RE: You Tube Gold: Duke-DePaul In The 1986 Sweet Sixteen

[Blue KevIL]

Two quick tidbits to add to today's You Tube Gold: Duke-DePaul In The 1986 Sweet Sixteen:

First, DePaul's coach that night, Joey Meyer (or Coach Joe as he was known to us campers at Ray Meyer Basketball Camp), is currently the radio color commentator for the Northwestern Men's Basketball Team coached by none other than Duke's own Chris Collins.

Second, Coach K was the featured speaker at a dinner held in honor of Ray Meyer not long after the firing of Coach Joe. This dinner was held in downtown Chicago in May 1997 and organized by a number of former Blue Demon players. Many former players were in attendance including a seldom-used bench player from the early-1960's, my Dad. My Mom knew how much both DePaul basketball & Duke basketball meant to me and insisted that I take her place at the event. That night meant the world to Coach Ray and Coach K's words were sincere & heartfelt and very kind. Coach K spoke of the high regard he had for Ray from having grown up in Chicago during the some of the 42 years Coach Ray coached the DePaul program into a National Power (I know that may seem hard to believe to some younger readers, but it was true). In Coach K's words, Ray Meyer was a legend. Coach K made a special night that much more special.

Well, I guess the second tidbit wasn't so quick afterall.

I remember this game well. DePaul Basketball was the first sports team I truly loved and lived & died with.
I knew my Blue Demons were no match for the Duke team & program I was just beginning to fall in love with.
Somehow, DePaul stayed in it and fought hard, but were not able to beat the Blue Devils that night in the Meadowlands.

My DePaul fandom (as well as my Dad's) essentially ended once the Meyer family had been discarded by the school.
The whole thing left a sour taste in my mouth.

Looking forward to another great season of Duke Basketball!
LET'S GO DUKE

[bullettoothtony]

Didn't that DePaul team feature Dallas Comegys?

[Blue KevIL]

Didn't that DePaul team feature Dallas Comegys?

It did. Dallas Comegys was a Junior on that team. He was the final Ray Meyer recruit.
Comegys was a first round NBA pick in 1987 by Atlanta (#21) and only played 2 NBA seasons.

Also on that team was a Freshman point guard named Rod Strickland who went on to play in 17 NBA seasons.

DePaul struggled a bit that year, but had two big wins against #12 UAB & #6 St. John's.
The Blue Demons somehow made the tournament as a 12-seed with a 16-12 record.
It was a brand new season for DePaul at that point; and, before it was fashionable for a 12-seed to pull off upsets, the Blue Demons knocked off 5-seed Virginia & 4-seed Oklahoma.

College Basketball was quite different back then: the 3 Point Shot was one season away from existence and the brand new shot clock was 45 seconds long.
Also, DePaul played as an Independent and played a Home-and-Home Round Robin with three other notable Independents: Notre Dame, Marquette and Dayton.

[bullettoothtony]

I didn't know, or don't remember, that squad having Rod Strickland also.

Man, how did they go 16-12?

[Blue KevIL]

I didn't know, or don't remember, that squad having Rod Strickland also.

Man, how did they go 16-12?

He may have still gone by "Rodney" as a Frosh, so that could be a reason you don't remember LOL.

Here's an LA Times article from 02.02.1986 asking the question: Critics Seek Reasons for DePaul Collapse https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-...516-story.html

Here's another bit of Duke-related info I think I heard at some point, but forgot: Rod Strickland is the godfather to Kyrie Irving