Duke v USSR -- November 1991

[Truth&Justise]

Saw a video making the rounds that could help entertain everyone in isolation.

In the fall of 1991, the USSR sent a junior Olympic team on a U.S. tour to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the invention of basketball. The USSR team played Springfield College (https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2016-11-19/college-basketball-look-back-springfields-exhibition-vs), where James Naismith had invented the game. It then went on to play some major college teams, including Kentucky, Indiana, and UNC.

On November 23, 1991, the USSR came to Cameron to face the reigning NCAA champion Blue Devils (sorry to spoil that for those of you in the 1991 tournament reenactment thread). Here's the video of the game:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k_hCbmaSxo

Note, this was a heck of a time for a basketball tour--just two weeks later, on December 8, 1991 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belovezha_Accords), the USSR would formally dissolve. This meant the USSR did not send a team to the Olympics in 1992, but instead there was a "Unified Team (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_Team_at_the_1992_Summer_Olympics)" of former Soviet States, minus Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Going off the box score from the USSR v Springfield game (https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2016-11-19/college-basketball-look-back-springfields-exhibition-vs), it looks like none of the USSR players on the tour did made it onto the Unified Team roster (https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/EUN/summer/1992/BAS/). That team would go on to lose in the semifinals to Croatia, and finish in fourth overall.

What a fascinating moment for the program. I can't believe I'd never heard of this game before.

Does anyone know where to find a box score??

[chrishoke]

The great (IMHO) Al McGuire with the color commentary!

[MChambers]

That was a fun game. I remember that Cherokee Parks looked like he would be an all world kind of player.

[chrishoke]

Great to see Max Crowder on the bench!

[chrishoke]

That was a fun game. I remember that Cherokee Parks looked like he would be an all world kind of player.

20 points, nine rebounds and multiple blocks. He started because Thomas Hill and Tony Lang didn't play.

[jv001]

ED Hightower one of the officials. I hated to see him ref a Duke game. Sort of like Teddy Valentine. :cool:

GoDuke!

[BLPOG]

I had no idea about this game.

This is like...my favorite thing ever....I'm going to watch this game on a loop during the quarantine....

[CrazyNotCrazie]

ED Hightower one of the officials. I hated to see him ref a Duke game. Sort of like Teddy Valentine. :cool:

GoDuke!

Hightower, Lenny "is the" Wirtz and Dick Paparo (nickname withheld at the request of Coach K) were the three worst refs of that generation.

This looks very cool - looking forward to checking it out later. Thanks for posting! I will show it to my kids and try to explain what the "cold war" was...

[robed deity]

20 points, nine rebounds and multiple blocks. He started because Thomas Hill and Tony Lang didn't play.

Chief WAS really good though. Underrated IMO. That '95 team lost a bunch, but he was super solid, at least offensively. That team was just soooo snake bit. If Kenpom was around, they surely would have been one of the lowest ranked in "luck" rating.

[Tripping William]

Chief WAS really good though. Underrated IMO. That '95 team lost a bunch, but he was super solid, at least offensively. That team was just soooo snake bit. If Kenpom was around, they surely would have been one of the lowest ranked in "luck" rating.

Too soon, dude.

[94duke]

Saw a video making the rounds that could help entertain everyone in isolation.

In the fall of 1991, the USSR sent a junior Olympic team on a U.S. tour to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the invention of basketball. The USSR team played Springfield College (https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2016-11-19/college-basketball-look-back-springfields-exhibition-vs), where James Naismith had invented the game. It then went on to play some major college teams, including Kentucky, Indiana, and UNC.

On November 23, 1991, the USSR came to Cameron to face the reigning NCAA champion Blue Devils (sorry to spoil that for those of you in the 1991 tournament reenactment thread). Here's the video of the game:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k_hCbmaSxo

Note, this was a heck of a time for a basketball tour--just two weeks later, on December 8, 1991 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belovezha_Accords), the USSR would formally dissolve. This meant the USSR did not send a team to the Olympics in 1992, but instead there was a "Unified Team (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_Team_at_the_1992_Summer_Olympics)" of former Soviet States, minus Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Going off the box score from the USSR v Springfield game (https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2016-11-19/college-basketball-look-back-springfields-exhibition-vs), it looks like none of the USSR players on the tour did made it onto the Unified Team roster (https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/EUN/summer/1992/BAS/). That team would go on to lose in the semifinals to Croatia, and finish in fourth overall.

What a fascinating moment for the program. I can't believe I'd never heard of this game before.

Does anyone know where to find a box score??

Great find!! My sophomore year.
Can anyone find the 1990 game vs USSR? That was my first ever game at Duke!!

[cspan37421]

20 points, nine rebounds and multiple blocks.

I thought everyone knew about this game. But as I recall, it was Jim Craig who blocked all those shots. ;)

[Teton Jack]

I was pulling for the Soviets over UNC. Yes, I still believe in the basics of ABC.

[killerleft]

All I really remembered from this game was the rebound and reverse dunk by the Chief. He was the star, but that Soviet team wasn't one of their best. I thought we had a pretty good team that year.:D

[DU82]

Hightower, Lenny "is the" Wirtz and Dick Paparo (nickname withheld at the request of Coach K) were the three worst refs of that generation.

This looks very cool - looking forward to checking it out later. Thanks for posting! I will show it to my kids and try to explain what the "cold war" was...

You forget the horribleness of John Moreau. Among other wrongs, T’d up K at ND (1987) for saying “watch the moving screens.” I’d rather have Lenny.

Even though I was at this game (saw myself in the stands at tip-off), I don’t remember any details at all. I’m slipping.