Letter to Fayetteville Observer

[jimsumner]

Actually, Bob Kaufman was in the NBA when Guilford won the title in '73. That team did include three future NBA players, Lloyd "World" Free, M.L. Carr, and Greg Jackson.

[Indoor66]

Actually, Bob Kaufman was in the NBA when Guilford won the title in '73. That team did include three future NBA players, Lloyd "World" Free, M.L. Carr, and Greg Jackson.

Ah, that's World B Free and that is his name. He legally changed it!

[jimsumner]

Yes, but he was still Lloyd Free in 1973. Hey that rhymes.

A character to be sure.

[JBDuke]

...
I'm most intrigued with jim's statement about the depth of the ACC. Not that I question what he is saying since about 1971, but I am genuinely intrigued by what he means by "depth," especially during the pre-1959 (Bubas) period. At the time in a smaller conference that involved less travel, just how strong was each team vs. other conferences around the country? I mean, I can recall reading things about McGuire, but how did the other ACC teams during this early time stack up outside the conference?

Cheers and thanks,
Lavabe

Jim (and others) can answer this a lot better than I can, but it's my understanding that basically from inception in 1953, the ACC was a nationally relevant conference in basketball. Everett Case's program at NC State was already on the national map, having placed third in the 1947 NIT and third in the 1950 NCAAs. They were regularly ranked in the Top 20 by the AP, and had a number of All-Americans.

Case's success at State inspired administrations at the other Big Four schools to build their own programs. Carolina brought in Frank McGuire, who quickly made Carolina national relevant - including the NCAA title in 1957. Wake hired Bones McKinney in '57 and he took them to the Final Four in '62.

Duke's program had been sporadically relevant at a national level for decades - Eddie Cameron's teams included All-American Bill Werber in 1930 and Eddie won Southern Conference championships in '38, '41, and '42. Duke's Harold Bradley boasted Dick Groat as an All-American early in the 50's, had his team ranked in the AP Top 20 on and off for much of the decade, and made one NCAA appearance in 1955. But it wasn't until Vic Bubas showed up in 1960 that Duke became a real powerhouse, with 3 Final Fours and an Elite Eight appearance, with rosters that included All-Americans like Heyman, Mullins, Marin, Verga, and Lewis.