When they walk into the media room, which they’ll admit isn’t often, they are not swarmed by reporters with recorders and notepads in hand. When they were sophomores in high school, they were not scouted by top-25 Division I basketball programs from across the country. Yet when they enter Cameron Indoor Stadium, they consider themselves just as important as those who are, those who were.
The men’s basketball team agrees that the primary contributions the walk-ons make occur during practice, as they push themselves and their teammates hard every day. In game situations this season, Patrick Johnson, Ross Perkins, Patrick Davidson, Tom Novick and Joe Pagliuca collectively have played 128 minutes, 86 of which belong to Johnson alone. To offer some perspective, J.J. Redick has clocked 998 minutes and previously-injured David McClure has played 143, the lowest among recruited players. Johnson and Davidson have scored the fivesome’s only points and picked up all but one of their rebounds.
But the walk-ons’ success cannot be measured by a stat sheet. Their impact, instead, is demonstrated in their teammates’ preparedness for their opponents. Simulating other teams’ sets, patterns and playing styles, the walk-ons help their teammates prepare for the real thing.
“I think we just come out and try to play hard every day and do the best we can,” Davidson said. “It’s obviously a lot of fun, but really difficult also to compete with these guys because they’re so good.... All I can do is stay in front of them to help them work on their game. These guys are playing against some of the best players in the country, so whatever I can do to help them I try to do.”
More than in years past, the walk-ons’ contributions have reached beyond practice and the locker room—partly because of injuries and departures this season, and partly because of the players that walked on to the team. Head coach Mike Krzyzewski has called on Johnson especially to play more minutes and add a larger presence on the court.
While defending an N.C. State player Jan. 13, Johnson dislocated his shoulder, a chronic problem for the former baseball pitcher. Instead of falling back to nurse his shoulder, the senior endured the pain and continued to guard his man. Krzyzewski cited that performance as an example of the extraordinary effort his walk-ons put forth.
In addition to working hard, the walk-ons provide some of the strongest parts of the team’s support system.
“We’ve had a lot of emotional team building periods with this group, and a lot of that has to do with the fact that we’ve had these things happen to our team,” Krzyzewski said. “So in those times, those two or three day periods, those guys have really been men in how they’ve acted, what they’ve said, and how they’ve supported. The guys on the court would attest to that.”
Davidson and Perkins spoke of the special bond the team shares, regardless of position—walk-on or starter. The players come to practice early just to hang out in the locker room with their friends, quoting movies like Anchorman and Eurotrip.
Even in more serious discussions, the players act as peers, respecting each others’ opinions. With the many changes the team has been through this season, there have been plenty of periods for growth. The walk-ons, just as much as the other players, play an important role in contributing to the team’s development.
“During any of the meetings we’ve had, walk-ons aren’t afraid to say stuff and the other players listen and everyone responds to everybody else,” Pagliuca said. “They respect our opinion. They know how much it means to us and we know how much it means to them. We’re able to communicate with them and everyone has really good interaction on the team.”
The shining example of a walk-on’s commitment to the team from this season was the team’s Feb. 20 contest against Wake Forest, when Krzyzewski started Johnson, Davidson and Reggie Love, who began his basketball career at Duke as a walk-on. He explained after the game that those players started because of their effort in practice.
“I think it was about going out and competing every day and showing we have a passion to play and a passion to compete no matter who it is,” Davidson said about his first career start. “I know that coach started us for a reason, that he felt we deserved it. Coach is honest like that—he wouldn’t do it for no reason.”
Although he stayed on the court for a mere two minutes, Davidson intensely guarded Demon Deacon point guard Chris Paul, putting forth his greatest effort. After all, giving everything above all else is the walk-on’s living mantra. When he returned to the bench, Krzyzewski grabbed the sophomore and embraced him, reminiscent of the hug shared by then-captain Steve Wojciechowski after his Senior Night win over North Carolina in 1998. Davidson said he would cherish that moment for the rest of his life.
“[Davidson] was kind of the captain of that team that started. I loved how he started us out,” Krzyzewski said after that game. “Some of the great things that happen in coaching are not just coaching Jason Williams or Grant Hill. They’re coaching Patrick Davidson in a moment like that, and I’m glad I was able to share that moment with him.”
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.