This is the second in a series of Duke’s All-Decade teams, as named by various Chronicle writers, past and present. At the end of the series, you will be able to vote for your own All-Decade team, and your votes will determine The Sports Blog’s final choice. Stay tuned over the next two weeks for more All-Decade choices.
One doesn't have to venture too far off Duke's campus to find the program's critics. Just miles down the road sits North Carolina's campus, and nationally the combination of floor slapping, flopping, a perception that Duke gets all the calls and the Blue Devils' success on the court fuels Duke hate. Of course, certain players in the last ten years have been special targets of opposing fans' taunts and deserve to be mentioned.
Without further ado, here are the All-Decade Duke Villains:
Greg Paulus, 2005-2009
The combination of the spotlight on the Duke point guard position combined with scrappy play, a pass-first mentality and some floor slapping earns Paulus a spot on this all-decade team. A trip up to Syracuse this year for a season of football has probably subdued some of the hate—perhaps he seems less like the prototypical Duke guard after showing off his ability to pass the football from the pocket. Nonetheless, while Paulus played on the hardwood in Durham, he was often the object of opposing fan's taunts and jeers and without a doubt deserves a spot on this squad.
J.J. Redick, 2002-2006
Redick is not only indisputably a member of this squad—he's also the captain, and that's not even up for discussion. Redick's arrogance—or confidence, depending on your perspective—drove fans insane. He insisted on holding up his picture-perfect form long after the ball was released and had an infatuation with spreading his arms out and making hand gestures as he trotted back down to the defensive end after making a big shot. And then you throw in the fact that Redick enjoyed writing poetry in his spare time? Oh boy.
Gerald Henderson, 2006-2009
It would be easy to overlook Henderson as a villain until you remember how he elbowed Tyler Hansbrough' in the face at a game in Chapel Hill on a blocked shot attempt gone wrong. The moment provides limitless fodder for debate (Was there malice in that play? Was it an honest mistake?) and perfect photos for ESPN to use to show viewers how intense the rivalry can get. Don't think for a second that North Carolina fans are forgetting that play any time soon.
Shane Battier, 1997-2001
Battier just sneaks his way onto the team since part of his playing career took place during this decade. Solidifying his role as a villain is his capturing of something that no other Blue Devil has: an NCAA Championship. By slapping the floor and reportedly flopping before Duke fans had ever even heard of Greg Paulus—coupled with great team and personal success—earned Battier a spot as a villain in college basketball, even if there wasn't as much hatred as there would later be for a player like Redick. References to the Houston Rocket's forward as the "No-Stats All-Star" following a piece in the New York Times only serves to reinforce the notion that Battier was another one of those Duke players who showed too much grit and passion on the floor—to the point where, you know, opposing fans found it disgusting.
Shavlik Randolph, 2002-2005
As if in-state rivalries weren't intense enough already, the recruitment of Randolph instantly put the forward into the category of Duke villains in the eyes of N.C. State and North Carolina fans. He had footsteps to follow in the Wolfpack program—his grandfather, Ronnie Shavlik, was an All-American at N.C. State—and when Randolph was young, he had even served as a ball boy for the program. And North Carolina's program, too, wanted Randolph to lend his services. While Randolph was being recruited by the Tar Heels, Michael Jordan famously wore a "Shav Country" t-shirt. But then, the forward somehow chose Duke. For that, Randolph had a target on his back before he had even played in a college game.
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