Favorite Player Poll Sweet 16- Laettner vs. Spanarkel

[JasonEvans]

Our #6 seed, Mr. Clutch Christian Laettner, faces off with the #11 seed Jim Spanarkel. We are going to need to read some great stories about Spanakel's years at Duke to sway the young crowd who dominate these polls.

--Jason "vote early, vote often" Evans

[wags78]

Our #6 seed, Mr. Clutch Christian Laettner, faces off with the #11 seed Jim Spanarkel. We are going to need to read some great stories about Spanakel's years at Duke to sway the young crowd who dominate these polls.

--Jason "vote early, vote often" Evans

Jim Spanarkel was the first of the Bill Foster's big recruits, followed by Mike Gminski the following year and Gene Banks the year after that. In 1974, Bill Foster was hired and the two recruits in that class, I believe their names were Kenny Young and Rick Gomez, were second rate and ulitmately didn't last. In 1975, Jim Spanarkel, out of Hudson Catholic in New Jersey, was a bonafide blue chipper, who instantly added credibility to Bill Foster's program. He was a really smart player with quickness that surprised people--he was always picking players pockets for turnovers. Offensively, he could rebound, shoot, dish, and basically find his shot as needed.
In a word, he was reliable--the kind of guy every team needed and more. He came to Duke when Cameron wasn't full and was an uncool place to play. Almost every other team was regularly spanking us. After Bubas and his glory days, he led the team to its second glory run under Foster before a guy named Coach K arrived. The Foster years were short as he ill advisedly decided to go to South Carolina but it was Jim Spanarkel who led the team to its run to the championship game. By the time he left, Cameron became what we know it to be now.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Everything I've said about Jim Spanarkel in the previous posts applies here. I've voted for Jimmy. In the next round, I'll vote for Christian Laettner. Just a fact of life.

[DukieInKansas]

Remarkable Spanarkable - had to go with the player I actually got to watch in Cameron. :)

[killerleft]

Jim Spanarkel could only lose my vote to maybe three people, and Laettner is one of them.

[ArkieDukie]

I don't know much about Spanarkel, but Laettner was amazing. Dude had ice water in his veins - how many other people hit 2 last-second game winners in the NCAA Tourney? With that being said, there are at least 2 players that would get my vote over Laettner, and I believe they're in the same bracket.

[mapei]

I lodged a token vote for Spanarkel.

[DevilAlumna]

"The Shot."

'nuff said.

[hurleyfor3]

Poor Jim is getting the Aminu Timberlake treatment.

[gotoguy]

Well, I never thought Spanarkel had much of a chance in this round, but if you could have seen him play with that smile on his face....Thanks for all those great memories, Jimmy.

[rthomas]

If I were Tim Russert, I call this one for the State of Laettner.

[Karl Beem]

Thank Intelligent Designer I'm not Tim Russert.:mad:

[devildeac]

Laettner-why?

The shot(s)
2 NC
In the rafters

But, d@mn, JS is really a great player and a major part of the return of Duke hoops(1 year after my graduation)

Hey, Lavabe, how is your marriage holding up after this vote?:)

[JasonEvans]

This poll is closed. While I expected Christian to win, the margin is quite impressive over someone as significant and loved as Spanarkel.

--Jason "Christian vs. Grant... what a Great 8 matchup!!" Evans