1977-78 Duke squad

[DukieBoy]

i'm a fairly new Duke fan (since only about 2001 after seeing Jay(son) Williams). I recently found the book Forever's Team. It talks about the 1977-78 team. From what i read, it seems like they were an underdog who surprised everyone. They were a youthful, run-and-gun type of team. I was wondering, for anyone who has read, watched, or was even alive during this time, what are some of your guys memories of the team.

Thanks

[bhop22]

I was 7 at the time. I had sent Mike Gminski a letter telling him he was my favorite Duke player, and he sent me his profile card with a little note. That sealed the deal for me, It made me a Duke fan for life. I didn't believe they had lost to UK because I always went to bed with my Duke hat on so they couldn't have lost. It broke my heart when they finally convinced me of the outcome.

[roywhite]

Shocking, but yes, some of us were alive at the time. :)

That was a great team to follow. Two main things---Duke had been down for several years and was finally coming back to prominence, and the team itself had talent and plenty of spirit:
Mike Gminski---emerging star in the middle
Jim Spanarkel---do-everything, steady backcourt guy
Gene Banks---charismatic young front court player
others---Kenny Dennard (Mr. Floorburn), local guard John Harrell

One thing I remember is how evenly the shots were divided among the Gminski, Spanarkel, and Banks trio; you could check the season stats, but I think their FG attempts were almost exactly even. Very unselfish team.

And it was so far back that Feinstein was happy and optimistic. :)

[merry]

I was at Duke during that time - that particular season was my first year of grad school and BOY was I glad I ended up staying at Duke for grad school! Duke went from the cellar of the ACC to the top seemingly overnight. We'd been pretty good in 76-77 but our senior guard Tate Armstrong broke his wrist and the team wasn't able to recover from that loss. The addition of Dennard and Banks as freshmen in 77-78 was huge. I think Feinstein's book covers all that.

During player introductions Banks and Dennard would give one another a huge hug at center court. I'll always remember that.

I also remember very well beating UNC at home that year. It was the first time I saw us beat UNC because other than one win in the Big Four tournament at some point we'd lost every game to them for my entire undergraduate career. I have an image fixed in my mind of the bench going nuts as time expired in that game.

I remember Bruce Bell, the only senior, standing in the spotlight at center court on senior night. In 78-79 we returned almost every player from the final four team and we just assumed we'd be right back in the FF in 1979. But Duke didn't get back to the FF until 1986.

[weezie]

....or was even alive during this time...

Ouch!

I remember seeing them play in Dallas, but of course, I was just a mere slip of a weez. It was so exciting to see "our" Devils begin to make noise on the national front. Gene Banks was a rock star, a big time talent.
Of course, these memories are filtered through the fog of ancient times....:rolleyes:

[jma4life]

When did that end? I'm guessing it was Duke, UNC, State and Wake. And was there a particular coach that tried to bring it to an end? Also, was it a round robbin or just two games.

[roywhite]

When did that end? I'm guessing it was Duke, UNC, State and Wake. And was there a particular coach that tried to bring it to an end? Also, was it a round robbin or just two games.

The Big 4 Tournament consisted of Duke, UNC, State, and Wake, and was held early in the season in Greensboro. Don't recall how the initial matchups were determined, but then the winners played each other, and the losers of the first game played each other.

Duke won the event in 1978-79 and 1979-80. The last season was 1980-81, Coach K's first season, and Duke lost both games.

It was a good event with plenty of interest from fans; if I recall correctly, Wake Forest actually did very well in the tournament. The arguments against it were that the teams already played each other twice during the season and often a third time in the ACC tourny, and that one team was going to go 0-2 in the Big 4, starting the season on a downer. Who most influenced the end?...don't know.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

The Big 4 Tournament consisted of Duke, UNC, State, and Wake, and was held early in the season in Greensboro. Don't recall how the initial matchups were determined, but then the winners played each other, and the losers of the first game played each other.

Duke won the event in 1978-79 and 1979-80. The last season was 1980-81, Coach K's first season, and Duke lost both games.

It was a good event with plenty of interest from fans; if I recall correctly, Wake Forest actually did very well in the tournament. The arguments against it were that the teams already played each other twice during the season and often a third time in the ACC tourny, and that one team was going to go 0-2 in the Big 4, starting the season on a downer. Who most influenced the end?...don't know.

As I recall, the Big Four Tournament was created after the Greensboro Coliseum expanded its seating capacity in 1971 and was seen a good money maker. It was ended by the coaches themselves who decided that playing each other twice during the regular season was enough.

Another great tournament which existed before the Big Four Tournament was the Dixie Classic which was also played in December.

[Indoor66]

As I recall, the Big Four Tournament was created after the Greensboro Coliseum expanded its seating capacity in 1971 and was seen a good money maker. It was ended by the coaches themselves who decided that playing each other twice during the regular season was enough.

Another great tournament which existed before the Big Four Tournament was the Dixie Classic which was also played in December.

The Dixie Classic was played in Raleigh in Reynolds Coleseum. The Big Four (Duke, Carolina, State & Wake) invited 4 top teams from around the nation and, traditionally, kicked butt on the invitees. It ended with the gambling/point shaving scandle involving Carolina and State players that ended Frank McGuire's reign at The Dump on the Hump and began Dean Smith's term there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dixie_Classic_(basketball_tournament)

[davekay1971]

The Dixie Classic was played in Raleigh in Reynolds Coleseum. The Big Four (Duke, Carolina, State & Wake) invited 4 top teams from around the nation and, traditionally, kicked butt on the invitees. It ended with the gambling/point shaving scandle involving Carolina and State players that ended Frank McGuire's reign at The Dump on the Hump and began Dean Smith's term there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dixie_Classic_(basketball_tournament)


Nicely done!

Everett Case, the great State coach who's ghost still guards the pass on Route 70 between Durham and Raleigh, was largely responsible for making the Dixie Classic an event. From that event sprung the roots of the ACC and the greatness of Tobacco Road basketball that we've come to know and love today. Everett's legacy is also why Wolfpack fans with long memories aren't remotely satisfied with being the third best team in the triad.

[captmojo]

i'm a fairly new Duke fan (since only about 2001 after seeing Jay(son) Williams). I recently found the book Forever's Team. It talks about the 1977-78 team. From what i read, it seems like they were an underdog who surprised everyone. They were a youthful, run-and-gun type of team. I was wondering, for anyone who has read, watched, or was even alive during this time, what are some of your guys memories of the team.

Thanks

My memories are the tightest 2-3 zone I've ever seen. If you were good enough to penetrate, there stands Gminski ready to swat anything you could put up.

[Ann Arbor Devil]

What a great team.

I remember blowing out Villanova in the East Regional final and Kenny Dennard throwing down the first reverse dunk I had ever seen.

Bob Bender was a reserve on the team, transferred from the '76 Indiana title squad so almost got 2 straight titles.

I think that team shot nearly 80% from the line which was huge in the semifinal win over Digger and ND.

Anybody know if any games/highlights from that year can be found on video?

[Indoor66]

What a great team.

I remember blowing out Villanova in the East Regional final and Kenny Dennard throwing down the first reverse dunk I had ever seen.

Bob Bender was a reserve on the team, transferred from the '76 Indiana title squad so almost got 2 straight titles.

I think that team shot nearly 80% from the line which was huge in the semifinal win over Digger and ND.

Anybody know if any games/highlights from that year can be found on video?

That Villanova game was wonderful. It was in Providence. There was a lot of pre-game talk and Rollie Massimino felt his 'nova team would win. Many said Duke was too slow. Duke ran the 'Cats off the court. What fun that day in New England.

[cbfx3]

I was 10 years old at the time and was lucky enough to go to the big 4 tourny,ACC, and rounds 1 and 2 as well as to Saint Louis for the final 4. My dad had the best season tix in the house at the time (center court 1st row). I think I still have a poster and some other memorabilia from that era. I was also present for "black friday"

those were the days

[Atldukie79]

As a local Durham kid and life long Duke fan, I was fortunate enough to be a student at Duke ...same class ('79) as Spanarkle. As a pep band member, we had better seats in Cameron than they have today. We were on chairs under one of the baskets. More than a few times the players would fall into our laps. We enjoyed "chatting" with the opposing players as they lined up for free throws.

This team had personality. Lots of smiles and hugs on the court. The exhilaration of a worst to first experience is hard to describe. Coach Foster had worked tirelessly going from dorm to dorm to address students and encourage them to come out and support the teams...which we did.

Some referenced our strong front line as the Duke Power Company. Clearly these guys had fun on the court.

The Pep band got to travel with the team on their charter flights to Providence and then to the Final Four in St. Louis. What struck me about this team is how comfortable they were in their own skin. They played with poise for a young team.

To this day, I feel this team has 2 of the most under- appreciated stars in Banks and Spanarkle...both are on my top 5 list of players at Duke whose jersys are not retired. (along with Verga, Marin and Alarie)

[77devil]

That Villanova game was wonderful. It was in Providence. There was a lot of pre-game talk and Rollie Massimino felt his 'nova team would win. Many said Duke was too slow. Duke ran the 'Cats off the court. What fun that day in New England.

Bob Weinhaur(spelling?), Penn's coach, said publically that Duke was as slow as a pack of elephants, or words to that effect. Good bulletin board material. Elephants never forget.

[IStillHateJimBain]

I was a senior in college and had spent every year since 1966 suffering as Duke's program sagged under Bucky Waters, then hit rock-bottom under Neil McGeachy.
The '77 team was off to a great start, then Tate Armstrong was lost for the season.
The '78 team was pure magic. Dennard and Banks...Spanarkel making all the key plays...Gminski's shooting and inside play...the transfers Harrell and Bender running the point...the lefty Suddath shooting from the corner.
Banks got on the cover of Sports Illustrated and momentum built. There was a narrow escape against Rhode Island in the first round of the NCAA. Rhody missed two gimmes including a 3-footer by Sly Williams, who Duke couldn't stop the whole game. From there, I think it was Villanova and Penn that went down, followed by Notre Dame and Adrian Dantley in the semis.
Of course my only real memories of the final were Jack Givens scoring 41 against our zone, including that damn shot from the corner that banked in off the side of the backboard; and the technical foul Jim Bain called on Bill Foster (hence this screen name). It was tragic that this Duke team lost to the Kentucky monolith run by Cliff Hagan and Joe B. Hall, but retribution would come.