To: tarheel4life who wrote (28 ) 1/28/2000 12:56:00 PM From: Puck Read Replies (4) | Respond to
Who I could informatively place on my all-time Duke time, I'm afraid, is severely limited by my youth. When Gene Banks, Kenny Dennard, Bob Bender, and the G-Man were playing Kentucky in the '78 championship game, I was but in seventh grade and neither knowledgeable nor interested in any sport except baseball. I think the G-Man is everyone's favorite Duke center. Eventually I saw him on tv playing on Charles Barkley's 76ers teams near the end of his career. I remember reading Charles saying that if it were up to him, the 76ers wouldn't have traded Gminski. Even though I don't know him as a player, based upon his reputation I'll place him on my all-time great Duke team as a center. Laettner is a jerk but holds the career record for points scored in the NCAA Tournament history, and given his teams' records and his own last second shot heroics against UCONN and Kentucky, as well as his exceptional performances against Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning and others, he must be on such a team as well. I've always considered him more of a power forward than a center in spite of his slowness. Grant Hill obviously belongs. Hurley has the most assists in his career in NCAA history, so he belongs as well. That leaves one other, and here I feel inadqaute to judge. There are several great players to choose from, and I'm guessing that Art Heyman or Dick Groat probably merit this space, but, not having seen them play, I can't judge them against, say, Ferry, Sparnakel, or Alarie. I leave my team incomplete.
