Most PAINFUL Duke loss

[sagegrouse]

Maybe you can help me here. I was trying to remember the '92-'93 team and why that team didn't stick out in my old memory bank. I referenced that season and Duke was 24-8. We won 10 games to open the season before losing at GT 80-79. We then won 2 games before losing to VA at home 70-69. We then killed State
92-56. Then lose a FSU 89-88. At that point in the season we're 13-3 and our losses are by a total of 3 points. Then we win 6 in a row to go to 19-3. Looking pretty good. Then something seems to happen. We lose to Wake at home 98-86 and at VA 58-55. Now Duke is 19-5 but we win 4 in a row and go to 23-5. Then something really goes wrong. We lose at the CHEATS 83-69, lose to GT in the ACCT 69-66, win our first game in the NCAAT against S. Illinois 107-70 but getted knocked out of the Tourney by losing to Cal and Jason Kidd 82-77. The '93 team had Grant Hill, Bobby Hurley, Thomas Hill, Tony Lang, and Cherokee Parks a Sophomore as key players. Hill averaged 18 pts and 7 rebound, Hurley averaged 17 points and 8.2 assists, Thomas Hill averaged 16 points and the Chief averaged 12 points and 7 rebounds.

My question is what went wrong with the season? Were there key injuries, slumps or what? I can't remember. I do remember being really discouraged after we lost to Cal and Jason Kidd. Kidd played a terrific game and man, he could play defense. Although I thought he got away with being overly physical. Darn refs. But I can't remember what happened to cause such a poor finish of that season. Hoping you or other posters can help me out. Needing something to pass the time away.

GoDuke!

Grant Hill got injured. He only played 16 minutes in the home loss to Wake on Feb. 13 and then sat out the next six games, including@UNC. He returned against GT -- a loss (presumably in the ACC quarters) and played in the NCAAs. Either he wasn't the same when he returned or the team wasn't the same.

[scottdude8]

I have two, one more personal and one more general.

The former is the 2012 UNC game at Cameron. It was my "senior night", and a win would've secured a share of the ACC Title for a team that had a very up-and-down season. Instead, the UNCheats took our their frustrations from our epic comeback a month earlier and rocked us. For the rest of my life I'll remember walking out of Cameron, shell-shocked, and literally saying, "I can't believe that'll be my last game in the student-section." It still stings.

But more generally, last years Elite 8 loss was killer, because I loved that team so damn much. I felt a personal connection to Zion and those young men more than I have any team since I graduated, helped in no small part by being able to see them live on the Canada tour. It'll always hurt that Zion's legend didn't have the ending it deserved.

[Dopeshop]

I think 86 Louisville deserves top billing for amount of suffering for the fanbase . I WAS THERE . My only final four . My son was in the class of 86 and ,like all of you , I was heavily invested . I never sensed ,however , that Duke was going to pull it out --not sure why . That didn't lessen the months- long funk . I recall being unable to escape the sea of red at the airport the next day .
The daggers for me seem to be where ,against all sports watching advice , I put the Duke W in my pocket . Impossible to lose AND then they do .

Duke has certainly been on the better side of these episodes by a HUGE margin .Take a bow Laettner ,Rivers,Tre Jones, Reddish, Duhon,Grayson,Dockery ,Ned Crotty , C.J. Constible and on it goes..👏

[SouthernDukie]

But more generally, last years Elite 8 loss was killer, because I loved that team so damn much. I felt a personal connection to Zion and those young men more than I have any team since I graduated, helped in no small part by being able to see them live on the Canada tour. It'll always hurt that Zion's legend didn't have the ending it deserved.

No doubt that loss last year hurt a ton. The only reason it wouldn't make my Top 5 is because I almost felt the loss was coming. We were squeaking by when we should have been dominating in the previous two games.

[Natty_B]

No doubt that loss last year hurt a ton. The only reason it wouldn't make my Top 5 is because I almost felt the loss was coming. We were squeaking by when we should have been dominating in the previous two games.

Last year's loss has a lot of potential. It could grow more and more painful if Zion has a great NBA career (and RJ Barrett doesn't). Something to painfully watch over the next decade!

[AustinDevil]

Certainly agree that, even though there may be no one here who was there for it, the 1939 Rose Bowl loss has to have been one of the worst things a Duke fan would have experienced.

I'm surprised that not a single person has mentioned the 1990 UNLV beatdown in Denver. We think of it now (or at least I do) as the trauma that merely set the scene for the catharsis that would come a year later in Indianapolis, but man, at the time? Duke was no longer just a perpetual bridesmaid, although that was bad enough, especially considering that that team came home to a Triangle shared with 2-time champions UNC and 2-time champions NC State, with Duke still never having gotten over the hump. We got completely embarrassed in the largest national-championship game rout of all time.

[sagegrouse]

Last year's loss has a lot of potential. It could grow more and more painful if Zion has a great NBA career (and RJ Barrett doesn't). Something to painfully watch over the next decade!

2018 was worse for me, due to the situation at the end of the game: three point lead and the ball with under one minute left in regulation. We also held the lead in OT, 76-75, when Wendell Carter gets called for the most ridiculous block call I have ever seen. One chance in a hundred we lose this game.

[jv001]

Grant Hill got injured. He only played 16 minutes in the home loss to Wake on Feb. 13 and then sat out the next six games, including@UNC. He returned against GT -- a loss (presumably in the ACC quarters) and played in the NCAAs. Either he wasn't the same when he returned or the team wasn't the same.

Grant's injury explains the losses to Wake at home and maybe the loss to Virginia in the next game. Those losses dropped us from 19-3 to 19-5. But we seemed to right the ship in winning the next four games(State-away, FSU, UCLA & Twerps). Then we lose 3 of 4 to end the season. I believe the team wasn't the same.Very un-Duke like.

[acdevil]

98 Elite 8 vs Kentucky. Up 17 and still losing the game to become the first class since 85 to not get a Final Four. My last game in person as an undergrad.

[SouthernDukie]

Last year's loss has a lot of potential. It could grow more and more painful if Zion has a great NBA career (and RJ Barrett doesn't). Something to painfully watch over the next decade!

See, I will never look at it that way. I hope Zion becomes a monster and surpasses MJ, LeBron and everyone else considered "the best ever." The team not winning last year hurt, and always will, but Zion and RJ's futures in the NBA won't magnify or reduce the pain.

[Rich]

I'm surprised that not a single person has mentioned the 1990 UNLV beatdown in Denver. We think of it now (or at least I do) as the trauma that merely set the scene for the catharsis that would come a year later in Indianapolis, but man, at the time? Duke was no longer just a perpetual bridesmaid, although that was bad enough, especially considering that that team came home to a Triangle shared with 2-time champions UNC and 2-time champions NC State, with Duke still never having gotten over the hump. We got completely embarrassed in the largest national-championship game rout of all time.

I had graduated two years earlier and convinced my law school roommate to drive from DC to Cameron to watch the game with me. Yeah, that was truly an awful and embarrassing experience, made only worse by the fact that his car was broken into while parked in one of the Duke lots with one of the door windows completely smashed and his leather jacket stolen from the back seat. Not a good look for Duke in many respects and an awful (and cold) late night drive home.

Still, 1986 was worse!

[Dukeford]

Maybe you can help me here. I was trying to remember the '92-'93 team and why that team didn't stick out in my old memory bank. I referenced that season and Duke was 24-8. We won 10 games to open the season before losing at GT 80-79. We then won 2 games before losing to VA at home 70-69. We then killed State
92-56. Then lose a FSU 89-88. At that point in the season we're 13-3 and our losses are by a total of 3 points. Then we win 6 in a row to go to 19-3. Looking pretty good. Then something seems to happen. We lose to Wake at home 98-86 and at VA 58-55. Now Duke is 19-5 but we win 4 in a row and go to 23-5. Then something really goes wrong. We lose at the CHEATS 83-69, lose to GT in the ACCT 69-66, win our first game in the NCAAT against S. Illinois 107-70 but getted knocked out of the Tourney by losing to Cal and Jason Kidd 82-77. The '93 team had Grant Hill, Bobby Hurley, Thomas Hill, Tony Lang, and Cherokee Parks a Sophomore as key players. Hill averaged 18 pts and 7 rebound, Hurley averaged 17 points and 8.2 assists, Thomas Hill averaged 16 points and the Chief averaged 12 points and 7 rebounds.

My question is what went wrong with the season? Were there key injuries, slumps or what? I can't remember. I do remember being really discouraged after we lost to Cal and Jason Kidd. Kidd played a terrific game and man, he could play defense. Although I thought he got away with being overly physical. Darn refs. But I can't remember what happened to cause such a poor finish of that season. Hoping you or other posters can help me out. Needing something to pass the time away.

GoDuke!

If interested, this book gives great insight into that season.

https://www.amazon.com/Three-Paths-G.../dp/0025584006

https://www.amazon.com/Three-Paths-G.../dp/0025584006

[jv001]

If interested, this book gives great insight into that season.

https://www.amazon.com/Three-Paths-G.../dp/0025584006

https://www.amazon.com/Three-Paths-G.../dp/0025584006

DBR's own Barry Jacobs is the author. I've always enjoyed his work. I remember searching for his Yearbook that came out just before the season began. If I remember correctly he had different teams on the cover. Thanks for the information.

GoDuke!

[sagegrouse]

Certainly agree that, even though there may be no one here who was there for it, the 1939 Rose Bowl loss has to have been one of the worst things a Duke fan would have experienced.

I'm surprised that not a single person has mentioned the 1990 UNLV beatdown in Denver. We think of it now (or at least I do) as the trauma that merely set the scene for the catharsis that would come a year later in Indianapolis, but man, at the time? Duke was no longer just a perpetual bridesmaid, although that was bad enough, especially considering that that team came home to a Triangle shared with 2-time champions UNC and 2-time champions NC State, with Duke still never having gotten over the hump. We got completely embarrassed in the largest national-championship game rout of all time.

I was in McNichols in 1990, and it was awful. OTOH, we got there in a miraculous win over UConn in OT, thanks to the "Special" play. We weren't supposed to beat Arkansas in the national semis and trailed by seven with seven minutes left -- but won by 14.

[kAzE]

For me, the most painful losses almost have to be NCAAT losses. No matter how painful a regular season loss is, at least the season continues. Seniors will live to play another day. The finality of a season ending loss is the definition of pain.

This is my top 5:

1999 National Championship game vs. Connecticut: Probably the best Duke team to not win the title. These guys would have gone down as one of the greatest college teams of all time had they won that game. Duke should have won. If we played this game 10 times, we probably win 9 times.

2002 Sweet 16 vs. Indiana: Everybody knew this team was the best team in the country. Jason Williams coming back for his junior season, along with Dunleavy, Boozer, Dahntay, and Duhon, forming probably the last truly great Duke team before the one and done era. Agonizing 1 point defeat. We've never had that combination of NBA talent and experience on one team since. Brutal upset.

2017 Round of 32 (true road game) vs South Carolina: This team had the talent to win it all, but the selection committee pummeled us by putting us in South Carolina's backyard, with thousands of UNC fans in the building as well. Final Duke game for Tatum, Jefferson, Kennard, Giles, and Frank Jackson. I LOVED this team. The 4 games in 4 days ACC tournament championship will be one of my favorite Duke memories ever, so this loss in the first weekend of the tournament was devastating.

2004 Final Four vs. Connecticut: Duhon's (and Luol's) last game playing for Duke. Probably the best chance JJ and Shelden had at a national championship. Connecticut was perhaps the better team, which is why this one is lower for me than the games ahead on this list.

2011 Sweet 16 vs. Arizona: This team was great all season, even after losing Kyrie, but didn't have enough time to gel once again when he returned. Nolan Smith, who had played at a NPOY level all season, just couldn't find his role with Kyrie back. This was a painful loss because of how good this team was, even without Kyrie. If he had been healthy the full season, this team would have been absolutely special.

I was an infant in 1986, but I could imagine that one being especially painful. My condolences to everyone who experienced that one.

[Nugget]

2018 was worse for me, due to the situation at the end of the game: three point lead and the ball with under one minute left in regulation. We also held the lead in OT, 76-75, when Wendell Carter gets called for the most ridiculous block call I have ever seen. One chance in a hundred we lose this game.

I think 2019 is a much tougher loss to take than 2018 b/c of the higher likelihood 2019 could have won the national title. We'd already beaten all of the other teams who made the Final Four. In contrast, I can't see any way that the 2018 team's (very loose) zone D could have come close to containing Villanova -- which dominated Kansas in the next game, hitting 18 threes and running out to a 15 point half-time lead.

On the larger point, it seems undeniable to me that 1986 is by far the worst.

[Music man55]

Didn't Cherokee also get injured during the Cal game?

Yes. He rolled his ankle.

[DU82]

ALL of them.

[heyman25]

Top three in my personal journal of pain have to be:

3) ‘86 MBB loss
2) ‘99 MBB loss
1) ‘06 WBB loss

The last one actually made me sicker physically than the two men’s losses, probably because I was watching it with my two young daughters who idolized the women’s team. Still makes me queasy to think about.

I was at the 8 points in 17 seconds in Cameron. It was terrible but Duke was weak then and UNC had Walter Davis and Bobby Jones. Paul Fox could not figure how to throw an inbound pass to a teammate. That was a comical loss for me not a painful loss. I also thought Kentucky in 98 was a very painful loss,because of blowing the lead.Duke women's hoops loss I agree was just awful.

[chrishoke]

I was at the 8 points in 17 seconds in Cameron. It was terrible but Duke was weak then and UNC had Walter Davis and Bobby Jones. Paul Fox could not figure how to throw an inbound pass to a teammate. That was a comical loss for me not a painful loss. I also thought Kentucky in 98 was a very painful loss,because of blowing the lead.Duke women's hoops loss I agree was just awful.

The 8 point 17 second game was in Carmichael Auditorium. The same year we lost to the Heels in Cameron when Paul Fox had his in bounds pass stolen by Bobby Jones in the last seconds and Jones laid it in for a 2 point win. I was at both games - my dad and I had season tickets at Duke and I was a student at UNC. Painful memories.