They led by 16 at halftime and went up by around 20 early in the second half. Then we went on a run (aided by a Makhtar Ndiaye meltdown and technical foul -- he ended up fouling out in just 14 minutes of action) and cut Carolina's lead to (I think) four. Then Carolina regrouped and blew our doors off the rest of the way, and won by 24 (97-73).

Antawn Jamison did indeed kill us in that game. He finished with 35 points (shooting 14-for-20) and 11 rebounds. And he was so quick and efficient about it -- if I recall correctly, someone went back and watched a recording of the game with a stopwatch, and the total amount of live ball time that Jamison was actually in contact with the basketball was a few seconds less than one minute. He'd get position, then get the ball and go straight up -- he was so quick off his feet, the defense was always caught trailing and flat-footed. It was the same with his rebounding -- he just had super-quick reflexes and hair-trigger springs in his legs. He could get off the floor so fast -- he'd just bounce up and catch the ball as it came off the rim before anyone else could react, and if it was an offensive rebound, he'd put the ball back up (and usually score) all in one motion.

There are few opposing players I was ever happier to see leave than Antawn Jamison.

Back to Makhtar Ndiaye -- as I'm sure many remember, he was quite prone to, um..."emotional outbursts" and foul trouble. In the rematch in Cameron in March of 1998, Ndiaye did manage to make it through the game without getting T'ed up -- but again, foul trouble was a problem. He fouled out in just 16 minutes of action -- and if I recall correctly, his fifth foul came with a lot of time left (like nine or ten minutes), and it actually was a key moment in the game. That Carolina team wasn't very deep -- basically six guys (maybe 6.5, if you include freshman Brendan Haywood). So when Ndiaye fouled out, Carolina basically had no bench to turn to. The starting five of Ed Cota, Shammond Williams, Vince Carter, Antawn Jamison, and Ademola Okulaja (beats himself [clap] [clap]!) had to play the rest of the game with virtually no rest. Brendan Haywood was able to provide a few minutes, but that was it. And as I noted above, it was a hot day and Cameron was a furnace. The lack of depth and the inability of Ndiaye to stay in the game no doubt contributed to Carolina's fatigue down the stretch, which aided Duke's comeback.

The other thing I'll remember about the first Duke-UNC game in 1998 (the blowout in Chapel Hill) was that it ended up being an inflection point in Mike Chappell's career at Duke. He'd started off the 1997-98 season pretty strong -- up to and including that Carolina game, he'd started every game but one that season, and had 12 double-digit scoring games. But was a non-factor in that Carolina game (7 points on 1-for-5 shooting) and played only 20 minutes (despite not being in foul trouble), while both Battier and Carrawell came off the bench and played more minutes (22 and 26, respectively). Chappell wouldn't start another game that year, and his minutes (and production) steadily declined. He wouldn't play more than 18 minutes in a game for the rest of the year, and he logged single-digit minutes in eight of Duke's 14 remaining games. After scoring in double figures in 12 of Duke's first 22 games, he'd hit double figures only once in its last 14 -- against Radford in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. In the March 1998 rematch with Carolina in Cameron, Chappell played....one minute.

After that season, he was gone -- transferred to Michigan State. It wasn't all bad for him, though. He carved out a nice supporting role for himself there and was a key reserve on Michigan State's 2000 national championship team.

[Olympic Fan]

Back to Makhtar Ndiaye -- as I'm sure many remember, he was quite prone to, um..."emotional outbursts" and foul trouble. In the rematch in Cameron in March of 1998, Ndiaye did manage to make it through the game without getting T'ed up -- but again, foul trouble was a problem. He fouled out in just 16 minutes of action -- and if I recall correctly, his fifth foul came with a lot of time left (like nine or ten minutes), and it actually was a key moment in the game. That Carolina team wasn't very deep -- basically six guys (maybe 6.5, if you include freshman Brendan Haywood). So when Ndiaye fouled out, Carolina basically had no bench to turn to. The starting five of Ed Cota, Shammond Williams, Vince Carter, Antawn Jamison, and Ademola Okulaja (beats himself [clap] [clap]!) had to play the rest of the game with virtually no rest. Brendan Haywood was able to provide a few minutes, but that was it. And as I noted above, it was a hot day and Cameron was a furnace. The lack of depth and the inability of Ndiaye to stay in the game no doubt contributed to Carolina's fatigue down the stretch, which aided Duke's comeback.

Ndiaye is one of the most fascinating characters ever to play in the ACC -- and one of the least admirable.

He came from Senegal and played at Oak Hill Academy, where he was committed to Wake Forest. Unfortunately, Wake coach Dave Odom, understanding that Ndiaye did not speak English very well and was struggling to adapt to the United States, got a Sengelese school janitor to help Ndiaye out. That janitor provided illegal benefits that got Wake on probation ... as part of the ruling, Wake was not allowed to accept Ndiaye.

While all this was going on, Dean Smith was asked about Ndiaye at one of his weekly press conferences. He told reporters, "Ndiaye is a pro" -- implying that he shouldn't be allowed to play NCAA basketball.

Ndiaye went to Michigan, instead of Wake. But after two years, he transferred -- to North Carolina. No more talk about his pro background.

Ndiaye played in Dean's last team in 1997 and on Gut's first team in 1998. As Tom B. mentioned, that was basically a six man team (with Haywood getting a few minutes as the seventh man). What you might not remember is that it was Gut's brilliant idea to alternate starters -- one of the six key players would come off the bench every sixth game. That created a problem because senior Shammond Williams was a selfish baby who pouted when he didn't start. He left the team in the middle of a game at Virginia ... was coaxed back and returned to the rotation with no penalties.

That all blew up one night in San Antonio where Williams had another meltdown when he didn't start the NCAA semifinal game against Utah. Without his shooting, UNC lost.

After the game, Ndiaye made headlines when he accused one of the Utah players of calling him the N-word. The player and Utah coach Rick Majerus adamantly denied the charge and a day later UNC offered a statement admitting that the charge was false and apologizing for Ndiaye's action. A few weeks later, Ndiaye repudiated the apology. He was later involved in a traffic accident in Raleigh that also involved a lot of changing stories and bizarre claims by Ndiaye (although I don't remember all the details).

But as Tom B. noted Ndiaye was an emotional player in his two years at Carolina. In the 1998 UNC win in Chapel Hill, he actually had six fouls in 14 minutes -- he received a technical after being called for his fifth foul. He almost got a T after his fifth foul in Durham -- he did have 11 fouls in 30 minutes of action against Duke that year. He was also memorable for his actions after UNC beat Duke in the 1998 ACC Tournament finals -- when he stood on a chair at press row, right in front of the Krzyzewski family and made throat slashing motions.

In the end, an awful lot of drama for a fairly mediocre player (3.9 ppg and 2.9 rpg for his career).

[UrinalCake]

I heard a story from a state fan about Ndiaye, claims that Ndiaye needed a ride to go pick up his car from the shop so he asked one of his friends (not a basketball player). On the way to the shop he didn't like the way his friend was driving so he got into a fight with him and punched him. Not sure how true any of this is, but it cements my opinion of him as one of the least likable players ever. Throwing out false accusations about a player using the N word is one of the worst things you can do.

[Tripping William]

After the game, Ndiaye made headlines when he accused one of the Utah players of calling him the N-word. The player and Utah coach Rick Majerus adamantly denied the charge . . . .


Throwing out false accusations about a player using the N word is one of the worst things you can do.

The Utah player in question was freshman Britton Johnsen, pride of Murray High School in metro Salt Lake. Majerus offered to resign (http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1998-03-30/sports/9803300023_1_britton-johnsen-utah-s-majerus-makhtar-ndiaye) if it was proved that Johnsen said what Ndiaye alleged. Majerus also said:


"If they want to get a lie detector set in North Carolina, I'll fly Britton Johnsen there," Majerus said. "Let's put it on. I know this: Britton Johnsen is one of the nicest people and one of the highest-character guys, and I can say without reservation or hesitation that he did not call him a (perjorative term for African-American), and I think that word is reprehensible."

After Johnsen's freshman season, he left on a Mormon mission and returned to play for the Utes in the 2001, 2002, and 2003 seasons.

[Edouble]

Yes, I caught it beginning late in the 1st half. Great memories, and good to recall Battier's mature all-round game even as a freshman. I had forgotten how good McLoud was back then; his scoring in the second half was instrumental in the win. Wojo's parents went nuts at the end!

Roshown McLeod


Just one small clarification.

Duke was up two when Cota went to the line with a couple of seconds left. When he missed first FT, he intentionally missed the second, hoping for a rebound.

Amazingly, Heywood got the rebound and was fouled with about a second left. Then he missed the first free throw, so he had to intentionally miss the second. This time the ball was still being fought over when the buzzer sounded.

So while technically UNC missed four free throws in the final 2-3 seconds, in reality Cota and Haywood each missed the first ... then purposely missed the second.

Brenda Haywood


Ndiaye played in Dean's last team in 1997 and on Gut's first team in 1998. As Tom B. mentioned, that was basically a six man team (with Haywood getting a few minutes as the seventh man). What you might not remember is that it was Gut's brilliant idea to alternate starters -- one of the six key players would come off the bench every sixth game. That created a problem because senior Shammond Williams was a selfish baby who pouted when he didn't start. He left the team in the middle of a game at Virginia ... was coaxed back and returned to the rotation with no penalties.

That all blew up one night in San Antonio where Williams had another meltdown when he didn't start the NCAA semifinal game against Utah. Without his shooting, UNC lost.

After the game, Ndiaye made headlines when he accused one of the Utah players of calling him the N-word. The player and Utah coach Rick Majerus adamantly denied the charge and a day later UNC offered a statement admitting that the charge was false and apologizing for Ndiaye's action. A few weeks later, Ndiaye repudiated the apology. He was later involved in a traffic accident in Raleigh that also involved a lot of changing stories and bizarre claims by Ndiaye (although I don't remember all the details).

Michael Doleac

When Doleac was asked by reporters if he had directed any racial slurs towards Ndiaye, he said (paraphrasing) "No, all I said was 'You outweigh me by 40 pounds and I'm still kicking your *ss'."

[Tripping William]

Michael Doleac

When Doleac was asked by reporters if he had directed any racial slurs towards Ndiaye, he said (paraphrasing) "No, all I said was 'You outweigh me by 40 pounds and I'm still kicking your *ss'."

Link? Also Doleac was a big, big guy (a 6'11" senior on that team), and I doubt he weighed only 205 (because Ndiaye was listed at 245 lbs.)

[Edouble]

Link? Also Doleac was a big, big guy (a 6'11" senior on that team), and I doubt he weighed only 205 (because Ndiaye was listed at 245 lbs.)

This is an ugly link.

Turns out it was Britton Johnsen, not Doleac.

And I did note that I was paraphrasing, but I guess it was 100 pounds, ha ha ha.

http://www.enquirer.com/editions/1998/03/30/spt_utahnotes30.html

[slower]

So when Ndiaye fouled out, Carolina basically had no bench to turn to. The starting five of Ed Cota, Shammond Williams, Vince Carter, Antawn Jamison, and Ademola Okulaja ...

Wow, I had forgotten that team had Ndiaye, Cota AND Vince Carter - three of my all-time least favorite Holes.

[Indoor66]

Wow, I had forgotten that team had Ndiaye, Cota AND Vince Carter - three of my all-time least favorite Holes.

The missing adjective would precede "Holes".

[niveklaen]

Carolina actually blew...

...After that season, he was gone -- transferred to Michigan State. It wasn't all bad for him, though. He carved out a nice supporting role for himself there and was a key reserve on Michigan State's 2000 national championship team.

(Redacted for relevance...)
One super minor quibble - I thought that Mike C. sat out the year Mich St won its title?

[tbyers11]

(Redacted for relevance...)
One super minor quibble - I thought that Mike C. sat out the year Mich St won its title?

Mike Chappell left Duke after the 1998 season, sat out 1999, and played on the 2000 MSU team (http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/michigan-state/2000.html) that won the title

[pfrduke]

Many of our younger fans may not remember a time when UNC was actually better than us

You don't have to go back that far. 2007-2009 should still be fresh in a lot of minds.

[MarkD83]

"Many of our younger fans may not remember a time when UNC was actually better than us (and were not cheating)"

You don't have to go back that far. 1977-1979 should still be fresh in a lot of minds.

[chrishoke]

"Many of our younger fans may not remember a time when UNC was actually better than us (and were not cheating)"

You don't have to go back that far. 1977-1979 should still be fresh in a lot of minds.

I was attending UNC Law School during those years, and yes, the memories are all too fresh.

[Indoor66]

"Many of our younger fans may not remember a time when UNC was actually better than us (and were not cheating)"

You don't have to go back that far. 1977-1979 should still be fresh in a lot of minds.

WRONG! They have been cheating since Frank McGuire and he left in 1960.

[Tom B.]

He came from Senegal and played at Oak Hill Academy, where he was committed to Wake Forest. Unfortunately, Wake coach Dave Odom, understanding that Ndiaye did not speak English very well and was struggling to adapt to the United States, got a Sengelese school janitor to help Ndiaye out. That janitor provided illegal benefits that got Wake on probation ... as part of the ruling, Wake was not allowed to accept Ndiaye.

I was in an ACC fantasy basketball league with some friends that year. We held our draft before Ndiaye was ruled ineligible at Wake, so one of the guys in our league picked Ndiaye with his last pick in the draft. When Ndiaye was ruled ineligible, the rest of the owners decided to give the guy who'd picked him a replacement pick -- i.e., he could pick any remaining ACC player who hadn't been drafted in Ndiaye's place. So he said, "Well, I'll just take whoever's gonna take over Ndiaye's spot in the lineup at Wake."

Turned out to be a fellow named Tim Duncan.

The same guy had also drafted Maryland freshman Joe Smith (5th round), UNC freshman Rasheed Wallace (3rd round), Virginia's Junior Burrough (2nd round), and Georgia Tech's Travis Best (1st round). Needless to say, he won the league that year.



After the game, Ndiaye made headlines when he accused one of the Utah players of calling him the N-word. The player and Utah coach Rick Majerus adamantly denied the charge and a day later UNC offered a statement admitting that the charge was false and apologizing for Ndiaye's action. A few weeks later, Ndiaye repudiated the apology. He was later involved in a traffic accident in Raleigh that also involved a lot of changing stories and bizarre claims by Ndiaye (although I don't remember all the details).

Ndiaye's line in that Utah game was classic Makhtar -- 14 minutes, zero points (0-for-3 shooting, 0-for-2 on FTs), 2 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 turnover...and 5 fouls. He actually fouled out with 17:50 left in the game.

The kerfuffle with Britton Johnsen arose after Johnsen claimed that Ndiaye spit in his face while they were exchanging some trash talk. Unsatisfied with simply denying the spitting claim, Ndiaye responded by accusing Johnsen (falsely) of calling him the N-word.

Ndiaye had a few other incidents during the season, as this article (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/colbask/longterm/1998/men/articles/spit31.htm) points out:


It was not the first time this season Ndiaye had accused someone of using a racial slur. During North Carolina's 85-67 victory over Maryland in Chapel Hill on Feb. 14, Ndiaye made an obscene gesture to some fans seated behind the Maryland bench. After the game, Ndiaye said one of those fans had repeatedly used a racial slur; the fans denied it.

Two North Carolina newspapers reported that during North Carolina's 93-83 overtime victory over North Carolina Charlotte in the second round of the NCAA tournament, Ndiaye made a similar gesture to fans and to the UNC Charlotte band.

A real prince of a guy, that Makhtar. Though he did inspire one of my favorite signs in Cameron of all time: "NDIAYE IS A NDERK."

[SenatorClayDavis]

When UNC was at the line near the end, my eardrums gave up. All I could hear was a low hum. What a game.

[cato]

Welcome back. Missed you. Now, what about Ed?

ricks

A bit more than two decades before the game?

[Billy Dat]

You can watch the whole game here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SqGD4R-22k

That just shot a chunk of my afternoon.

-Roshown made huge baskets in the final 2 minutes
-Carawell scored only one basket, the one that gave Duke the lead right at the end. He then took a horrible shot on our last possession
-It is amazing how far offensive basketball has come. Watching this game compared to the chalk talk happening in the Phase II thread, which analyzes our current floppy and horns sets, is like night and day. 1998 was all about clear out one side for post entries and some minor high screens. We aren't really trying to set up guys to shoot 3s, even though the shot was so much closer. It's fun to watch the game evolve.

[cato]

There are few opposing players I was ever happier to see leave than Antawn Jamison.



Yep. Add to that list Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace.

Sincerely,
Still Traumatised By Sheed's Dunk

[cato]

The missing adjective would precede "Holes".

Noun, but who am I to quibble.

[Indoor66]

Noun, but who am I to quibble.

You are right - mostly 'cause it wouldn't modify a hole.

[Billy Dat]

I just read that the Knicks are offering Ndiaye a scouting job - this thread conjured him up somehow!

[slower]

You can watch the whole game here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SqGD4R-22k

Thanks!! That was well worth taking 2 hours out of my day to watch. :)

[CDu]

One of my memories of that game was Cota - despite UNC being up big - allowing the inbounds pass to roll toward midcourt (exactly like you do when you are trying to save the clock). I remember thinking that was dumb given their lead, and hoped it would come back to bite them.

I was a freshman that year, and it was the loudest game I have ever been to. Just an incredible environment in that second half.

[throatybeard]

Welcome back. Missed you. Now, what about Ed?

ricks

Thank you.

Ed? Ed too is forty this year, or old enough to have sired children in Mr Tatum's age cohort.

[NSDukeFan]

Watching this game compared to the chalk talk happening in the Phase II thread, which analyzes our current floppy and horns sets, is like night and day. 1998 was all about clear out one side for post entries and some minor high screens. We aren't really trying to set up guys to shoot 3s, even though the shot was so much closer. It's fun to watch the game evolve.

Hopefully Roy continues not to notice.

[ricks68]

WRONG! They have been cheating since Frank McGuire and he left in 1960.

I thought they were cheating during McGuire ' s tenure, also. How is that not so?

ricks

[Newton_14]

Great thread and reminder, and you spurred me to rewatch the game myself last night. It was still painful to watch the cheats man handle our guys for 3/4's of the game, even knowing we were going to win, but man was that comeback sweet.

Rewatching it, a few things stood out to me.....

K used his bench liberally! Even Ricky Price who got the Senior Last Game start, played a good portion of the first 4 minutes or so. It wasn't like K subbed him out at the first dead ball. That was cool. But all throughout the game, K was running fresh guys out there, even in the final 5 minutes. Mcleoud subbed back in with around two minutes left after resting for 3 or 4 minutes. K used a solid 9 guy rotation the entire game. I thought that was a killer for the cheats because of the heat in Cameron and their 6.5 man rotation. Those guys were totally gassed down the stretch.

It gave me hope that when this year's team is fully healthy, K was use 9 guys regularly, pressuring the ball full court for 40 minutes and running fresh guys in there every 4 to 6 minutes or so. We have 9 guys that absolutely need to be playing meaningful minutes in both halves of every game. The jury is out on if that happens or not, but I will be super disappointed if it doesn't happen.


GASP!! K used a 1-3-1 zone for at least 3 to 4 possessions in the game! Vitale was rambling so much that he didn't even recognize it until like the 3rd time Duke went into it.
There was just a ton of talented athletic guys wearing Duke Blue that game. That team absolutely wins the Title had they been able to hold off that UK comeback. It was definitely a National Title Winner type team once Brand got back in full swing. By all rights, they should have won the title that year and in my opinion should have followed it up with an undefeated National Title season in 99. Along with 86, 98 and 99 were the most hurtful losses by a mile in all my years of being a fan.

[Olympic Fan]

I thought they were cheating during McGuire ' s tenure, also. How is that not so?

ricks

Well, first, McGuire left after the 1961 season, not 1960.

And, yes, UNC served a one-year probation (with postseason ban) in McGuire's last season for recruiting violations (specifically for undocumented recruiting expenses).

There's evidence that McGuire's distain for the rules goes even deeper ... a Sports Illustrated article about his 1957 national champs, quotes a New York street agent bragging that he's one of two agents on McGuire's payroll.

And even before McGuire, look into how and why Charlie "Choo Choo" Justice switched his commitment from Duke to UNC in the days right after WWII. The joke at the time is that when Justice turned pro, he had to take a pay cut.

Cheating has been going on a LONG time in Chapel Hill.

[OldPhiKap]

Cheating has been going on a LONG time in Chapel Hill.

The Carolina Way: it is better to seem than to be.

[Faison1]

There are few opposing players I was ever happier to see leave than Antawn Jamison.

I agree it was good to see him go. But as much as I despise UNC, Antawn was one of the few Tar Heel players I truly admired. I was surprised and disappointed that his pro career didn't turn out as well as planned. He seemed like a really good kid. I'm pretty sure Duke recruited him. I KNOW Duke recruited Vince Carter hard.

When I attended the '98 ACC Championship game, I really thought I was watching the second coming of Michael Jordan.

Freshman Elton Brand guarding and blocking Jamison was a thing of beauty. During that game, there was a 3-5 minute span where Chris Carawell dominated the game....running the break, hitting J's...the UNC fans around me were getting really nervous. But ultimately, we were too young, and UNC was too strong.

And just to pile on to Ndiaye...I think he tried to sue American Airlines for their seats being too small, and therefore ruining his NBA pro career.

[Tom B.]

There was just a ton of talented athletic guys wearing Duke Blue that game. That team absolutely wins the Title had they been able to hold off that UK comeback. It was definitely a National Title Winner type team once Brand got back in full swing. By all rights, they should have won the title that year and in my opinion should have followed it up with an undefeated National Title season in 99. Along with 86, 98 and 99 were the most hurtful losses by a mile in all my years of being a fan.

I remain convinced that if we'd beaten Kentucky and made the Final Four, Carolina would've beaten Utah and then beaten us in the finals, which would've been even more painful than the loss to Kentucky. Yes, we had the comeback win against Carolina in Cameron -- but otherwise, Carolina had pretty much owned us for 110 of the 120 minutes the two teams played each other that season.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Enjoying it in YouTube in the middle of the night. Forgot how much I loved Battier and how much I loathed Vince Carter.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Also, Jamison was one of the best college basketball players I have ever seen.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Also... is that the last time K didn't wear a necktie?

[alteran]

Ndiaye is one of the most fascinating characters ever to play in the ACC -- and one of the least admirable.

He came from Senegal and played at Oak Hill Academy, where he was committed to Wake Forest. Unfortunately, Wake coach Dave Odom, understanding that Ndiaye did not speak English very well and was struggling to adapt to the United States, got a Sengelese school janitor to help Ndiaye out. That janitor provided illegal benefits that got Wake on probation ... as part of the ruling, Wake was not allowed to accept Ndiaye.

While all this was going on, Dean Smith was asked about Ndiaye at one of his weekly press conferences. He told reporters, "Ndiaye is a pro" -- implying that he shouldn't be allowed to play NCAA basketball.

Ndiaye went to Michigan, instead of Wake. But after two years, he transferred -- to North Carolina. No more talk about his pro background.

Ndiaye played in Dean's last team in 1997 and on Gut's first team in 1998. As Tom B. mentioned, that was basically a six man team (with Haywood getting a few minutes as the seventh man). What you might not remember is that it was Gut's brilliant idea to alternate starters -- one of the six key players would come off the bench every sixth game. That created a problem because senior Shammond Williams was a selfish baby who pouted when he didn't start. He left the team in the middle of a game at Virginia ... was coaxed back and returned to the rotation with no penalties.

That all blew up one night in San Antonio where Williams had another meltdown when he didn't start the NCAA semifinal game against Utah. Without his shooting, UNC lost.

After the game, Ndiaye made headlines when he accused one of the Utah players of calling him the N-word. The player and Utah coach Rick Majerus adamantly denied the charge and a day later UNC offered a statement admitting that the charge was false and apologizing for Ndiaye's action. A few weeks later, Ndiaye repudiated the apology. He was later involved in a traffic accident in Raleigh that also involved a lot of changing stories and bizarre claims by Ndiaye (although I don't remember all the details).

But as Tom B. noted Ndiaye was an emotional player in his two years at Carolina. In the 1998 UNC win in Chapel Hill, he actually had six fouls in 14 minutes -- he received a technical after being called for his fifth foul. He almost got a T after his fifth foul in Durham -- he did have 11 fouls in 30 minutes of action against Duke that year. He was also memorable for his actions after UNC beat Duke in the 1998 ACC Tournament finals -- when he stood on a chair at press row, right in front of the Krzyzewski family and made throat slashing motions.

In the end, an awful lot of drama for a fairly mediocre player (3.9 ppg and 2.9 rpg for his career).

Whenever people ask me who's my favorite Carolina player of all time, I go with Makhtar.

Really epitomizes a lot of things about that program.

[throatybeard]

I think K went polo-only in some of these tropical invitationals, perhaps Maui, especially that year everyone was falling in sweat puddles.

[Newton_14]

I think K went polo-only in some of these tropical invitationals, perhaps Maui, especially that year everyone was falling in sweat puddles.

Welcome back, and yeah Cameron got so hot in those days prior to the AC install, it felt like a tropical area inside the old girl. You walked in on a late Feb/early March game dry, and you left soaking wet head to toe. Good times ha!

This game also reminded me of that dark basketball Duke used at home in those days. Have no idea what brand it was, just remembered it being much darker than the ball other teams used. It didn't seem to be as bouncy when hitting the rim as other balls did either. Maybe that last part was my imagination but it sure seemed to bounce soft off the rim, relative to the bounces at road games with other brand balls.

[Viking Guy]

Welcome back. Missed you. Now, what about Ed?

ricks

Hello!

This was the best overall game I ever saw in Cameron -- and I saw a LOT of games.

The Crazies created an environment down the stretch that is hard to describe. We generated roughly a half an hour of sustained 100+ decibel noise, in 95-degree heat.

No one can play basketball against that.

Carolina scored something like two points in the last five minutes or so.

[Tom B.]

Also... is that the last time K didn't wear a necktie?

K started the game with a dress shirt and necktie. He changed at halftime because he'd sweat through his shirt, and apparently he didn't have a spare dress shirt. Hence, the polo with no tie.

I miss Makhtar. Every time I got into it with an obnoxious Carolina fan, Makhtar was the ultimate trump card. Even the most die-hard ugly blues had to admit that he was a tool.

[El_Diablo]

I downloaded this game on iTunes a while ago, along with some others (e.g., the 2012 Rivers game, 82-50). They were listed under ESPN TV shows but no longer appear to be available. Sad!

[sagegrouse]

Although I was at Cameron that afternoon, I remember Dickie V's pre-game assessment, which was dead-on (must have been in the AM or the day before): "I think Duke will win. Cameron will be very hot, and UNC mostly plays just five players." We came back from the dead, as UNC wilted down the stretch.

[rasputin]

Also... is that the last time K didn't wear a necktie?

Maui?

[budwom]

the discussion of heat demands the mentioning of Gary Williams. One of the most overwhelming displays of basketball I've ever seen in Cameron
was the game in which Sweaty was tossed by the refs early on, and Duke ran up (and I'm sure someone will correct me) something like a 38-6 lead.

[devildeac]

the discussion of heat demands the mentioning of Gary Williams. One of the most overwhelming displays of basketball I've ever seen in Cameron
was the game in which Sweaty was tossed by the refs early on, and Duke ran up (and I'm sure someone will correct me) something like a 38-6 lead.

This game? Or are we talking about another spectacular Sweaty meltdown? (LMAO-again)

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1998-01-31/sports/1998031050_1_coach-williams-ejection-gary-williams

[devildeac]

the discussion of heat demands the mentioning of Gary Williams. One of the most overwhelming displays of basketball I've ever seen in Cameron
was the game in which Sweaty was tossed by the refs early on, and Duke ran up (and I'm sure someone will correct me) something like a 38-6 lead.

Or was it this gem?

http://www.goduke.statsgeek.com/basketball-m/games/boxscore.php?gameid=20090124

(LMAO-again)

A 41 point absolute mauling of the twerps.

[budwom]

Pretty sure it was the 1998 game...article mentions a 28-4 run, sweaty got tossed, halftime score was 57-30.

[DukeFanInTerpLand]

I agree it was good to see him go. But as much as I despise UNC, Antawn was one of the few Tar Heel players I truly admired. I was surprised and disappointed that his pro career didn't turn out as well as planned. He seemed like a really good kid. I'm pretty sure Duke recruited him. I KNOW Duke recruited Vince Carter hard.



Gonna have to disagree with you on this part. Jamison had a very very solid NBA career, averaging over 18 points a game and making 2 all-star games. I got to watch him for 5-6 seasons as a Wizard and he was the same player as at UNC, great in the low block, could stretch the floor and hit jumpers. Good rebounder and heady player who made the right play almost all the time. (He played with Haywood for some of the years and the contrast between the two could not have been more apparent).

After hating him for being so good at UNC, it was nice to be able to appreciate his game when he was a Wizard.

[Nrrrrvous]

Feeling under the weather today (head cold/flu) so watched this game. Felt better for a while there! Quick, someone give me another game from youtube from that general era! I think these games might work better than the Tylenol Cold.

[BLPOG]

Or was it this gem?

http://www.goduke.statsgeek.com/basketball-m/games/boxscore.php?gameid=20090124

(LMAO-again)

A 41 point absolute mauling of the twerps.

That's another game I was lucky enough to watch in person. I stood in the student section next to a friend I'd known since childhood who had, like me, grown up as a devoted Duke fan. At one point during the game, she turned to me and said, "I feel bad [for Maryland]."

I don't think I stopped laughing until the end of the game.

Addendum: Prior to that game, Vasquez ran his mouth a lot (although in a manner generally complimentary to the atmosphere at Cameron). Students were very pumped for the game. Many slept more than one night on the sidewalk to get a good spot. The "Sweat, Gary, sweat" chants were intense. IIRC, When Williams walked to the locker room at half-time and a grad student continued to taunt him, he spun around and shouted at the student, "You're fat and you're ugly!"

[sagegrouse]

Gonna have to disagree with you on this part. Jamison had a very very solid NBA career, averaging over 18 points a game and making 2 all-star games. I got to watch him for 5-6 seasons as a Wizard and he was the same player as at UNC, great in the low block, could stretch the floor and hit jumpers. Good rebounder and heady player who made the right play almost all the time. (He played with Haywood for some of the years and the contrast between the two could not have been more apparent).

After hating him for being so good at UNC, it was nice to be able to appreciate his game when he was a Wizard.

Also, Jamison is reputedly an all-time good guy. And, its' a funny thing, but three of his teammates at UNC make the list of all-time UNC bad guys -- Jeff McInnis (throw another elbow at our walk-on, Jeff), Makhtar Ndiaye (no comment) and Vince Carter.

[devildeac]

That's another game I was lucky enough to watch in person. I stood in the student section next to a friend I'd known since childhood who had, like me, grown up as a devoted Duke fan. At one point during the game, she turned to me and said, "I feel bad [for Maryland]."

I don't think I stopped laughing until the end of the game.

Addendum: Prior to that game, Vasquez ran his mouth a lot (although in a manner generally complimentary to the atmosphere at Cameron). Students were very pumped for the game. Many slept more than one night on the sidewalk to get a good spot. The "Sweat, Gary, sweat" chants were intense. IIRC, When Williams walked to the locker room at half-time and a grad student continued to taunt him, he spun around and shouted at the student, "You're fat and you're ugly!"

Might that also be the game that the "nuestra casa" cheer started in response to Vasquez running his mouth?

[BLPOG]

Might that also be the game that the "nuestra casa" cheer started in response to Vasquez running his mouth?

Pretty sure it was. Great fun.

[Faison1]

Gonna have to disagree with you on this part. Jamison had a very very solid NBA career, averaging over 18 points a game and making 2 all-star games.

Agree to disagree.

Laettner was an all-star, and had a solid pro career, but I think most would agree it was less than expected...considering he was one of the all-time best college players, and picked #3 in the draft.

Again, my point was I thought Antawn was the second-coming of MJ. He was absolutely amazing in college, National Player of the Year in 1998, picked #4 in the draft, ahead of #5 Vince Carter (who most would agree had a better pro career), and had expectations of being an all-star every year.

So, with that being said, I was very much of a fan, even though he chose the wrong shade of blue. He just didn't have quite the success in the pros everyone envisioned.

[sagegrouse]

Agree to disagree.

Laettner was an all-star, and had a solid pro career, but I think most would agree it was less than expected...considering he was one of the all-time best college players, and picked #3 in the draft.
Faison, I beg to disagree and can share with you some detail of my analysis.

Laettner was the third pick of the draft after Shaq and Alonzo. He didn't do as well as these HOFers, but ranked pretty well otherwise among the 1992 draftees:

Points: 4th
Rebounds: 4th
Assists: 4th
PPG: 5th
RPG: 5th
APG: 4th

And no, it's not a disgrace to be 4th in stats after being drafted third -- it's sorta the way the statistics fall. Jimmy Jackson, #4, did better in points and assists; Gugliotta (#6) did about the same as Christian.

Then I analyzed other #3 draft picks, from 1984 (Michael Jordan) to 1998 (Raef Lafrentz) -- 15 years. Laettner ranked as follows among 15 peer #3's:

Points: 7th (out of 15)
Rebounds: 3rd (ditto)
Assists: 6th
PPG: 11th
RPG: 3rd
APG: 8th

Christian was right in the mix among all of the #3 draftees -- and that list included Jordan.

[Edouble]

Agree to disagree.

Laettner was an all-star, and had a solid pro career, but I think most would agree it was less than expected...considering he was one of the all-time best college players, and picked #3 in the draft.

Again, my point was I thought Antawn was the second-coming of MJ. He was absolutely amazing in college, National Player of the Year in 1998, picked #4 in the draft, ahead of #5 Vince Carter (who most would agree had a better pro career), and had expectations of being an all-star every year.

So, with that being said, I was very much of a fan, even though he chose the wrong shade of blue. He just didn't have quite the success in the pros everyone envisioned.

Well, speak for yourself. Don't mean that in a harsh way, but I definitely did not see his game translating well to the pros.

Some power forwards whose games I thought would really work in the pros were Chris Webber, Tim Duncan, Larry Johnson et al. These guys had a lot more size and power than Antawn did. In his NBA prime, Jamison was shooting a lot of jumpers and had a very different game than the one that made him so successful in college.

[devildeac]

That's another game I was lucky enough to watch in person. I stood in the student section next to a friend I'd known since childhood who had, like me, grown up as a devoted Duke fan. At one point during the game, she turned to me and said, "I feel bad [for Maryland]."

I don't think I stopped laughing until the end of the game.

Addendum: Prior to that game, Vasquez ran his mouth a lot (although in a manner generally complimentary to the atmosphere at Cameron). Students were very pumped for the game. Many slept more than one night on the sidewalk to get a good spot. The "Sweat, Gary, sweat" chants were intense. IIRC, When Williams walked to the locker room at half-time and a grad student continued to taunt him, he spun around and shouted at the student, "You're fat and you're ugly!"

Why? :rolleyes:

[BLPOG]

Why? :rolleyes:

Haha, why do you think I laughed?

To her credit, she is a wonderfully compassionate person. She saw the distraught faces of the Maryland players and couldn't help but feel for them in their plight. The world would do well with more people like her.

I don't remember my exact response, but it was something simple like, "I don't [feel bad]."

I just wish we could've saved some points for the UNC game that year...ugh. Nineteen years of anticipation and a month of sub-20 degree weather, bad grades, and nervous breakdowns for a game that had the worst (student section) occupancy restrictions from the fire marshals I ever saw as a student...and a loss besides. :mad:

[Faison1]

Then I analyzed other #3 draft picks, from 1984 (Michael Jordan) to 1998 (Raef Lafrentz) -- 15 years. Laettner ranked as follows among 15 peer #3's:

Points: 7th (out of 15)
Rebounds: 3rd (ditto)
Assists: 6th
PPG: 11th
RPG: 3rd
APG: 8th


Before I reply, let me just say, I am a HUGE Laettner fan... Excellent analysis, BTW.

One more disclaimer: Your argument is very strong in the analytical department...mine is more intuitive.

Having said that...Laettner is generally regarded as one of the top 5-10 college players of all time. If he had met expectations coming out of college, then he would have been considered one of the top 10 pro players of all time, or at least top 10 during the time he played, correct?

Yes, he had a very good pro career, and I will always defend him when people argue he was a bust. But to say he met expectations would be a stretch, IMHO.

[Olympic Fan]

Before I reply, let me just say, I am a HUGE Laettner fan... Excellent analysis, BTW.

One more disclaimer: Your argument is very strong in the analytical department...mine is more intuitive.

Having said that...Laettner is generally regarded as one of the top 5-10 college players of all time. If he had met expectations coming out of college, then he would have been considered one of the top 10 pro players of all time, or at least top 10 during the time he played, correct?

Yes, he had a very good pro career, and I will always defend him when people argue he was a bust. But to say he met expectations would be a stretch, IMHO.

I'm not sure I agree. There are a number of players who were GREAT college players, whose games didn't translate to the pros. I don't think they are all disappointments.

One of the most similar players to Laettner in terms of career was Jerry Lucas. It's impossible now to recapture the stature he had a a collegian at Ohio State. Put it this way -- he played on the same team as John Havlicek and few noticed Havlicek -- Lucas was the great one. He had a long and solid pro career, but was never made all-pro.

Another would be Ernie DiGregorio. The Providence guard might have been the greatest point guard in college basketball history, he struggled in the NBA.

Even Bill Bradley, a solid pro who found a measure of fame playing for the best Knicks team ever (he was about the 4th best payer on the team), never approached the stature he has as a collegian in the NBA. David Thompson had some great pro seasons before he was hurt -- but he was much greater as a collegian (the greatest ever, in fact).

College basketball and pro basketball are different things. Sometimes the skills translate, sometimes they don't.

[buddy]

My impression was that Laettner had an above average experience with below average teams early in his career, and then suffered nagging injuries that slowed him down and reduced his effectiveness in the later years. 13 years and one All-Star is not a bad career; however, considering how he willed Duke to four FFs and two Nattys, the fact that he could not do the same in the pros lends the impression of a mediocre career. I think that is somewhat unfair; although it is fair to say this NBA career will not get him to the HOF. Maybe it's a simple as NCAA and NBA are two different levels, and success in one does not necessarily translate to success in the other. I tried to watch every game of his that I could (which wasn't many as I resided in a different market), but he appeared to be a step slow for the NBA competition.

[devilirium]

I also caught the end of the replay tonight - has to be my all time favorite as that was my senior year as well. Forgot how good Will Avery was as a Freshman, and how, I guess confident is the right word, he was, when at one point in the comeback he took 2 quick threes on the same possession (at least hitting the second - it was a huge shot)

One of the most amusing things in the replay was Musburger gushing about the "medical miracle" that brought Brand back from a broken foot so quickly. Those were the days...

For whatever reason, the Avery 3 from the top of the key really cemented my belief in that comeback....and Musburger interrupted Dickie V's musings with "Avery coming again with the 3 ! He's coldblooded...it's 70-66...Five fifty two. "

[Tom B.]

Pretty sure it was the 1998 game...article mentions a 28-4 run, sweaty got tossed, halftime score was 57-30.

Yep, it was the 1998 game in Cameron. Which actually wasn't quite as big a blowout as the beatdown we laid on the Terps in College Park earlier that season.

http://goduke.statsgeek.com/basketball-m/games/boxscore.php?gameid=19980103

[budwom]

Yep, it was the 1998 game in Cameron. Which actually wasn't quite as big a blowout as the beatdown we laid on the Terps in College Park earlier that season.

http://goduke.statsgeek.com/basketball-m/games/boxscore.php?gameid=19980103

But the 1998 game (IIRC) was over sooner with that amazing opening run...both joys to watch of course

[Tom B.]

But the 1998 game (IIRC) was over sooner with that amazing opening run...both joys to watch of course

Both games were over early.

The game in College Park on January 3, 1998, was the "Let's go, motherf-----s!" game. The way I've hard the story (and it may be apocryphal, but who cares, because it's a great story) is that K spent the week leading up to the game stressing that the team the needed to be "motherf-----s" on the court. When the bus pulled up to Cole Field House, K stood up in front of the team and shouted, "Let's go, motherf-----s!" That was it -- no pregame speech, no game plan. Just, "Let's go, motherf-----s!" The team got so amped up that they almost trampled K getting off the bus.

Duke won the opening tip and the ball went to Trajan Langdon on the wing, who immediately pulled up from about 23 feet and buried a three-pointer. The rout was on. Duke kept its foot on the gas and hung 61 on Maryland in the first half. We let up on defense just a bit near the end of the half, which allowed Maryland to cut the lead to, ahem....22. Then we backed off slightly on offense in the second half and only scored 43, as K played around with different lineup combos (nine guys logged double-digit minutes, and K emptied the bench late).

I watched that game in a bar in DC with a small group of Duke fans, surrounded by a much larger group of Maryland fans. It was glorious.

The return game in Cameron on January 29, 1998, was equally fun. Duke punched Maryland in the mouth with an early run, during which Gary Williams got hit with two technicals and was ejected less than six minutes into the game. Two Maryland players also got hit with technicals. It was an epic meltdown by the Terps from top to bottom.

[jv001]

Both games were over early.

The game in College Park on January 3, 1998, was the "Let's go, motherf-----s!" game. The way I've hard the story (and it may be apocryphal, but who cares, because it's a great story) is that K spent the week leading up to the game stressing that the team the needed to be "motherf-----s" on the court. When the bus pulled up to Cole Field House, K stood up in front of the team and shouted, "Let's go, motherf-----s!" That was it -- no pregame speech, no game plan. Just, "Let's go, motherf-----s!" The team got so amped up that they almost trampled K getting off the bus.

Duke won the opening tip and the ball went to Trajan Langdon on the wing, who immediately pulled up from about 23 feet and buried a three-pointer. The rout was on. Duke kept its foot on the gas and hung 61 on Maryland in the first half. We let up on defense just a bit near the end of the half, which allowed Maryland to cut the lead to, ahem...22. Then we backed off slightly on offense in the second half and only scored 43, as K played around with different lineup combos (nine guys logged double-digit minutes, and K emptied the bench late).

I watched that game in a bar in DC with a small group of Duke fans, surrounded by a much larger group of Maryland fans. It was glorious.

The return game in Cameron on January 29, 1998, was equally fun. Duke punched Maryland in the mouth with an early run, during which Gary Williams got hit with two technicals and was ejected less than six minutes into the game. Two Maryland players also got hit with technicals. It was an epic meltdown by the Terps from top to bottom.

I remember my wife saying " that guy really sweats". I added, he sweats like that in every Duke game. That game was priceless. I sort of hate we don't play them anymore, but it wouldn't be the same now that they left the ACC. Anyway, they are right there at #2 behind the cheats in teams that I despise. GoDuke!