Re: Great Players From Durham

[xenic]

If you're going to include "near great", perhaps we could include near Durham also... I'd like to throw a shout out to Chris Hobbs... from Chapel Hill.

[roywhite]

Duke players from Durham---I recall Brad Evans, Stu Yarborough, and Johnny Harrell.

[DevilHorse]

Am I misremembering or did Tracy McGrady not come through Durham at Mount Zion Academy. I don't know if playing in Durham and coming from Durham are the same things.:)

Larry
DevilHorse

[riverside6]

From scacchoops.com... (http://www.scacchoops.com)

ACC Players from Durham, NC (http://www.scacchoops.com/PlayerDatabase.asp?Hometown=durham,%20nc)

ACC Players from Chapel Hill, NC (http://www.scacchoops.com/PlayerDatabase.asp?Hometown=chapel%20hill,%20nc)

ACC Players from Greensboro, NC (http://www.scacchoops.com/PlayerDatabase.asp?Hometown=greensboro,%20nc)

[yancem]

Am I misremembering or did Tracy McGrady not come through Durham at Mount Zion Academy. I don't know if playing in Durham and coming from Durham are the same things.:)

Larry
DevilHorse

He did play for Mt. Zion but I too am not sure if that constitutes coming from Durham. Another name not previously mentioned is Courtney Alexander who played at Jordan High then went on to play for UVA, Fresno State and then a few years in the NBA. Also, I remember watching Rodney Rogers in high school. He was an absolute beast.

[Olympic Fan]

You've gotten most of the notable recent Durhamites -- and I'd agree that a stint at Mt. Zion hardly counts. Same with Courtney Alexander -- two years at Durham Jordan, but I believe he was originally from Connecticut.

However, if you go back in time a little bit, you can find quite a few Durham products who made it big.

The 1939-41 Durham High team that won 71 straight games produced five Big Four players, including three who made all-Southern Conference and one that was an NBA all-star.

That was, of course, Bones McKinney and you can argue whether he or John Lucas was the greatest player ever produced in Durham. As a sophomore at NC State, McKinney almost single-handedly turned a team that was 6-9 in 1941 to one that was 15-7 and in the Southern Conference finals in 1942. He then left for World War II and when he returned from the service, he enrolled at UNC in 1945-46 and led UNC to a 30-win season and the national title game. He turned pro with a year's eligibility left and was the first draft pick in the first draft ever held by the NBA (actually it was called the Basketball Association of America at that time). He was an NBA all-star before retiring and going into coaching.

The NC State team that Bones led to the SC title game in 1942 lost to a Duke team that featured three of his former DHS teammates at Duke -- sophomore Bob Gantt was all-Southern Conference (in both basketball and football) and the Loftis brothers Cedric and Garland were starters. Gordon Garver, who was probably the best of the bunch (next to Bones) joined them a year later and was on the '44 SC champs.

That's just the best of the crop from that era. Durham was a hotbed of basketball talent in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, thanks to the strong YMCA program directed by Durham's first great native basketball star -- Footsie Knight.

PS Notre Dame All-American Austin Carr was actually born at Duke Hospital. His family was moving from South Carolina to Washington, DC. During the trip, his mother went into premature labor and he was born in Durham -- although he never lived here.

[Bostondevil]

Jordan High School 1981 State 3A Championship team produced 3 Division I college players - David Shaffer (Clemson then Florida State), Scott Pearce (UNC - Wilmington) and the aforementioned Cliff (Cliffy) Morris (UNC). The '80 team also sent Tony Johnson to NCCU and David Lawrence to Army. I think a couple of other members of that team also played college ball but I don't remember where, Glen Dowdy, Martez Faucette. Glen may have actually gotten a track scholarship somewhere. At the time, I think we all heard that Tony had offers to play at more highly regarded schools but chose to stay at home.

The best player on the '80 team, Freddie Womack was an extremely early casualty of drug use as he never even finished high school and on the '81 team, Darryl (Twiggy) Hunter blew out his knee 3 games into his senior year and as far as I know never played again. I was at the game, sitting in the front row, when he injured his knee. Oh man, one of the more horrifying things I've ever witnessed. You knew that knee was never going to be the same.

Forgot to mention Curtis Hunter who was not a product of Jordan but our rivals Southern High. He was heavily recruited by both UNC and Duke. When he chose UNC, Duke went out and signed another NC high school prospect named David Henderson. I always kind of liked Curtis Hunter for that.

[Olympic Fan]

Bostondevil ... didn't Glen Dowdy go to UNC on a football scholarship? If I remember correctly, he was a fairly accomplished tight end.

Speaking of Jordan reminded me ... one of Stu Yarbrough's teammates on the 1968 state 3-A champions was Bill Chambers, who walked on at Carolina and played for four years. He's not to be confused with Greensboro's Billy Chambers, who was a recruited athlete a couple of years later.

And I swear there was a kid from Southern High in the early mid 1960s who was a pretty good basketball player at Virginia Tech. Anybody remember his name?

And as I keep thinking, I keep remembering. Somebody mentioned Brad Evans, who is easily the most celebrated prospect to come from Durham (the Ron Curry of his day) ... but he had a teammated named Fred Horton, who played for Memphis and was pretty good.

[Bostondevil]

Glen Dowdy a tight end? Skinny and tall is how I remember him. He was very good at the high jump, held the school record. Hmmm, a football scholarship? Maybe there's another Glen Dowdy or maybe I just don't remember him playing football. I'll have to dig out my old yearbooks.

[Bostondevil]

I just googled Glen Dowdy and couldn't find any more info. It might have been Glenn. I also looked up David Shaffer's stats. He was the MVP of the NC State 3A tourney that year, 1981. He was also drafted out of college by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 4th round in 1986. (He sat out a year after transferring from Clemson to Florida State.)

Oh, one other tidbit about David, his dad Lee Shaffer played basketball at UNC, he might even have been ACC POY but that would have been before my time. His son, and David's brother, Lee Jr. played football at UNC.

[Indoor66]

I just googled Glen Dowdy and couldn't find any more info. It might have been Glenn. I also looked up David Shaffer's stats. He was the MVP of the NC State 3A tourney that year, 1981. He was also drafted out of college by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 4th round in 1986. (He sat out a year after transferring from Clemson to Florida State.)

Oh, one other tidbit about David, his dad Lee Shaffer played basketball at UNC, he might even have been ACC POY but that would have been before my time. His son, and David's brother, Lee Jr. played football at UNC.

A little info on Lee Shaffer who was President (and then Chairman after Frank Kenan retired) of Kenan Oil Co. as well as a basketball player at UNC.

http://www.ramfanatic.com/Basketball/first_time_meeting_with_lee_shaf.htm

[SupaDave]

As a Durhamite who got to watch Rodney Rogers in high school - I feel educated by this thread. Oh yeah - that's me on the front page with Paul Hewitt!

There was NOTHING like watching Rodney Rogers (Tee-tot to us) get the ball on a fast break and then do a 360 breakaway dunk. Breathtaking, graceful, powerful, and magnifcent. It's those memories of my Durham upbringing that I cherish.

By the way, Northern Durham had some pretty good players too. Rogers' team his junior and senior years was an all-star team ranked #1 in North Carolina for two years straight. Made for a lot of good basketball including a win over Oak Hill back in the day...

[Oh Canada]

Two words.....Nuke Lalouche.

[77devil]

That was, of course, Bones McKinney and you can argue whether he or John Lucas was the greatest player ever produced in Durham.


I woulld pick John Lucas because he was a two sport star. He was the ACC singles champion in tennis in addition to his 3 time ACC first team, two time All America achievements and NBA career in basketball.

[Shammrog]

As a Durhamite who got to watch Rodney Rogers in high school - I feel educated by this thread. Oh yeah - that's me on the front page with Paul Hewitt!

There was NOTHING like watching Rodney Rogers (Tee-tot to us) get the ball on a fast break and then do a 360 breakaway dunk. Breathtaking, graceful, powerful, and magnifcent. It's those memories of my Durham upbringing that I cherish.

By the way, Northern Durham had some pretty good players too. Rogers' team his junior and senior years was an all-star team ranked #1 in North Carolina for two years straight. Made for a lot of good basketball including a win over Oak Hill back in the day...

I am glad someone mentioned Rodney; he was great (in college)!!! A real beast.

[IStillHateJimBain]

Marshall Ashford was a good player out of Durham, just after the John Lucas era. He was a 6-foot-3 left-handed shooting guard who played for four years at Virginia Tech and I believe was drafted by the Bullets. He's now a high school coach in Virginia.

[aheel4ever]

I would have to vote for John Lucas for greatest all-time. He was amazing. Brad Evans was my hero when I was very young. I had the privilige of playing against both John Harrell and Marshall Ashford in HS. Both were great, of course.

I didn't see David Noel mentioned here. He's turned out to be pretty good, too.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

I would have to vote for John Lucas for greatest all-time. He was amazing. Brad Evans was my hero when I was very young. I had the privilige of playing against both John Harrell and Marshall Ashford in HS. Both were great, of course.

I didn't see David Noel mentioned here. He's turned out to be pretty good, too.
I'm glad to see you mention David. He may not have achieved the same records or name recognition as some others mentioned in this thread, but he's certainly a great example of what someone with some talent and hard work can accomplish.

I first met David when he was in the fourth grade. He stood out from others around him because of his work ethic regarding his school work and the respect he demonstrated for others. Even at that age he was a quiet, but effective leader.

[IStillHateJimBain]

John Lucas also was one of the greatest tennis players the state of North Carolina has ever produced. Think about it, 6-3, left-handed and quick (for tennis a player anyway). He was a Junior Davis Cup player and I'm pretty sure he was a three-time North Carolina state high school champ. He won two ACC singles titles, coming straight into the tennis season after basketball. No telling how good he could have been on the pro tour. I seem to remember him playing an exhibition match against Bjorn Borg in Greensboro sometime during the late 1970s but I'm a little hazy on that one.

[roywhite]

John Lucas also was one of the greatest tennis players the state of North Carolina has ever produced. Think about it, 6-3, left-handed and quick (for tennis a player anyway). He was a Junior Davis Cup player and I'm pretty sure he was a three-time North Carolina state high school champ. He won two ACC singles titles, coming straight into the tennis season after basketball. No telling how good he could have been on the pro tour. I seem to remember him playing an exhibition match against Bjorn Borg in Greensboro sometime during the late 1970s but I'm a little hazy on that one.

Don't forget the "all-time minority mixed doubles" team of Lucas and Renee Richards. They played together in Team Tennis and some other competitions.