Top 20 Duke Plays Ever
Originally Posted by
Neals384
This. Zion was far and away the most exciting to watch, made the most amazing plays, made the most "top10's," did the most unbelievable things. Ever. If you compiled a video of the most amazing Duke plays ever, you'd put "the shot" at number 1, but Zion might have 5 of the next 10.
Not arguing with that Zion was not must-see. He was. But I started thinking about what was said about Top 10 Duke plays.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so it's hard to concretely define "top". I quickly drew up a list of memorable plays in my Duke lifetime. I came up with more than 10, which is why this is a Top 20. I've probably forget a few, but these came to mind in about 5 minutes of thinking:
(Note - these are in no particular order of importance, just in the order of what came to my mind):
1. Laettner's Shot 2 vs. UK ‘92 (buzzer beater win - no time left)
2. Laettner's Shot 1 vs. UConn ‘90 (buzzer beater win - no time left)
3. Hurley's 3 vs UNLV ‘91
4. PHenderson's dunk over Mourning vs. Georgetown ‘89
5. Zion's shot, board and put back vs. Carolina ‘18
6. Dockery's prayer vs. VaTech ‘06 (buzzer beater win - no time left)
7. Rivers' shot vs. UNC ‘12 (buzzer beater win - no time left)
8. Banks' shot vs. UNC ‘81 (buzzer beater - no time left, went to OT)
9. GHill's alley oop dunk vs. Kansas ‘91
10. Zion's block on Hunter vs. UVA ‘18
11. Duhon's coast-to-coast vs. UNC ‘04
12. Reddish's 3 vs FSU ‘18
13. Dawkins reverse slam vs. Navy ‘86
14. Capel's prayer vs. UNC '95 (buzzer beater - no time left, went to 2nd OT)
15. James' put back vs. Maryland '01 (tourney)
16. Jones' 3 vs. Wisconsin '15
17. GHenderson's coast-to-coast vs. Belmont '08
18. GHenderson's bloodies Tyler Hansbrough's face vs. UNC '07 (I can be talked out of this being a play, sure. But I'm putting it up for now. 9F. I'd add Andre Buckner and Chris Collins standing up to Doh in '03, but I guess it really wasn't a play. Or K screaming at Dean - "Kcuf you, Dean!!!" But I loved those moments).
19. Dawkins block on Rivers vs. Notre Dame '86
20. ?
For those of you that have followed Duke for many years, I think you should know all of these without further explanation. I think that's one of the criteria - you just need to say something like "Grant's alley oop" or "The Rivers shot", and everyone knows what you mean.
I also considered JWill's plays vs. Maryland in the miracle minute. Or Allen's Wisconsin performance in '15, but they were actually a series of plays. Sure, I remember the JWill's steal and 3 when Mike Patrick was saying Duke needed a miracle. And Allen putting the team on his back and screaming, "C'mon!!!!!". So if you push hard, I'd add them to the list. Grudgingly, I'd take off Hansbrough's broken nose. But for now, they are off.
When a play goes down as the game winner, it's hard to compare it to a play in the course of a game. And some plays are in pressure moments that just seem huge (like Hurley's or Jones' 3). But considering some plays kept the season alive with a chance to go to the Final Four, I'm OK with saying my first two above are probably my first two if I had to rank them. And I'd put Rivers' shot high up as well, because Duke snatched victory from the jaws of defeat vs. Carolina. But the others are debatable to me in terms of order. And is Reddish's shot recency bias? I don't know.
I know I'm forgetting some plays. I just can't remember them now in the spur of the moment. Please remind me. That's why I have a spot left.
9F (and still trying to forget the MSU game)
I will never talk about That Game. GTHC.