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Time to feel old. 30th anniversay season of the 1989 Final Four

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Neue Regel

All-Conference
Mar 12, 2003
12,346
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30 years and that’s not a typo.

Season Record: 28-8, ACC (t2nd) lost in ACC Final to Chapel Hill College. (Most bruising and heated ACC Final to this day). 2 seed in NCAA. Defeated #1 seed Georgetown to reach the Final Four. Led 26-8 over Seton Hall in National Semi-Final. Robert Brickey got hurt early and subsequent foul trouble led to a shocking collapse as Duke lost 78-95.

Laettner was a freshmen. Ferry, Smith and Snyder were the Seniors. Surrounding them some very good role players in Phil Henderson, Robert Brickey, G Koubek and Abdelnaby.

With so many players returning from the 1988 ACC Championship/Final Four squad Duke was Pre-Season #1 and opened their season thrashing Kentucky 80-55. (Trivia: Kentucky’s Unforgettables of 92- Pelphrey/Farmer, Woods,etc. began and ended their careers with a loss to Duke.)

The team started out on fire 13-0 until a pissed and primed Chapel Hill College team came to Durham. (Duke had gone 3-0 vs the heels the prior year) Duke got clobbered inside in the final 10 mins and lost by 20 or so. Ferry got hurt, Duke slumped mid-season and lost a few league games in a row including an embarrassing loss to a horrible Wake team. While it was too late to finish first, (NC State did shockingly) Duke hammered State by 21 in Ferry’s Final home game and then went to Chapel Hill and ruined their senior day squeaking out a 2 point win. They met a week later in an infamous league final that saw Smith and K trading barbs and the two teams having to be seperated. Heels escaped with a 3 point win as Ferrys heave actually hit the rim.

Little did Duke fans know that those Back to Back Final Fours in 1988 and 1989 would just be nice little book ends on an amazing run that was about to begin.

Anyone with any memories to share of that squad?
 
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skysdad

Heisman
Mar 3, 2006
42,753
22,653
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Neue Regel said:
30 years and that’s not a typo.

Season Record: 28-8, ACC (t2nd) lost in ACC Final to Chapel Hill College. (Most bruising and heated ACC Final to this day). 2 seed in NCAA. Defeated #1 seed Georgetown to reach the Final Four. Led 26-8 over Seton Hall in National Semi-Final. Robert Brickey got hurt early and subsequent foul trouble led to a shocking collapse as Duke lost 78-95.

Laettner was a freshmen. Ferry, Smith and Snyder were the Seniors. Surrounding them some very good role players in Phil Henderson, Robert Brickey, G Koubek and Abdelnaby.

With so many players returning from the 1988 ACC Championship/Final Four squad Duke was Pre-Season #1 and opened their season thrashing Kentucky 80-55. (Trivia: Kentucky’s Unforgettables of 92- Pelphrey/Farmer, Woods,etc. began and ended their careers with a loss to Duke.)

The team started out on fire 13-0 until a pissed and primed Chapel Hill College team came to Durham. (Duke had gone 3-0 vs the heels the prior year) Duke got clobbered inside in the final 10 mins and lost by 20 or so. Ferry got hurt, Duke slumped mid-season and lost a few league games in a row including an embarrassing loss to a horrible Wake team. While it was too late to finish first, (NC State did shockingly) Duke hammered State by 21 in Ferry’s Final home game and then went to Chapel Hill and ruined their senior day squeaking out a 2 point win. They met a week later in an infamous league final that saw Smith and K trading barbs and the two teams having to be seperated. Heels escaped with a 3 point win as Ferrys heave actually hit the rim.

Little did Duke fans know that those Back to Back Final Fours in 1988 and 1989 would just be nice little book ends on an amazing run that was about to begin.

Anyone with any memories to share of that squad?
Click to expand...


Danny Ferry was a beast. Laettner learned a lot from him in my opinion. Very similar players. I think with all the fantasticheatin talent we have had since then Danny may very well be the most forgotten, under appreciated and underated player we've ever had. If you have time take a look at his career stats and accomplishments he had at Duke. He just wasn't a part of a national championship team. I remember his recruitment and how bad I wanted him. Very happy 36 year old young fart when he commited. OFC
 
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Mac9192

Heisman
Jan 25, 2017
9,132
12,943
107
Laettner’s freshmen year, he had a chance to win the game for us at the free throw line in the regular season against a very good Arizona team, led by Sean Elliot, but he missed.
Who would have known then, after that hard defeat, that his career would turn out like it did.
 
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dukiejay

Heisman
Mar 2, 2005
11,293
16,311
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I remember the Seton Hall game vividly. My cousin was a freshmen at Duke that year and was in Seattle for the Final Four. I was in sixth grade. The night before we had a lock-in at school. I slept all day and woke up just in time for the game. We dominated early. The game changed fast. The gray-haired Australian Andrew Gaze, I think, scored 20+ that game.
 
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SwatX1

Heisman
Jan 4, 2011
8,336
10,579
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That is how I became a Duke fan. I wasn't into college basketball at all. I only watched Clemson football and Atlanta Braves baseball back then. It was my first year in KY, and when the final four rolled around, of course it was what everyone was talking about. People kept asking me who I was pulling for, and I said nobody really, but since I am from ACC country, I guess I hope Duke wins. I didn't even watch the tournament that year, but the next year, I started following Duke basketball, but I didn't really start watching until right before the tournament started, the season after that, I don't think I missed a single televised game, and continued ever since
 
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HonkeyT

All-Conference
Apr 27, 2006
4,761
1,577
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I was crushed after the Seton Hall loss but I knew we were set up for a run like no other and boy did they deliver.
 
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SwatX1

Heisman
Jan 4, 2011
8,336
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Mac9192 said:
Oh we thought a lot about them. Their senior seasons in high school. Couldn’t wait for them to get to Duke. Lol
Click to expand...

Wouldn't that be crazy? Hell, even juniors. If these 4 freshmen stayed 4 years, I seriously think we might have an undefeated season, and I NEVER buy into that
 
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madrussian

Freshman
Mar 5, 2006
1,423
83
0
Yup - feeling really old.
I remember the 89 season very well. The highlight for me was Phil Henderson dunking over Lonzo. That was awesome. Saw the game in the old Satisfaction bar in that nasty strip mall that probably isn't there anymore.

That was a cheap shot on Brickey - and it really affected us.
 
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Canadian Dukie

All-Conference
Nov 22, 2017
1,670
1,788
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I had to go out to an appointment after the first half of the Seton Hall game.Was a little devastated to say the least when I saw the final score the next day.
 
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skysdad

Heisman
Mar 3, 2006
42,753
22,653
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Dukeman said:
Danny Ferry was the first big time recruit that K beat El Deano for.
Click to expand...


This is true . Johnny Dawkins, Mark Alarie, David Henderson, Billy Jackman and Tommy Amaker were what got Coach K going. What a lot of people don't know is dean turned them all down. Everyone of them. He didn't think they could grasp the complex unc system until they seniors and he had other players he thought could grasp it in 3vyears. So we need to be thankful for this and that he passed it on to hof fame coach roy williams. OFC
 
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Dukeman

Senior
Dec 21, 2001
872
934
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They beat Duke for big time top 5 recruit Curtis Hunter. We had to settle for David Henderson. Hunter was a bust. David worked out quite well for Duke.

Bobby Hurley turned down by UNC because they had the great King Rice. Hurley worked out quite well for Duke.

Duke did beat them for Laettner and Grant Hill.
 
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Neue Regel

All-Conference
Mar 12, 2003
12,346
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Dukeman said:
They beat Duke for big time top 5 recruit Curtis Hunter. We had to settle for David Henderson. Hunter was a bust. David worked out quite well for Duke.

Bobby Hurley turned down by UNC because they had the great King Rice. Hurley worked out quite well for Duke.

Duke did beat them for Laettner and Grant Hill.
Click to expand...

Dean put Hurley off to see what Kenny Anderson was going to do. Hurley said ahhh seee yaaaa.

Grant Hill was a huge coup over Dean. Dean already had a loaded class but still wanted Hill as part of it. When he was told the decision on the visit he got in a barb to the family that they might have told him before the visit to save him all the travel time up there. (And that’s been documented in several books)
 
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Neue Regel

All-Conference
Mar 12, 2003
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I still remember when NC State was being introduced in the final home game for Ferry, the Crazies were doing the usual “Hi {insert player name}”, when Valvano was introduced as the Head Coach the crowd goes “Hi Jim”!!! and Jimmy V smiles and waves. Lmao!!

Loved his personality. He was one of a kind.
 
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dopeshop23

Sophomore
Dec 15, 2009
556
128
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Alarie was the archetypal Duke big man that started this skill big trend under K...you could argue G man but he was not nearly as good away from the basket as those that followed them.
 
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Bludevil89

Redshirt
Nov 23, 2007
1
4
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Wow! What a Blast from the Past! I graduated Duke in '89. Ferry putting 58 on Miami. Brickey's high flying dunks. The Crazies during the NC State game and the Georgetown victory. Tons of great memories. I just lucked out and arrived on campus for the the great '86 team. We have had a tremendous run since.
 
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Dukeman

Senior
Dec 21, 2001
872
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Neue Regel said:
Dean put Hurley off to see what Kenny Anderson was going to do. Hurley said ahhh seee yaaaa.

Grant Hill was a huge coup over Dean. Dean already had a loaded class but still wanted Hill as part of it. When he was told the decision on the visit he got in a barb to the family that they might have told him before the visit to save him all the travel time up there. (And that’s been documented in several books)
Click to expand...

Battier called El Deano to thank him for recruiting him and to let him know he had chosen Duke. El Deano disrespectfully hung up on him.
 
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Laettner

All-Conference
Mar 11, 2002
6,249
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dopeshop23 said:
Alarie was the archetypal Duke big man that started this skill big trend under K...you could argue G man but he was not nearly as good away from the basket as those that followed them.
Click to expand...

Alarie was the player that made me become a Duke fan. Played St John's in '85 pre-season NIT(MSG) & I was hooked.

'89 watched Laettner dismantle Mouring in the Meadowlands of beautiful NJ. Those were the days! Big East thought they owned college hoops in 80's but ACC took it back fast.
 
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QC Dukie

All-American
Apr 16, 2014
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I’m too lazy to do the research, but I’m curious to know which conference has the most national titles?
 
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Nivram50

Junior
Oct 17, 2018
126
209
0
I'll tell ya what... Remembering that Final Four as being 30 years ago doesn't make me feel as old as the children on here talking about how young they were watching that game.
I was playing in middle school I think it was when I realized I wore the same jersey number as Marc Alarie. Still wish I had 1% of the talent he had! This was his and Dawkins and Bilas and Henderson's freshman year.
 
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