Remembering the 65-66 Team.

[Devilwin]

Before there was a Laettner, Okafor, Redick, even a Dawkins and Alarie, and even Gminski and Banks, Duke had a basketball team.
And the greatest of the teams before the modern era was the 65-66 team, which except for a case of the flu that severely diminished our leading scorer in the Final Four would have almost certainly have won our first National title.
Led by sharp shooting guard Bob Verga, and powerful center Mike Lewis, the team won 26 games while losing just four. They went 12-2 in the ACC and won the conference tournament. The team featured future NBA star Jack Marin (Lewis and Verga played in the ABA), a deadly outside scorer, and Steve Vacendak, who with Verga formed the best back court in America.
This team was deep and talented. Mike Lewis was a beast, who out muscled every opponent matched against him. Marin and Joe Kennedy provided inside help, along with Bob Riedy.
Verga averaged 26.1 points a game, still a Duke season record.
The team rolled into the NCAA's until Verga contracted a bad flu virus just before the semifinal game against Kentucky. He played, but managed only three four points, and Duke lost the game by four. Duke came back to defeat Utah in the consolation game. (which of course, is no more)
This was the first great Duke team I recall, and believe the younger fans here need to do themselves a favor and check out this forerunner of our greatness!

[60sDukie]

I remember Bob Verga and his little (I think red) Corvette.

[FadedTackyShirt]

Thanks for the reminder that Duke hoops started before K. The '78 team (Spanarkel, G-Man, Banks, Dennard) was my favorite childhood Duke team. Didn't truly start following college hoops until ~1970.

Realize that player comparisons are imperfect, but who would be good K-era Duke comps for Verga and Lewis? Somewhat shaky on Marin, but Kennard seems like a reasonable comparison.

[Indoor66]

Vacendak and Lewis played in the ABA as well. IRRC they both played for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

[Olympic Fan]

I don't mean t be contrary, but why the '66 team?

I would argue that the 1963 team was Bubas' best -- 14-0 in the ACC, 27-3 overall and No. 2 in the final AP poll.

They also lost in the NCAA semifinals then came back to win the consolation game. They had a better overall and conference record than the '66 team ... both finished No. 2 in the AP poll and both fished 3rd in the NCAA Tournament.

The '63 team featured National Player of the Year Art Heyman (the first consensus NPOY in ACC history) and second team All-American Jeff Mullins. The center was junior Jay Buckley, a three-year starter in his career (and a second-team Al-ACC the next year) Buckley was backed up by sophomore Hack Tison. Senior Fred Schmidt and junior Buzzy Harrison (another three-year starter) at guard. They had excellent backcourt depth with Denny Ferguson and Ron Herbster.

Even the 1965 team could make the case that it was more successful that '66 -- it finished 13-1 in the ACC (better than '66) and finished No. 2 in the nation when they beat Michigan and Cazzie Russell in the semifinals.

I would agree with the point that Duke had great basketball before K -- three final fours in four years (and noher Elite Eight team three years earlier).

As for the '66 team, Verga was sidelined with step throat, not the flu. And Bob Reidy was the fifth starter (Joe Kennedy played in just 10 games). Don't forget Ron Wendelin, who did a great job as the team's backup guard.

Fun note: the '66 team beat Syracuse in the East Regional finals. Their star was All-American Dave Bing. Duke shut him down, but an unheralded forward wearing glasses gave them fits -- Jim Boeheim. I wonder what happened to him?

[sagegrouse]

I don't mean t be contrary, but why the '66 team?

I would argue that the 1963 team was Bubas' best -- 14-0 in the ACC, 27-3 overall and No. 2 in the final AP poll.

They also lost in the NCAA semifinals then came back to win the consolation game. They had a better overall and conference record than the '66 team ... both finished No. 2 in the AP poll and both fished 3rd in the NCAA Tournament.

The '63 team featured National Player of the Year Art Heyman (the first consensus NPOY in ACC history) and second team All-American Jeff Mullins. The center was junior Jay Buckley, a three-year starter in his career (and a second-team Al-ACC the next year) Buckley was backed up by sophomore Hack Tison. Senior Fred Schmidt and junior Buzzy Harrison (another three-year starter) at guard. They had excellent backcourt depth with Denny Ferguson and Ron Herbster.

Even the 1965 team could make the case that it was more successful that '66 -- it finished 13-1 in the ACC (better than '66) and finished No. 2 in the nation when they beat Michigan and Cazzie Russell in the semifinals.

I would agree with the point that Duke had great basketball before K -- three final fours in four years (and noher Elite Eight team three years earlier).

As for the '66 team, Verga was sidelined with step throat, not the flu. And Bob Reidy was the fifth starter (Joe Kennedy played in just 10 games). Don't forget Ron Wendelin, who did a great job as the team's backup guard.

Fun note: the '66 team beat Syracuse in the East Regional finals. Their star was All-American Dave Bing. Duke shut him down, but an unheralded forward wearing glasses gave them fits -- Jim Boeheim. I wonder what happened to him?

OF, I think you mis-keyed the year of the second-best team -- it was 1964, not 1965. The 1965 team was also interesting but got upset by NC State in the ACC tournament, indirectly resulting in Bill Bradley's Princeton team making the Final Four.

[devildeac]

I remember Bob Verga and his little (I think red) Corvette.

I think you have him confused with Prince. ;)

[westwall]

Before there was a Laettner, Okafor, Redick, even a Dawkins and Alarie, and even Gminski and Banks, Duke had a basketball team.
And the greatest of the teams before the modern era was the 65-66 team, which except for a case of the flu that severely diminished our leading scorer in the Final Four would have almost certainly have won our first National title.
Led by sharp shooting guard Bob Verga, and powerful center Mike Lewis, the team won 26 games while losing just four. They went 12-2 in the ACC and won the conference tournament. The team featured future NBA star Jack Marin (Lewis and Verga played in the ABA), a deadly outside scorer, and Steve Vacendak, who with Verga formed the best back court in America.
This team was deep and talented. Mike Lewis was a beast, who out muscled every opponent matched against him. Marin and Joe Kennedy provided inside help, along with Bob Riedy.
Verga averaged 26.1 points a game, still a Duke season record.
The team rolled into the NCAA's until Verga contracted a bad flu virus just before the semifinal game against Kentucky. He played, but managed only three four points, and Duke lost the game by four. Duke came back to defeat Utah in the consolation game. (which of course, is no more)
This was the first great Duke team I recall, and believe the younger fans here need to do themselves a favor and check out this forerunner of our greatness!

Thanks for this thread. I remember them all -- Artie, Mullins, Riedy, Lewis, Marin, Verga, Vacendak, etc. Other than, perhaps, Redick, I can't think of another comp for Verga; he was not tall (barely 6 foot) but routinely sank 25 footers that counted only two points. With a 3-point shot he would have averaged close to 40 per game.
Absent Verga's illness in '66 (whether it was flu, which we heard at the time, or strep throat) Duke probably would have defeated 'Rupp's Runts' and gone on to play -- and very well defeat -- Texas Western, the eventual champ.

Incidently, those of us at the games in '66 did not consider it unique in any way that Texas Western was starting only black players. In '62 at Freedom Hall in Louisville I had seen Cincinnati start at least 4 black players (including Center Paul Hogue and guards Tom Thacker and Tony Yates, all of whom had followed the great Oscar Robertson to Cincinnati) in their win over Ohio State (perhaps the last year in which there was no national TV coverage). Nevertheless subsequent media coverage has made it seem as though Texas Western's use of black players was novel and revolutionary, when it really was not. Perhaps the media view was influenced heavily by the fact that Kentucky's coach, Adolph Rupp, had an all white team and was known, at least up to that time, to refuse to recruit black players. In any event, my recollection of those '66 games differs somewhat from the more recent media and popular perception.

[Devilwin]

I don't mean t be contrary, but why the '66 team?

I would argue that the 1963 team was Bubas' best -- 14-0 in the ACC, 27-3 overall and No. 2 in the final AP poll.

They also lost in the NCAA semifinals then came back to win the consolation game. They had a better overall and conference record than the '66 team ... both finished No. 2 in the AP poll and both fished 3rd in the NCAA Tournament.

The '63 team featured National Player of the Year Art Heyman (the first consensus NPOY in ACC history) and second team All-American Jeff Mullins. The center was junior Jay Buckley, a three-year starter in his career (and a second-team Al-ACC the next year) Buckley was backed up by sophomore Hack Tison. Senior Fred Schmidt and junior Buzzy Harrison (another three-year starter) at guard. They had excellent backcourt depth with Denny Ferguson and Ron Herbster.

Even the 1965 team could make the case that it was more successful that '66 -- it finished 13-1 in the ACC (better than '66) and finished No. 2 in the nation when they beat Michigan and Cazzie Russell in the semifinals.

I would agree with the point that Duke had great basketball before K -- three final fours in four years (and noher Elite Eight team three years earlier).

As for the '66 team, Verga was sidelined with step throat, not the flu. And Bob Reidy was the fifth starter (Joe Kennedy played in just 10 games). Don't forget Ron Wendelin, who did a great job as the team's backup guard.

Fun note: the '66 team beat Syracuse in the East Regional finals. Their star was All-American Dave Bing. Duke shut him down, but an unheralded forward wearing glasses gave them fits -- Jim Boeheim. I wonder what happened to him?

The '65 team did not play in the NCAA tournament. Only the tourney winner went. And everything I read said Verga had influenza.

[OZ]

The '65 team did not play in the NCAA tournament. Only the tourney winner went. And everything I read said Verga had influenza.


Sorry, but Verga was said to have had strep throat. He had it the week leading to the Final Four. Perhaps, they have since changed the diagnosis, but that is what we were told then. I don't know that we would have won the championship as the team that won was pretty tough (Texas Western? now UTEP) - ask Kentucky. The games were in College Park, MD and Duke beat Utah in a close game in the consolation; and my memory is Mike Lewis broke his leg in that game.

[SFDukie]

This was the first great Duke team I recall, and believe the younger fans here need to do themselves a favor and check out this forerunner of our greatness!

I went to kindergarten with Vic Bubas' daughter. My first Duke basketball memory was watching Duke lose in the semifinals or finals around '63 or '64 on an old black & white TV. I remember Charlie Scott playing for UNC in my first Duke-Carolina game at Cameron. And my dad took me to the Greensboro Coliseum to see Bob Verga and the Carolina Cougars in the late '60s. I remember really liking the red, white, and blue ball and the huge fros some of the players had.

[TKG]

Vacendak and Lewis played in the ABA as well. IRRC they both played for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Indoor: wasn't the Pittsburgh ABA squad the Condors?

[mgtr]

According to Wikipedia, Pittsburgh started as the Pipers, then the Pioneers, and finally the Condors.

[CDu]

Great thread topic, one minor quibble. Verga's 26.1 ppg was surpassed by Redick, who averaged 26.8 ppg in 2006.

[Indoor66]

Indoor: wasn't the Pittsburgh ABA squad the Condors?

OK. It was a long time ago....😊😒😎

[campered]

Thanks for this thread. I remember them all -- Artie, Mullins, Riedy, Lewis, Marin, Verga, Vacendak, etc. Other than, perhaps, Redick, I can't think of another comp for Verga; he was not tall (barely 6 foot) but routinely sank 25 footers that counted only two points. With a 3-point shot he would have averaged close to 40 per game.
Absent Verga's illness in '66 (whether it was flu, which we heard at the time, or strep throat) Duke probably would have defeated 'Rupp's Runts' and gone on to play -- and very well defeat -- Texas Western, the eventual champ.

Incidently, those of us at the games in '66 did not consider it unique in any way that Texas Western was starting only black players. In '62 at Freedom Hall in Louisville I had seen Cincinnati start at least 4 black players (including Center Paul Hogue and guards Tom Thacker and Tony Yates, all of whom had followed the great Oscar Robertson to Cincinnati) in their win over Ohio State (perhaps the last year in which there was no national TV coverage). Nevertheless subsequent media coverage has made it seem as though Texas Western's use of black players was novel and revolutionary, when it really was not. Perhaps the media view was influenced heavily by the fact that Kentucky's coach, Adolph Rupp, had an all white team and was known, at least up to that time, to refuse to recruit black players. In any event, my recollection of those '66 games differs somewhat from the more recent media and popular perception.I very fondly remember the teams of the sixties. They are the reason I became a Duke fan! Watching those squads on that b/w TV at home was a real treat for myself. I, the only male child, battled five other siblings for TV rights, in order to watch my Blue Devils. In Junior High and High school, I was the only Duke fan I can remember, possibly one more my senior year. Lenoir County and the Kinston area went for the Holes and Wolf Pack. Man what fun we all had bickering and fussing about our respective teams before classes started. The 'Sail with the Pilot' song, from the Jefferson Pilot add still resonates in my mind from those fantastic days. And Donnie Walsh, you're still a cowardly back punching running away brat!!!!!

[unclsam1]

Great thread topic, one minor quibble. Verga's 26.1 ppg was surpassed by Redick, who averaged 26.8 ppg in 2006.

Verga should still hold the record because his average was prior to the 3 point basket era.

[wsb3]

Thanks for this thread. I remember them all -- Artie, Mullins, Riedy, Lewis, Marin, Verga, Vacendak, etc. Other than, perhaps, Redick, I can't think of another comp for Verga; he was not tall (barely 6 foot) but routinely sank 25 footers that counted only two points. With a 3-point shot he would have averaged close to 40 per game.
Absent Verga's illness in '66 (whether it was flu, which we heard at the time, or strep throat) Duke probably would have defeated 'Rupp's Runts' and gone on to play -- and very well defeat -- Texas Western, the eventual champ.

Incidently, those of us at the games in '66 did not consider it unique in any way that Texas Western was starting only black players. In '62 at Freedom Hall in Louisville I had seen Cincinnati start at least 4 black players (including Center Paul Hogue and guards Tom Thacker and Tony Yates, all of whom had followed the great Oscar Robertson to Cincinnati) in their win over Ohio State (perhaps the last year in which there was no national TV coverage). Nevertheless subsequent media coverage has made it seem as though Texas Western's use of black players was novel and revolutionary, when it really was not. Perhaps the media view was influenced heavily by the fact that Kentucky's coach, Adolph Rupp, had an all white team and was known, at least up to that time, to refuse to recruit black players. In any event, my recollection of those '66 games differs somewhat from the more recent media and popular perception.

Good post..Verga for certain would have averaged over 30..I can't imagine a shot clock & a 3 point line for him.

Your last paragraph is on point. Glory Road, which I watched recently was so off point from the real story. It would have been better portrayed as a fictional movie.. Don Haskins was trying to win period. He has been quoted often as saying just that. I was a kid so I don't trust my memory but I don't recall a big deal about it at that time..I think it is one of those that became much more relevant as time passed on..

Here is a link about some of the facts from the movie...Also I think they portrayed the first game as a nail biter when in fact they won 89-38. I wish Duke played a nail biter like that every game..

http://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=merron/060112

Who knows if Duke might have prevailed. I would like to think they certainly would have got past Kentucky with a healthy Bob Verga..I thought Bubas has been quoted as saying that was his best team but I can't prove it right now. Ironically, Verga's fever broke before the consolation game when he scored 15 points. 7-13 from the floor.

That was my early start of a love affair with Duke Basketball. Jeff Mullins was my first Duke hero as a kid. I don't recall Art Heyman playing. Of course I know the history of his time at Duke..When I was finally able to get a novel traditionally published..I gave the main character the last name of Marin..for Jack..& again I was a kid but Luke does remind me somewhat of his play. I remember him playing many years in the NBA.

Good memories of that time. Someone mentioned Syracuse..I recall that game & Dave Bing being on the team.. Michigan game with Cazzie Russell.

Thanks for the stroll down memory lane.

[ricks68]

Good post..Verga for certain would have averaged over 30..I can't imagine a shot clock & a 3 point line for him.

Your last paragraph is on point. Glory Road, which I watched recently was so off point from the real story. It would have been better portrayed as a fictional movie.. Don Haskins was trying to win period. He has been quoted often as saying just that. I was a kid so I don't trust my memory but I don't recall a big deal about it at that time..I think it is one of those that became much more relevant as time passed on..

Here is a link about some of the facts from the movie...Also I think they portrayed the first game as a nail biter when in fact they won 89-38. I wish Duke played a nail biter like that every game..

http://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=merron/060112

Who knows if Duke might have prevailed. I would like to think they certainly would have got past Kentucky with a healthy Bob Verga..I thought Bubas has been quoted as saying that was his best team but I can't prove it right now. Ironically, Verga's fever broke before the consolation game when he scored 15 points. 7-13 from the floor.

That was my early start of a love affair with Duke Basketball. Jeff Mullins was my first Duke hero as a kid. I don't recall Art Heyman playing. Of course I know the history of his time at Duke..When I was finally able to get a novel traditionally published..I gave the main character the last name of Marin..for Jack..& again I was a kid but Luke does remind me somewhat of his play. I remember him playing many years in the NBA.

Good memories of that time. Someone mentioned Syracuse..I recall that game & Dave Bing being on the team.. Michigan game with Cazzie Russell.

Thanks for the stroll down memory lane.

Bubas definitely said the 66 finals team was his best, although the teams featuring Heyman and Mullins seemed to others to be his best teams.

Redick's form, I believe is a direct copy of Verga's jumper. Look up pictures of both and see for yourself.

TV coverage of the FF back then was extremely poor, as was the coverage of college basketball overall. Due to that fact, very few were able to see just how dominant Texas Western really was. During warm ups, which was not shown on TV, every single TW African American player demonstrated incredible agility and athleticism. Once I saw that, it was pretty obvious to me that we could not have beaten them either----even with Bubas' coaching. With Verga able to play his very consistent game, if healthy, we certainly would have beaten Kentucky, IMO. Verga was so sick that it appeared to me that he was on the verge of physical collapse during the few minutes he was on the floor in the Kentucky game.

Any other DBR posters out there that were at the 66 FF besides me?

ricks

[Highlander]

Sadly, this team was before my time. However, I do have a cool story to tell.

While in middle school, my english teacher asked everyone to find professional athletes to come and talk to us about their experience. This would have been around 1988. One kid brought in a semi-pro skateboarder from the local shop, but my dad really came through. He had run across Mike Lewis coaching his daughter's rec soccer team in our local league, I think via an article in the local paper. Dad asked him if he'd be willing to come and speak to my class. Mike quipped that none of the kids would remember him at all because he played before they were born, to which my dad responded "Well, you're still TALL, right?" Mike agreed to come, even though he noted that Duke had 3-4 players on the roster that year taller than he was (he is 6'7" and played center).

I don't remember much of what he talked about that day, but I do remember him having to duck as he came through the doorway and hearing a collective "whoa!" from some of my middle school classmates. That was the day I learned NC had a professional basketball team once upon a time (The Carolina Cougars). Mike stressed that getting an education at Duke was the smartest thing he ever did, because when his knees gave out and his playing days were done, he had something to fall back on.

According to this article, Mike still lives in Kernersville, NC (outside Winston-Salem) and is a sales rep for a local paper company.
http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=146955

[Olympic Fan]

Good post..Verga for certain would have averaged over 30..I can't imagine a shot clock & a 3 point line for him.

Your last paragraph is on point. Glory Road, which I watched recently was so off point from the real story. It would have been better portrayed as a fictional movie.. Don Haskins was trying to win period. He has been quoted often as saying just that. I was a kid so I don't trust my memory but I don't recall a big deal about it at that time..I think it is one of those that became much more relevant as time passed on..

Here is a link about some of the facts from the movie...Also I think they portrayed the first game as a nail biter when in fact they won 89-38. I wish Duke played a nail biter like that every game..

http://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=merron/060112

Who knows if Duke might have prevailed. I would like to think they certainly would have got past Kentucky with a healthy Bob Verga..I thought Bubas has been quoted as saying that was his best team but I can't prove it right now. Ironically, Verga's fever broke before the consolation game when he scored 15 points. 7-13 from the floor.

That was my early start of a love affair with Duke Basketball. Jeff Mullins was my first Duke hero as a kid. I don't recall Art Heyman playing. Of course I know the history of his time at Duke..When I was finally able to get a novel traditionally published..I gave the main character the last name of Marin..for Jack..& again I was a kid but Luke does remind me somewhat of his play. I remember him playing many years in the NBA.

Good memories of that time. Someone mentioned Syracuse..I recall that game & Dave Bing being on the team.. Michigan game with Cazzie Russell.

Thanks for the stroll down memory lane.


Regarding Glory Road ... I went in wanting to love that story, but I hated the way they twisted basketball history. Just some of the key points:

(1) That was not Haskins first Texas Western team -- it was his fifth. And he had made a run to the NCAA Elite Eight in 1964 with Jim "Bad News" Barnes

(2) Haskins did not integrate the Texas Western program. The school used black players throughout the 1950s. He inherited three black scholarship players in the summer of 1961. One of them was Nolan Richardson, who later cached Arkansas to the 1994 national title (barely edging Duke).

(3) Haskins said he never met any resistance from the school or the El Paso community when it came to playing black players.

(4) As Wsb 3 said, having black dominated teams in the Final Four was no shock. CCNY started three blacks in the 1950 title game. San Francisco started three blacks in the 1955 title game. Cincinnati started three blacks in both the 1962 and 1963 title games ... and Loyola, the 1963 champion, started four blacks. That meant that seven of the 10 starters in the 1963 title game were black. And six of the 10 starters in the 1966 NBA All-Star game were black, including Russell, Chamberlain, Baylor and Oscar. Contrary to the movie, NOBODY was questioning the ability of blacks to play basketball in 1966.

(5) The worst thing the movie did was misrepresent the struggle between Haskins and his team as to style of play. In the film, Haskins wanted to hold them back and make them play a slow, structured game. It was only when he turned them loose and let them play street ball that the team prospered. That's the EXACT opposite of what happened. They did struggle with style of play, but it was only when they accepted Haskins slow, defensive-oriented style (learned in college from Hank Iba) that the team took off. That, more than the five blacks starting, was the import of the '66 title game. It shattered the prejudice that blacks might be great athletes and great basketball players, but that thy weren't smart enough to win without some white leadership on the flour. What we saw in 1966 was an all-white Kentucky team that was wild and undisciplined and an all-black Texas Western team that played under control and with real smarts.

Would Duke have fared better than Kentucky? Fair question and one we can never answer. But let me suggest a couple of things. Having Mike Lewis in the middle gave Duke something that Kentucky (remember, these were Rupp's Runts) didn't have -- a big strong center to battle David Lattin in the middle. Also, Duke might have handled Texas Western's pressure better -- this was a great ballhandling Duke team that had demolished UCLA's famed zone press in back to back games in December. Marin was superb as a press buster.

While I don't know if Duke would have won or not, I do think playing Duke might have changed the historic story. Forward Harry Flournoy was hurt and only made a token start, replaced by Nevil Shed. But Flournoy was the team's defensive stopper at forward, a role that Shed couldn't play. As it was, Jack Marin destroyed Kentucky and would have presented major problems for the Miners' on defense. Haskins would have had to do what he did in the semifinal game, when Utah's Jerry Chambers was killing them -- he would have had to use Jerry Armstrong, a white forward who was the team's second best defender. Armstrong didn't play against Kentucky, which kept Texas Western all-black, but he almost certainly would have played a huge role against Duke.

PS In my earlier post, I did mistype 1965 for 1964. 1965 was a great team -- one that Bubas thought could have been a Final Four team -- but losing to NC State in the ACC Tournament cost them a chance to compete. It's worth noting that '65 was part of a streak of six straight top 10 AP finishes for Duke in that era -- 10 in 1961, 10 in 1962, 2 in 1963, 3 in 1964, 10 in 1965 and 2 in 1966. Bubas also coached teams that were 18 in 1960 and 10 in 1968. And while the 1967 team was not ranked by AP (that was a brief period when the poll ranked just 10 teams), it was ranked No. 19 by the Coaches. So that was a pretty good run for Duke basketball -- the best before K's program took off in the mid-1980s.

[Teton Jack]

I remember the 65-66 team with great fondness. Up to that point in my life I struggled with whether I was a Davidson fan (those were the days of Fred Hetzel, Don Davidson, Terry Holland, Barry Teague and Charlie Marcon) or a Duke fan, but this team swept me away. In particular, I was a Vacendak fan. I will rely on Jim for fact-checking but I think Vacendak is the only ACC player of the year to not make 1st team ACC. The ACC POY was named after the tournament which catapulted Steve to the top spot.

There were some terrific games that year. I remember Duke's comeback vs. Michigan when Cazzie Russell was tomahawking dunks on breakaways. Some gutsy play ended up with an OT game (a last second basket by UM caused the tie) which Duke won going away! And those UCLA games were masterpieces.

[Devilwin]

During the Randy Denton/ Dick DeVenzio era I met one of their team mates at a Greensboro night club. He was Rick Katherman, A.K.A. the Manchester Rifleman.
Still got the autograph. He was another great shooter that would have had a much higher scoring average if we'd have had the 3 point line.
That was a pretty good team, with Denton, DeVenzio, Brad Evans, Larry Saunders,and Katherman.

[Devilwin]

An odd fact..
Duke guard Steve Vacendak was named ACC Player of The Year in 1966, but was not named to the All Conference team!! Go figure..:confused:

[Olympic Fan]

An odd fact..
Duke guard Steve Vacendak was named ACC Player of The Year in 1966, but was not named to the All Conference team!! Go figure..:confused:

Actually, Vacendak was second team -- he was the ninth-vote getter on the All-ACC team.

Timing had something to do with it -- the All-ACC vote was the week before the tournament, while the POY vote ran until the end of the tournament. A lot of voters voted late. And, remember, the tournament was EVERYTHING in 1966 -- Duke's great '65 team lost in the finals and didn't get to play in the NCAAs. The '66 team was in trouble down the stretch against N.C. State (playing on its home floor) before Vacendak saved them with some great play down the stretch.

Vacendak also benefited by a split vote -- he got 51 POY votes ... Jack Marin got 29 votes, UNC's Bob Lewis (who led the ACC with 27.4 ppg) got 19 votes, Bob Verga got 18 votes and a bunch of other people (Biedenback, Gary Ward, Larry Miller) got votes. Interesting that Wake finished dead last in the ACC that season with four ACC wins and an 8-18 record overall -- and BOTH their starting guards (Bob Leonard and Paul Long) got player of the year votes!

The voters in that era weren't too sharp (and just a couple of years later would cover themselves in infamy with the Charlie Scott snubs).

That doesn't detract from the fact that Steve Vacendak was one of the toughest players from that era, In fact, I found a story after the All-ACC team was announced that quoted Clemson coach Bobby Roberts whining that Clemson had finished third in the ACC, but that neither Randy Mahaffey or Gary Helms had made even second-team ACC. In the course of lambasting the voters, he pointed to Vacendak aand said something to the effect that all the coaches considered Vacendak the most valuable player in the league and the dumb voters had him 9th!

His words may have influenced a few POY votes.

[wsb3]

Actually, Vacendak was second team -- he was the ninth-vote getter on the All-ACC team.

Timing had something to do with it -- the All-ACC vote was the week before the tournament, while the POY vote ran until the end of the tournament. A lot of voters voted late. And, remember, the tournament was EVERYTHING in 1966 -- Duke's great '65 team lost in the finals and didn't get to play in the NCAAs. The '66 team was in trouble down the stretch against N.C. State (playing on its home floor) before Vacendak saved them with some great play down the stretch.

Vacendak also benefited by a split vote -- he got 51 POY votes ... Jack Marin got 29 votes, UNC's Bob Lewis (who led the ACC with 27.4 ppg) got 19 votes, Bob Verga got 18 votes and a bunch of other people (Biedenback, Gary Ward, Larry Miller) got votes. Interesting that Wake finished dead last in the ACC that season with four ACC wins and an 8-18 record overall -- and BOTH their starting guards (Bob Leonard and Paul Long) got player of the year votes!

The voters in that era weren't too sharp (and just a couple of years later would cover themselves in infamy with the Charlie Scott snubs).

That doesn't detract from the fact that Steve Vacendak was one of the toughest players from that era, In fact, I found a story after the All-ACC team was announced that quoted Clemson coach Bobby Roberts whining that Clemson had finished third in the ACC, but that neither Randy Mahaffey or Gary Helms had made even second-team ACC. In the course of lambasting the voters, he pointed to Vacendak aand said something to the effect that all the coaches considered Vacendak the most valuable player in the league and the dumb voters had him 9th!

His words may have influenced a few POY votes.

I loved Vacendak..I was at Laney High School watching a basketball game in the 80's & I kept thinking this man looked familiar...It finally came to me that it was Vacendak..He was there scouting a player..Andy McKoy, who if memory serves me right did go to Winthrop & play for him.

[Olympic Fan]

I loved Vacendak..I was at Laney High School watching a basketball game in the 80's & I kept thinking this man looked familiar...It finally came to me that it was Vacendak..He was there scouting a player..Andy McKoy, who if memory serves me right did go to Winthrop & play for him.

And never, ever forget that in the spring of 1980, it was Vacendak (about to become Duke's associate athletic director) who pushed Tom Butters to interview and hire that unknown coach with the so-so-so record and the unpronounceable name from Army.

Butters made the hire and deserves credit for that, but he never would have even looked at Krzyzewski without Vacendak.

[Bay Area Duke Fan]

And never, ever forget that in the spring of 1980, it was Vacendak (about to become Duke's associate athletic director) who pushed Tom Butters to interview and hire that unknown coach with the so-so-so record and the unpronounceable name from Army.

Butters made the hire and deserves credit for that, but he never would have even looked at Krzyzewski without Vacendak.

Wasn't it Bob Knight who recommended K to Butters?

[Devilwin]

I think both did, Vacendak also recommended Valvano to State.

[ricks68]

Vacendak was the guy that dribbled right through the famed UCLA press during their famous "Lost Weekend in Carolina" when we beat them by 16 and 14.

ricks

[Olympic Fan]

Wasn't it Bob Knight who recommended K to Butters?

Not at first ... Butters started his search by calling Knight and offering him the job. He later explained that he thought Knight was the best coach in the country and he had to try, but that he never expected Knight to say yes.

When he said no, Butters asked for his recommendation. Knight recommended Bob Weltlich, a former assistant who was then the head coach at Ole Miss.

Butters said thanks, then contacted Weltlich.

It was only after Vacendak pushed Butters to look at Krzyzewski that Butters called Knight a second time and asked him what he thought of Krzyzewski.

Knight said "he has all of my good qualities and none of my bad." He then apologized for not recommending K to begin with -- he explained that he didn't think an AD at a major school would take a candidate with K's record seriously. But he did give him a strong recommendation.

But Butters never would have called Knight and asked him about K without Vacendak's intervention.

BTW, if anybody's interested, here's 2011 story written when Vacendak was selected as an ACC legend (it talks about the odd MVP vote and his role in landing K):

http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205114363

[jv001]

Vacendak was the guy that dribbled right through the famed UCLA press during their famous "Lost Weekend in Carolina" when we beat them by 16 and 14.

ricks

Didn't Vacendak break into the uncheat huttle in one of our games against the cheats? GoDuke!

[wsb3]

Not at first ... Butters started his search by calling Knight and offering him the job. He later explained that he thought Knight was the best coach in the country and he had to try, but that he never expected Knight to say yes.

When he said no, Butters asked for his recommendation. Knight recommended Bob Weltlich, a former assistant who was then the head coach at Ole Miss.

Butters said thanks, then contacted Weltlich.

It was only after Vacendak pushed Butters to look at Krzyzewski that Butters called Knight a second time and asked him what he thought of Krzyzewski.

Knight said "he has all of my good qualities and none of my bad." He then apologized for not recommending K to begin with -- he explained that he didn't think an AD at a major school would take a candidate with K's record seriously. But he did give him a strong recommendation.

But Butters never would have called Knight and asked him about K without Vacendak's intervention.

BTW, if anybody's interested, here's 2011 story written when Vacendak was selected as an ACC legend (it talks about the odd MVP vote and his role in landing K):

http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205114363

Great article. Thanks for sharing..

[ricks68]

Didn't Vacendak break into the uncheat huttle in one of our games against the cheats? GoDuke!

Maybe, but it might have been the same guy that pushed Roy on the sidelines about 30+ years later that you may be mixing him up with. I just don't remember. I do know that Vacendak was the leading scorer more than once with 30 or more points when Verga was his partner in the backcourt, however. He was that good. Just try to imagine a bulkier Wojo that was better than he was both offensively and defensively.

ricks

[unclsam1]

Link to SI vault on an article about Verga. I had forgotten he was only 6' even.

http://www.si.com/vault/1965/12/06/620691/lonely-and-lively-hours-of-a-star