Who Is your favorite Duke player of all time.
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Kendall Marshall. Top 50 NBA GREAT.
Laettner as my favorite. Grant Hill is who I respected the most & I pulled for Hurley harder than anyone. Hard to separate those guys.
There's only one for me. Always has been...always will be.
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OADD stop showing that video. The suicide rate jumps in the state of Kentucky when they see that.There's only one for me. Always has been...always will be.
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OFC
1) Tyus Jones (hey, it was less than four months ago 
)
1A) Shane Battier
1B) Jay Williams
1C) Elton Brand
(Just to differ from those who chose the early 90's greats as well; those players were undeniably awesome)
Let's give some love for Nolan Smith as well. He improved a lot between his Sophomore and Junior years, culminating in a title, then followed that with an excellent senior season. Couldn't have asked for much more. Also had an infectiously positive attitude.
)1A) Shane Battier
1B) Jay Williams
1C) Elton Brand
(Just to differ from those who chose the early 90's greats as well; those players were undeniably awesome)
Let's give some love for Nolan Smith as well. He improved a lot between his Sophomore and Junior years, culminating in a title, then followed that with an excellent senior season. Couldn't have asked for much more. Also had an infectiously positive attitude.
Hurley! If this question was made into a poll, it appears that Hurley may be the leader in the clubhouse.
He's easily my father's favorite Blue Devil. He loved watching Nolan play for Duke.
Also, while JJ is my favorite (he was in my class at Duke and lived in my dorm Freshman year), these guys were very much in the running:
Jeff Capel, DeMarcus Nelson, Gerald Henderson, Quinn Cook, and Justise Winslow.
Jeff Capel, DeMarcus Nelson, Gerald Henderson, Quinn Cook, and Justise Winslow.
Laettner is still probably #1. Hurley probably isn't far behind.
But as we all know some of the more recent players always pop up because they're fresher in our minds. I loved J.J. and still do. Scheyer had a way about him as did Singler. My favorite on this past year's team is probably Tyus just because of the Minnesota connection, but Quinn isn't behind him by much.
In reality, Tyus is probably the only Duke player that would make my top 10 list who didn't play here four years.
But as we all know some of the more recent players always pop up because they're fresher in our minds. I loved J.J. and still do. Scheyer had a way about him as did Singler. My favorite on this past year's team is probably Tyus just because of the Minnesota connection, but Quinn isn't behind him by much.
In reality, Tyus is probably the only Duke player that would make my top 10 list who didn't play here four years.
Yeah, I normally prefer the 4 year guys (though it can be relative to the team success experienced during their tenure, so I'm not entirely partial to them) and I feel a bit bad forgetting Quinn given that he meets most of the same rationale I used to include Tyus. What a senior year by a guy who'd been maligned by some in the Duke fanbase (myself by degrees). He was arguably the steadiest player on last year's team. I'm watching the first ten minutes of the February UNC game right now. His shooting was just phenomenal (as it was all year). BEST BACKCOURT BABY!
Such a versatile guard. Still love that defense he put on Kendall Marshall in the ACC tourney final in 2011...basically just bulldogged the guy around the perimeter.
I still remember how he and Seth brought us back from way down at home against UNC during Nolan's Senior year. Hell of a game.
Use to be Laettner as a kid. But JJ became my favorite. I played high school ball and still play often. My game is JJs game. I can flat outnshoot it. So I was just amazed at watching him shoot.
Side not, my Grandma was a huge Duke and she watched every game until she passed at 92. She always loved Grant Hill and always talked about him to me.
Side not, my Grandma was a huge Duke and she watched every game until she passed at 92. She always loved Grant Hill and always talked about him to me.
Same here, hence my username.
Like Coach said about 2015 being his favorite team, though, I think it gets harder and harder to sustain a particular fondness as time goes by. It's still there as a loyalty, but it's less emphatic, like the way love might mature in a long-time relationship. If I had to complete a Top 5, Shane might be followed by JJ, Scheyer, Nolan, and... for the meteoric rise from 3-years-in-my-doghouse to his incredible play and leadership his senior year, maybe Quinn. And I've been following Duke since K's 2nd year, so all of the greats during his time are candidates and my list is still pretty heavily weighted toward the more recent players.
If I'm being all analytical about something, I tend to honor the "Hall of Fame" rule, where I can't evaluate something objectively until about 5 years have passed. If we're talking a more emotional response, though -- like a favorites' list -- the more recent has some natural advantages with me. It's a testament to Shane, then, that almost half of K's career later, he's still my #1. It is not, however, an insult to JD or Bobby that my affections regarding them may be a bit faded relative to Nolan, Quinn, or Tyus.