Most PAINFUL Duke loss

[moonpie23]

boozer was fouled

jj was mugged...

[Natty_B]

Sometimes I think about how close Duke came to probably having what would be the clear no 1 and 2 most painful losses. If Laettner misses the shot then we're left with a 2 loss Duke team that failed to make the Final Four as a prohibitive favorite. If Gordon Hayward makes his shot then that play maybe becomes one of the most famous sports play of all time. So basically Duke has benefited from the most famous make and the most famous miss in NCAA history. Pretty lucky!

[roywhite]

Sometimes I think about how close Duke came to probably having what would be the clear no 1 and 2 most painful losses. If Laettner misses the shot then we're left with a 2 loss Duke team that failed to make the Final Four as a prohibitive favorite. If Gordon Hayward makes his shot then that play maybe becomes one of the most famous sports play of all time. So basically Duke has benefited from the most famous make and the most famous miss in NCAA history. Pretty lucky!

Got me thinking about painful losses and buzzer beaters for championships for our neighbors in Orange County:

The Heels have been involved in at least 3 very famous last minute shots in championship games -- Michael Jordan for the win in 1982, Kris Jenkins of Villanova with a buzzer beater for the win vs the Heels in 2016, and throw in a women's championship on a buzzer beater by Charlotte Smith in 1994 (inbounded with less than 1 second remaining.)

As to painful losses for the Heels, I'd like to think that Austin Rivers' buzzer beater and the Ty Jones/Wendell Moore miracle plays to win an overtime classic just a few months ago (seems like ages) are high on their list.

[DukeDTD]

Man, I remember those crappy seats they gave to the students...

Possibly not as crappy as making a last minute decision to drive 10 hours on Sunday, following Kevin Costner to a scalper and paying $450 for 15th row all in order to see my first Duke National Championship win (had seen 5 Regional Final wins).

[Bob Green]

There are a long list of painful losses in my memory topped by the 1986 loss to Louisville. I’ve told it before but this is a message board so repeat storytelling is socially acceptable. I was 26 years old and as the final seconds ticked off the clock I sat on the floor of my San Diego apartment with tears running down my face.

I’ll list a few more:

2. 1974 - 8 points in 17 seconds.
3. September 30, 1967 - the day they named Duke Stadium, Wallace Wade Stadium. South Carolina 21, Duke 17. South Carolina kicked off, Duke fumbled in the end zone, South Carolina recovered to take a 7-0 lead with just seconds off the clock. It happened right in front of my Dad and I as we were sitting in the end zone seats.
4. I will echo jv001 - State 12, Duke 10. I was furious State held the ball. I hate the Wolfpack to this day. If they never won another game, in any sport, ever, I’d be good with it.

That’s enough!

[Sixthman]

October 3, 1982. Duke Vs Navy football, at Wallace Wade. An uncharacteristically anemic offensive effort left Duke down 27-0 to begin the 4th quarter. Duke the scores three consecutive touchdowns unaided by turnover on the arm of QB Ben Bennett, who threw for more than 250 yards in the 4th quarter. With two minutes remaining, Duke, down 27-21 had the ball at the Navy 10. Bennett drops back on first down, seeing no receiver, makes a routine scramble to duck out of bounds, but the ball is knocked loose at at the last second for the game ending fumble at the six yard line. Not only the loss, but the loss of what might have been the best comeback ever.

[jb75]

UNC game at Carmichael in 1974. Eight points in 17 seconds. Later that day was crossing the IM fields and saw the team bus heading up 751. Not a happy sight.

[22JumpShots]

The 2002 NCAA Sweet 16 game against Indiana when Duke was down by four with the last seconds ticking away (had been up big). Daniel Ewing shot a three from the wing but it didn't matter.. the game was over and so was Duke's season. Jason Williams snagged a rebound and tossed up the last shot from long range and made it. BUT HE WAS FOULED. All of a sudden Duke had a chance!! I was screaming my head off until my mom yelled at me to be quiet. Some how he misses the free throw to tie the game, but Boozer grabbed the rebound and went up for the put back while simultaneously, what I always remember, was getting hit by a hard foul. The shot rolled out but it's all good cause we got the foul right? Nope. Game over. I cried, ripped up my Goosebumps book (was a small child at the time), and told my mom I wasn't going to school ever again. Pretty sure I went to school the next day. Given the way I acted and the threats I was making (ending my school career in elementary) .. I guess this was the most painful.

https://youtu.be/2UEZSvdxQQE?t=4865


However,

My first in person game was Mercer. ... smh. My favorite player was Andre Dawkins and was on the edge of my seat every time he came in the game. How many threes would he hit? Zero. But who cares, its the first round in the NCAA Tourney in NC! Will be nice for my first game seeing the boys to be an easy win. The game was quite exciting until about 2-3 minutes left. There were scattered Mercer fans on all sides of where I was. I left with about 60 seconds on the clock. Miserable for a week after that one.

Lastly, The Michigan State game from 2018-19 comes to mind. Up 3 with less than a minute? Its over. Final Four here we come again finally, right?!?! ...last sight of the season is Zion chasing down a player as time runs out. Lost by 1.

Last year's Duke @ cheats game with the double buzzer beating extravaganza made up for MOST of all of the above however. REEEEALLY wanted to see Zion in the Final Four though... but oh well. Can't wait for next Season.

[sagegrouse]

UNC game at Carmichael in 1974. Eight points in 17 seconds. Later that day was crossing the IM fields and saw the team bus heading up 751. Not a happy sight.

Well, JB75, I think we finally got even 46 years later. A parley card -- down three with three seconds in regulation and down five with 21 seconds in OT. We outscored the Heels 10-0 in those 24 seconds.

Plus, Tre Jones made one of the greatest plays in college basketball history.

Kindly,
Sage Grouse
'Has it really been 46 friggin' years?'

[bullettoothtony]

'99 championship game still, but last year's Elite Eight was bad too. Nothing against our other guys but if any player in college basketball over these last 20 years or whatever was made for the Final Four stage, it was Zion Williamson.

[jb75]

Well, JB75, I think we finally got even 46 years later. A parley card -- down three with three seconds in regulation and down five with 21 seconds in OT. We outscored the Heels 10-0 in those 24 seconds.

Plus, Tre Jones made one of the greatest plays in college basketball history.

Kindly,
Sage Grouse
'Has it really been 46 friggin' years?'

Hard to believe. Time flies!!! BTW, having witnessed many close defeats during my undergrad days, I to this day take nothing for granted and savor each win. Tre's play was special!!!

[roywhite]

UNC game at Carmichael in 1974. Eight points in 17 seconds. Later that day was crossing the IM fields and saw the team bus heading up 751. Not a happy sight.

Well, JB75, I think we finally got even 46 years later. A parley card -- down three with three seconds in regulation and down five with 21 seconds in OT. We outscored the Heels 10-0 in those 24 seconds.

Plus, Tre Jones made one of the greatest plays in college basketball history.

Kindly,
Sage Grouse
'Has it really been 46 friggin' years?'

Yes. One of my goals in life has been to outlive mention of that 1974 game. Some recent events make this look possible:

Billy Packer retired (he mentioned that 1974 game virtually every Duke-Carolina game he did)
Tre and the 2020 team made miracle plays as good or better
My health is holding up pretty well

[DukeBlue666s]

This is more of a question, seeing as I don’t think it deserves its own thread and the answer might be somewhere, but I haven’t seen it.

Seeing as SFA just had to vacate like 5 years of basketball games, does that mean the Non Conference Home Winning Streak is still alive? Or does it mean that Duke has the loss, but technically nobody can ‘claim’ the defeat??

[devildeac]

This is more of a question, seeing as I don’t think it deserves its own thread and the answer might be somewhere, but I haven’t seen it.

Seeing as SFA just had to vacate like 5 years of basketball games, does that mean the Non Conference Home Winning Streak is still alive? Or does it mean that Duke has the loss, but technically nobody can ‘claim’ the defeat??

I believe their W is stricken from their record and we retain the L. Lose and learn. Tough love.

[jimsumner]

Got me thinking about painful losses and buzzer beaters for championships for our neighbors in Orange County:

The Heels have been involved in at least 3 very famous last minute shots in championship games -- Michael Jordan for the win in 1982, Kris Jenkins of Villanova with a buzzer beater for the win vs the Heels in 2016, and throw in a women's championship on a buzzer beater by Charlotte Smith in 1994 (inbounded with less than 1 second remaining.)

As to painful losses for the Heels, I'd like to think that Austin Rivers' buzzer beater and the Ty Jones/Wendell Moore miracle plays to win an overtime classic just a few months ago (seems like ages) are high on their list.

They also were involved in arguably the most famous title-game turnover, 1957, when Joe Quigg deflected an entry pass to Wilt Chamberlain. How can you not get a lob to Wilt Chamberlain?

[sagegrouse]

This is more of a question, seeing as I don’t think it deserves its own thread and the answer might be somewhere, but I haven’t seen it.

Seeing as SFA just had to vacate like 5 years of basketball games, does that mean the Non Conference Home Winning Streak is still alive? Or does it mean that Duke has the loss, but technically nobody can ‘claim’ the defeat??

Hypothetical only, I believe. S.F. Austin's forfeiture went through the 2019 season, and if so, does not affect last December's win over Duke.

Per AP story dateline May 20: "Stephen F. Austin's men's basketball team had the lowest score of any team in Division I at 810..." and there are 350 schools in Division I. S.F. Austin receives post-season penalties for football and basketball because of its under-water Academic Progress Rate. The forfeiture and other penalties stemmed primarily from the improper certification of 82 student athletes between 2013 and 2019. Presumably this means that the athletes had GPA's on the ocean floor but were reported as having higher grades and therefore eligible.

Duke, as a matter of principle, should not schedule such an opponent. But we earned our loss, and it should stay on the books.

[rsvman]

Makes no sense. Two teams played the game. For one, the game is vacated, doesnt exist anymore, but for the other, the game was played?

Two people get married, the marriage is annulled, but thereafter one of them is still married?

[OldPhiKap]

We got beat. I can own that.

[Indoor66]

Makes no sense. Two teams played the game. For one, the game is vacated, doesnt exist anymore, but for the other, the game was played?

Two people get married, the marriage is annulled, but thereafter one of them is still married?

Our games were not vacated. We own the results.

[soflabluedevil]

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.

1. 1999 Championship-K wore that great team down playing starters far too long in blowout wins-they were emotionally spent and ripe
for an upset Even so it took UConn playing far better than they were To beat us.
2. 2004 Uconn-maybe K’s greatest coaching job but robbed of chance to win by refs who fouled out all our bigs to get UConn to title.
3. 1974 UNCheats-17 seconds? Try about 29 thanks to UNCheats clock operator.