He's the last of the great ones, and the men's basketball program paused to honor him Sunday.
Senior co-captain Grant Hill joined his former Blue Devil teammates Bobby Hurley and Christian Laettner when his No. 33 was retired before the Temple game. The three formed the nucleus of the most successful run in Duke basketball history, a period highlighted by the program's two national championships in 1991 and 1992. It was an emotional afternoon for Duke's head coach, Mike Krzyzewski.
"It was good emotion, though," Krzyzewski said. "I've been very lucky to have the opportunity to coach Grant, and last year with Bobby and the year before with Christian. I hope, in however long I coach, I get to coach three kids like that again. I felt so good seeing his mom and dad there."
Calvin and Janet Hill looked on as the University's president, Nan Keohane, presented their son with his framed jersey. It will hang in the Hall of Fame room along with Dick Groat's No 10, Art Heyman's No. 25, Mike Gminski's No. 43, Johnny Dawkins' No. 24, Danny Ferry's No. 35, Laettner's No. 32 and Hurley's No. 11.
"I started quoting a soliloquy from Shakespeare, because I thought I was going to cry," Calvin Hill said. "I didn't want to cry on national television -- not that there's anything wrong with crying..."
The Cameron crowd roared as Hill held No. 33 high. Then it was time to play.
"Today, he just led us," freshman Jeff Capel said.
Against Temple, Hill turned in another in a long streak of All American performances -- 13 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and the team's 21st win of the season.
"It was definitely a great feeling, something that you dream about and wish for," Hill said. "When I first came here, you see all the banners and the numbers retired. To witness two -- it was just a great feeling to be there for Bobby and Christian, and then my own. It still really hasn't sunk in. I'm happy about the award, but I'm more happy about this team."
Hill will join Heyman, Gminski and Laettner as the only Duke players to be named three-time All Americans. His banner will join theirs in the Cameron rafters after the season at the team's awards banquet.
"People like Grant Hill just don't happen," Temple head coach John Chaney said. "It just doesn't happen from happenstance. You don't say `Shazam' and get a class kid like that. He's classy because his family's classy."
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