Top Six Highlights
1/3/99 Revenge is sweet?
Then again, how would Maryland know? With a capacity Cole crowd waiting to see a home 32-point loss avenged from a year earlier, the Blue Devils went on a tear to open the second half and finished off the Terps with a surprisingly easy 82-64 win. Elton Brand led the way with 19 points and 13 rebounds as four Blue Devils scored at least 15 points.
In the opening eight minutes of the second frame, Maryland shot 1-of-10 and committed eight turnovers as a halftime tie became a 58-42 Duke lead. From there, it was all over but the crying, and Duke walked off the court with a resounding win and control of first place in the ACC.
12/22/98 and 12/12/98 Revenge is sweet
Okay, so the coaches and players would have you believe that the December game against Kentucky didn't count as revenge, since the Wildcats downed Duke in March, and this was only December. But the fans know otherwise, and the Blue Devils' 71-60 takedown of then-No. 3 Kentucky certainly serves as one of Duke's most satisfying wins to date.
This time, the Blue Devils refused to yield a large second-half lead, going on an 11-0 run to start the half and then using tough defense to hold on. Wildcat guard Wayne Turner, so influential in beating Duke a year earlier, was limited to 11 points and one assist with four turnovers.
As for the Wolverines, Duke easily avenged one of its most disappointing losses of last season, and the senior class finally got to see a win over Michigan as the Blue Devils handed the school its worst loss of all time, 108-64.
1/27/99 'Nuff said.
The last time we beat Carolina at home by an 89-77 score? 1992. Seems like we won a few more big games that year.
If at first you don't succeed...
For the last three years, the Blue Devils could accurately be described as a first-half team, getting out to a big lead and then holding on as the other team clawed its way back. But this year, Duke is just the opposite, using the beginning of the second half to deliver knockout blows. Kentucky featured an 11-0 run. Against Maryland, it was 15-2. Credit increased maturity with Duke's ability to use the second half to its advantage.
Five Stars for the General
Many (including yours truly) were a little skeptical when an unproven sophomore graced The Chronicle's basketball preview. During his freshman year, Will Avery had an assist-to-turnover ratio of only 1.47, and demonstrated inconsistent flashes of both brilliance and impatience. Handing the reins of the team entirely over to him, with no backup at point guard, seemed like a risky move for a top-ranked team.
It didn't take long for Avery to silence the nay-sayers. In back-to-back games against Florida and Michigan, Avery first broke the school record for three-pointers with eight against the Gators and then beat the Wolverines with 11 assists against only one turnover in what was probably the smartest game of his career. Those two contests proved the sophomore, who now boasts a 2.13 assist-to-turnover average, has come of age and is capable of leading a championship team.
...And for all the foot soldiers
On a team with three bona fide superstars, someone has to be willing to fill in the gaps. And no team boasts better role players than Duke, with Carrawell, Battier, James and Maggette all doing the little things that can elevate this team to the next level.
Against St. John's, facing an overtime without Brand or Avery (and Langdon struggling with four fouls), Duke's forwards stepped up on both ends of the court to pull out a gutty win. On any team with championship visions, there must be players capable of working out of the spotlight. A freshman, two sophomores and a junior are doing just that.
Top Four Lowlights
11/28/98 Alaskan Assassinated
At the time, of course, Duke's loss to then-No. 15 Cincinnati seemed like a much bigger upset than it would be today, as the now-No. 5 Bearcats are no longer catching teams off guard. But the Home Run was still tremendously heartbreaking, and when a team only has one loss, that loss must top its list of midseason lowlights.
For those who didn't suffer through it, Melvin Levett went off for 25 and his last-second dunk gave Cincinnati the win and deprived the Alaskan crowd of seeing hometown hero Trajan Langdon and the Blue Devils take the tournament title.
1/13/99 Not so Deep Thoughts
Okay, so this one's not such a big deal, but in a season with only one loss, how many lowlights can you find? Against Wake Forest, the Blue Devil bench vanished. Burgess, Maggette and James got one field goal each, combining for only 12 points in 33 minutes in an 82-72 Duke win. At the time, it seemed as though lack of bench production could be an Achilles' Heel for the Blue Devils-a fatigued Duke team had missed many key free throws against the Deacs. But after the game, Coach K said he wasn't worried about it, and in subsequent games, the Duke bench has risen to the occasion, particularly in the foul-plagued St. John's game.
Against Carolina, the bench netted only 13 points in 32 minutes, but had a bigger impact.
Hip horrors.
A quick wish for the continued health of Coach Krzyzewski. A vastly talented team with enormous potential will surely need his guiding hand on the sideline as ACC play moves into February. May he stay healthy, wealthy and wise.
D-U-K-E, who the f*&% do we think we are doing this cheer?
A less-than-capacity crowd against Michigan is only one note in what has been a sub-par year for the Crazies. Continuing to say "You suck" during intros when Coach K has specifically asked us to stop; chanting "Automatic" at Trajan Langdon like we're trying to jinx him; and the ridiculous D-U-K-E "we're trying to sound gangsta" chant at the end of games only provide more examples. Is it possible we've become too concerned about getting on TV? The number of ESPN-acronym signs seems to go up every game.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.