Originally Posted by
Mike Corey
I'm very tardy to this, but I wanted to offer my deepest condolences to all that loved and learned from Al's writing.
I learned from Al's writing when I worked for The Chronicle, but all the more so in his longform writings for this website.
His ability to weave a tale, calling upon his encyclopedic knowledge of college basketball (among other things), never ceased to amaze...or make me exceedingly jealous.
As someone that persisted with sportswriting for a few years after college, Al was someone I admired and tried to learn from in terms of his style, and his willingness to employ his analytical skills, with whatever he was putting forth.
With his passing, a treasure is gone; we Duke fans are fortunate to have his writings that will enrich us for decades to come.