MBB: Duke 83, Cuse 54 Post-game Thread

I lucked into a 2nd row courtside seat at the 1986 2nd round NCAA tournament game with Duke vs Old Dominion. I'm still awestruck at the breathtaking quickness of Duke's backcourt of Johnny Dawkins and Tommy Amaker. I think Amaker may have set an NCAA tournament record for steals in a game. Some things linger in your memory and that was definitely one.
 
SkyBrickey said:
Khaman fuels the offense as a lob threat on the PNR at the rim. Maliq fuels the offense with great screens and quarterbacking from the top of the key with the ball. He and Sion seem to have a mind meld on those back door cuts.

It's got to be really tough for opposing coaches to prepare their teams for these very different big man skill sets.
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I didn't think of this, but I do notice that Maliq does get to the top of the key, back to the basket, and seems to make the correct play... a lot.
 
TWish said:
I lucked into a 2nd row courtside seat at the 1986 2nd round NCAA tournament game with Duke vs Old Dominion. I'm still awestruck at the breathtaking quickness of Duke's backcourt of Johnny Dawkins and Tommy Amaker. I think Amaker may have set an NCAA tournament record for steals in a game. Some things linger in your memory and that was definitely one.
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Didn't attend in person but I remember the game well.

It was such a a relief to Duke fans and the team to run away with a big win after the near disaster experience with Mississippi Valley State in the first round.

I believe Tommy had 8 steals. To watch Dawkins and Amaker trap a ball handler was a thing of beauty.
 
SkyBrickey said:
Brown would be such a great NBA wing defender. I hope he can develop enough offense to get a shot. All he needs is to be able to hit 32-35% on open 3s.
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I think his comp is Marcus Smart. Smart obviously had the more heralded collegiate career, but in the NBA he was never the 1st or 2nd offensive option. He can score, but he's not the focus of the offense. But he can get a tough bucket when necessary and he can facilitate the offense. Defensively he's a stalwart, always in the right position. He can even guard bigger positions because of his strength. Maybe someone will give Sion a shot.
 
roywhite said:
Didn't attend in person but I remember the game well.

It was such a a relief to Duke fans and the team to run away with a big win after the near disaster experience with Mississippi Valley State in the first round.

I believe Tommy had 8 steals. To watch Dawkins and Amaker trap a ball handler was a thing of beauty.
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This was right at the beginning of my fandom. I really loved that backcourt and I still hold a special place for Dawkins and Amaker. Never nervous Pervis broke my heart. And then he proved to be nervous for the rest of his basketball career. Oh well..... ☺️
 
cruxer said:
This was right at the beginning of my fandom. I really loved that backcourt and I still hold a special place for Dawkins and Amaker. Never nervous Pervis broke my heart. And then he proved to be nervous for the rest of his basketball career. Oh well..... ☺️
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Same here. That 85-86 team was the first season I followed Duke and Dawkins will always be one of my top 5 favorite Dukies.
 
roywhite said:
Didn't attend in person but I remember the game well.

It was such a a relief to Duke fans and the team to run away with a big win after the near disaster experience with Mississippi Valley State in the first round.

I believe Tommy had 8 steals. To watch Dawkins and Amaker trap a ball handler was a thing of beauty.
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Amaker had seven steals in that game, which at the time set the tournament record. Tommy tied his own record against Louisville two weeks later.

The tournament record is now eight, held by six players, including Grant Hill in 1993 against Cal. (First done two days before Grant by Darryl Hawkins of Arkansas.)
 
BandAlum83 said:
I can totally understand recency bias as I get older. I "know King and Barrier et. al. were great defenders, and I can remember it as fact, but I can't remember the specifics. It makes it so easy for me to say that Maria's disruption on D is other worldly and the best I've ever seen. Is that recency bias? Perhaps.

But another memory makes me put Johnny Dawkins on the list. Why? Because when I think of Johnny, I think of the fast break uncontested baskets/dunks after stolen passes or steals. It was the calling card of those teams. So it must have meant Johnny was a great defender, right?

Or was he just finishing what Billy and Tommy started?
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One of my fondest memories was when Johnny stuffed David Rivers of Notre Dame to clinch our win in the final seconds. Yes, he could play defense, too.
 
BandAlum83 said:
I can totally understand recency bias as I get older. I "know King and Barrier et. al. were great defenders, and I can remember it as fact, but I can't remember the specifics. It makes it so easy for me to say that Maria's disruption on D is other worldly and the best I've ever seen. Is that recency bias? Perhaps.

But another memory makes me put Johnny Dawkins on the list. Why? Because when I think of Johnny, I think of the fast break uncontested baskets/dunks after stolen passes or steals. It was the calling card of those teams. So it must have meant Johnny was a great defender, right?

Or was he just finishing what Billy and Tommy started?
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Tommy was the great defender, and not sure why he isn't getting as much love in the defense discussion. He was a great on-ball defender on the perimeter, and JD was the beneficiary on most of the breaks Amaker's D started. Not saying Dawkins couldn't play D, but Amaker was the defensive wizard of that backcourt.
 
Kenny “The Jet” Smith once said that Tommy was the only player he faced that constantly made him just turn his back on the defender to advance the ball. The combo of Tommy at the point and Billy at the small forward was so much fun to watch defensively.
 
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