Quick correction about Chip Engelland, who was in the Class of '83 and therefore play three years under Coach K, not one only.
Also, those old enough to remember those tough years recall Engelland (along with his fellow shooter Tom Emma) as surprising good. In the one-season experimental year of the 3-pointer (in ACC games only, as I recall), Chip Engelland shot something like 56% from beyond the (admittedly, quite short 17'9") arc. He played a lot in 1981-82, but his minutes decreased in his senior year, what with Dawkins and Company having arrived that season.
Chip still managed to average 12.2 ppg in those sharply reduced minutes in 82-83 thanks to 63.5% true shooting.
Those of us from that era can recall him sinking shots from several rows up in the student section during early pre-game shootarounds at Cameron. His stroke was simply that good.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I seem to recall that early on, coach K was not a fan of the newly instituted 3 point rule, and limited the usage. Those percentages are high, but what was the volume? I’m too busy working to do the research at the moment.
I also recall that Emma’s high school coach said he was salivating at what Emma would do at Duke with the 3 point shot.
Last edited by TruBlu; 08-22-2023 at 04:18 PM. Reason: Added the tidbit about Emma’s coach.
I remember playing pick-up with Chip in Card probably around 88. He kicked it to me wide open on the baseline but rather than take the 15’ shot I drove hard to the basket was fouled and missed the shot. As I expressed my frustration (as it was game point), Chip said something like “That was great. I probably would of just taken the shot but you did the right thing and took to the hole.”
It was kind but I remember thinking “Yeah but you would have made the shot.”
There was no 3 point shot when Emma and Engelland came to Duke in Bill Foster's last recruiting class.
If he made that comment it would have been a couple years later.
Foster used zone defense during the Gminski years so it is not surprising his recruits were not suited to man to man.
Some of the conflict for Coach K in the early years was that he wanted the players to adapt to his way of playing and they were not very successful doing that.
It is my belief that part of the reason State won the 1983 title was that the ACC had the super short 3 point line and 30 second shot clock that year.
The ACC games in 1983 were high paced games that had guys running up and down the floor while most of the country played at a much slower pace.
State had the stamina to outlast teams in the tournament.
Rest In Peace Tommy Emma ...
Yes, Engelland went 41-74 from behind the arc. (But recall, the 3-pt line was only in the 14 ACC league games, I think, plus the tourney (but Duke played only one, very awful game in that tourney). The basketball-rweference cite doesn't have the complete stats, but I believe NC State's Terry Gannon led the league in 3-pt shooting that year, but I don't know on how many attempts.
I think it was a 45-second shot clock that year, and I believe they even allowed the clock to stop during the final four minutes of the game (a rule instituted to help Dean Smith's four-corners, no doubt!), but don't quote me on it!
But yes, that State team relied on three very good (one great!) shooters in Whittenburg, Lowe, and Gannon, with a marvelous workhorse of a center Thurl Bailey to clean the glass, plus their star freshman Lo Charles. But even so, NCSU finished fourth the in ACC regular season that year -- behind UNC, UVA, and MD [they tied MD at 8-6, but MD had the tie-breaker] -- so it's not like State dominated or anything. Hence the whole "Cardiac Pack" business.
I had forgotten about the four minute four corners rule, but it was definitely a 30 second clock.
May 19, 1982
The Atlantic Coast Conference approved today a 30-second shot clock and a 3-point field goal for the next basketball season.
The clock, however, will not be used during the final four minutes of a game.
The league's eight basketball coaches decided on the moves to stop the growing use of slowdown tactics. To make a 3-pointer, a player will have to shoot from behind a semicircle 19 feet from the basket.
The new rules, which must be approved by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, will be used only in conference games, unless nonleague teams consent to their use, said Commissioner Bob James.
Yes, they were able to make all those great comebacks because they had the stamina to outlast teams after having to hustle all year in the ACC games with the 30 second clock.