What is your favorite "Duke Trivia"?

[jimsumner]

I checked Bubas right after Smith, and the Bubas college reference stats show a loss to CCNY in the east regional final, as does the NC State team schedule. The NC State Wikipedia article credits State for a Final Four. I guess I need more sources.

There were only eight NCAA Tournament teams in 1950. State defeated Holy Cross in their opener, as Bubas hounded Bob Cousy into an 11-38 shooting performance. State lost to CCNY and defeated Baylor for third place.

Of course, it wasn't called the Final Four then. But neither was it called the Final Four in any of the other years we've referenced.

[sagegrouse]

There were only eight NCAA Tournament teams in 1950. State defeated Holy Cross in their opener, as Bubas hounded Bob Cousy into an 11-38 shooting performance. State lost to CCNY and defeated Baylor for third place.

Of course, it wasn't called the Final Four then. But neither was it called the Final Four in any of the other years we've referenced.

The other thing I noted is that there was a three-week gap between the Southern Conference tournament (ended March 4) and the NCAA playoffs (March 24).

[duke2x]

Would that be Leon Wright in the Army game and DeVon Edwards in the NC State game?

For my sprinkles, Wright did it at Army and Edwards performed his feat at WW. I'll guess the elapsed time for the Army plays were 14 seconds total and 12 for the NCSU game.

All correct. I had to look in the box scores for the time, but it was 16 seconds between touchdowns in both games. Wright ran 84 yards in that span while Edwards ran 70. The 3 TD/26 seconds v. NCSU has to be close to some kind of record for an ACC conference game at least.

[CameronBlue]

Here's one of my favorites

Of NBA career leaders (Top 25), in which of the categories below is Duke represented...no peeking. Name the categories and name the Blue Devils:

Points
Rebounds
Assists
Steals
Blocks

[bundabergdevil]

Here's one of my favorites

Of NBA career leaders (Top 25), in which of the categories below is Duke represented...no peeking. Name the categories and name the Blue Devils:

Points
Rebounds
Assists
Steals
Blocks

Oof. Mentally scrolling down our NBAers, the only names that come to mind as even possible are Grant Hill, Brand, and Battier. I don’t think Hill had enough healthy seasons to accumulate enough but he surely would have been on several of those lists otherwise. Brand...rebounds...maybe but that doesn’t ring a bell. Battier as the no stars all star sneaking on blocks or steals? I followed him pretty closely and that doesn’t ring a bell either.

My guess is Duke isn’t well-represented unless there’s apre-K player I’m forgetting. Maybe Hill in his brilliance cracked one?

[CameronBlue]

Oof. Mentally scrolling down our NBAers, the only names that come to mind as even possible are Grant Hill, Brand, and Battier. I don’t think Hill had enough healthy seasons to accumulate enough but he surely would have been on several of those lists otherwise. Brand...rebounds...maybe but that doesn’t ring a bell. Battier as the no stars all star sneaking on blocks or steals? I followed him pretty closely and that doesn’t ring a bell either.

My guess is Duke isn’t well-represented unless there’s apre-K player I’m forgetting. Maybe Hill in his brilliance cracked one?

On the right track but Hill isn't one of them.

A Dukie marks in another Top 25 category, made 3-pointers, but no mystery there. (Said Dukie currently stands #21 in 3 pointers made and at his current rate, if he plays two more seasons he has an outside chance at the Top 10, 3 more seasons, it's a certainty.)

[Acymetric]

All correct. I had to look in the box scores for the time, but it was 16 seconds between touchdowns in both games. Wright ran 84 yards in that span while Edwards ran 70. The 3 TD/26 seconds v. NCSU has to be close to some kind of record for an ACC conference game at least.

I'm kind of disappointed that other teams/players have accomplished this. It was a fun bit of trivia when it was still true that it had only ever happened twice and both times it was a Duke player. I think Florida has done it in recent years, and maybe another school as well.

[sagegrouse]

Here's one of my favorites

Of NBA career leaders (Top 25), in which of the categories below is Duke represented...no peeking. Name the categories and name the Blue Devils:

Points
Rebounds
Assists
Steals
Blocks

Not RBs. Centers 40-50 years back used to average 20+ per game. I'd guess Elton for blocks.

[bundabergdevil]

On the right track but Hill isn't one of them.

A Dukie marks in another Top 25 category, made 3-pointers, but no mystery there. (Said Dukie currently stands #21 in 3 pointers made and at his current rate, if he plays two more seasons he has an outside chance at the Top 10, 3 more seasons, it's a certainty.)

Made 3-pointers is definitely JJ. He's turned in quite a career --- I knew that one but checked the list to see who else was on it. Vince Cater is in the top 10...of all people, that blew me away..even despite his longevity.

[rsvman]

Any chance Boozer snuck onto the rebounding list?

[Truth&Justise]

Here's one of my favorites

Of NBA career leaders (Top 25), in which of the categories below is Duke represented...no peeking. Name the categories and name the Blue Devils:

Points
Rebounds
Assists
Steals
Blocks

Kyrie Irving could get there on points.

In favor: he has an impressive 11,294 after eight seasons (age 26). He's 29th all-time in points per game (22.23). He needs (roughly) 9 more seasons to get to #25 Allen Iverson's 24,368 points. Plenty of players remained productive until age 35. And he should just be hitting his prime now, meaning he'll have a few seasons above his current scoring average before any decline happens.

Against: Durability has never been his strong suit--on average he plays only 64 of 82 games each year. That will add up in the long run, and is also a sign that he might not be able to stay healthy long enough to get there. Hard to project effectiveness nearly a decade-out. And players like Durant, Harden, Westbrook, Curry and Lillard are already ahead of him, meaning the bar for top 25 could get higher.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

I'm kind of disappointed that other teams/players have accomplished this. It was a fun bit of trivia when it was still true that it had only ever happened twice and both times it was a Duke player. I think Florida has done it in recent years, and maybe another school as well.

What's important is Duke was first.

[Spanarkel]

Not Duke related, but an interesting piece of trivia... Who is the only person ever to be named a high school first-team All American in basketball, football, and baseball?

Not to disparage his three sport prowess(as MaxPreps lists Danny Ainge as no.7 in its survey of greatest all-around high school athletes), but I don't believe that Danny Ainge is the correct answer to this question for the following reasons:

in 1977, Ainge was a Parade Magazine second- team All-American in basketball.

Ainge was apparently not selected for the 1977 McDonald's All-American Team(15 members/2 alternate selections): I realize you can be an All-American and not picked for the McDonald's game, but not being selected for the game makes it somewhat improbable that he was a first-team basketball All-American that year.

The 1977 Parade Magazine Football All-American Team does not list Ainge among its 8 QB selectees, and the football position "Athlete" had not yet been coined.

Ainge's 1977 Football All-American first team selection was made by Scholastic Coach(growing up in the '70s I was familiar with SI, Sport, The Sporting News, Street and Smith's but not Scholastic Coach).

I do see that Ainge's Wikipedia page does state that he is the only person ever to be named a high school first-team AA in basketball, football, and baseball, but it states that a "citation is needed."


"Ainge was a three-sport star and ranks as one of the greatest athletes ever from the state of Oregon. He was a Scholastic Coach All-American in football while playing quarterback. In basketball, he was Parade Magazine All-American Second Team pick after leading North Eugene to back-to-back state championships. In baseball, Ainge was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays and played three seasons with the team while also playing basketball at BYU. He later joined the Boston Celtics in the NBA and went on to a 15-year career." Source:MaxPreps Greatest All-Around High School Athletes

[rsvman]

Not to disparage his three sport prowess(as MaxPreps lists Danny Ainge as no.7 in its survey of greatest all-around high school athletes), but I don't believe that Danny Ainge is the correct answer to this question for the following reasons:

in 1977, Ainge was a Parade Magazine second- team All-American in basketball.

Ainge was apparently not selected for the 1977 McDonald's All-American Team(15 members/2 alternate selections): I realize you can be an All-American and not picked for the McDonald's game, but not being selected for the game makes it somewhat improbable that he was a first-team basketball All-American that year.

The 1977 Parade Magazine Football All-American Team does not list Ainge among its 8 QB selectees, and the football position "Athlete" had not yet been coined.

Ainge's 1977 Football All-American first team selection was made by Scholastic Coach(growing up in the '70s I was familiar with SI, Sport, The Sporting News, Street and Smith's but not Scholastic Coach).

I do see that Ainge's Wikipedia page does state that he is the only person ever to be named a high school first-team AA in basketball, football, and baseball, but it states that a "citation is needed."


"Ainge was a three-sport star and ranks as one of the greatest athletes ever from the state of Oregon. He was a Scholastic Coach All-American in football while playing quarterback. In basketball, he was Parade Magazine All-American Second Team pick after leading North Eugene to back-to-back state championships. In baseball, Ainge was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays and played three seasons with the team while also playing basketball at BYU. He later joined the Boston Celtics in the NBA and went on to a 15-year career." Source:MaxPreps Greatest All-Around High School Athletes

Thanks for the clarification.

Still a pretty impressive athlete.

[CameronBlue]

Not RBs. Centers 40-50 years back used to average 20+ per game. I'd guess Elton for blocks.

And you would be right. You are hearby entitled to engage in the worst sort of licentious PPB muck-raking concerning any politician or political issue of your choice for 24 hours. I will absorb all your demerits. I mean seriously, it's bound to be cathartic for everyone no matter your political perversion...um persuasion.

[CameronBlue]

Made 3-pointers is definitely JJ. He's turned in quite a career --- I knew that one but checked the list to see who else was on it. Vince Cater is in the top 10...of all people, that blew me away..even despite his longevity.

Yup, with a career 3 point FG percentage of .374, ol Vince wasn't afraid to chuck em up there (source: wiki). JJ at .413 ranks 5th, assuming wiki is reliable.