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Who was the last great Duke Center?

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pandarod

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Dec 2, 2003
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I am probably showing my age with this, but years ago I remember you guys had a kid named Abdelnaby. (spelling?) He wasn't the star of the team, but he was rock solid on defense, he could be counted on when they needed a score, and he was a quiet leader. I always thought he was the difference maker on that team. Duke always has some of the best forwards and guards in the nation, but getting a glue-guy at Center always seems to be the missing element. I still believe Duke is one of the best basketball programs in the nation, but I wanted to know if you guys thought the same thing. Best of luck the rest of the way, and no matter who wins the NCAAT, let's hope it is an ACC team.

Panda
 
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DukeRulesBasketball

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Aug 20, 2015
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Yea I think he played with Bilas, Ferry, and Dawkins. His career at Duke ended before Laettner and Hill arrived, or he might have been there for a year with Laettner and Hill, but the last great center is a no brainier, when I go with Okafor.
 
pisgah101

pisgah101

Heisman
Dec 26, 2005
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Haha Oak... Then senior Mason Plumlee. To really see a dry spell you have to go from there to Sheldon.. At the same time tho I might argue Zoubek was amazing the last half of his senior year and he provided EXACTLY what that team needed a center to do to win the ship
 
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liverpooty

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Oct 26, 2011
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I think Mason was very, very good.

We just have different opinions on what great is. I guess.
 
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nets on nets on nets

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Does being the best 5 man in the country along with being a National Champion count???? If so, let me introduce you to Jahlil Okafor.
 
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Showenuff

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My main man was Elton. Brand was a MAN in the paint. When those eyes opened wide and he started yelling LET'S GO !!!!! , it was on.
 
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Willcampbell

All-Conference
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Sat with Chuck Everson, center for Villanova champs, watching Elton at the Meadowlands. Chuck said Elton "is the real deal." He was right.
OFC
 
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nets on nets on nets

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In the last 20 years: Okafor, Mason Plumlee, Shelden Williams, Boozer, Brand.
Every one of these centers made a final 4 too.
 
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nets on nets on nets

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Shelden's senior year was 06, and Mason's senior year was 2013, that was the only year I'd consider Mason "great."
Am I missing anyone?? McRoberts was a PF and wasn't "great."
That gives a 7 year span of Duke not having a "great" center.
I love Zoubek as much as anyone, but wouldn't consider him "great."
 
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Dattier

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Sep 1, 2003
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jwill133 said:
Shelden's senior year was 06, and Mason's senior year was 2013, that was the only year I'd consider Mason "great."
Am I missing anyone?? McRoberts was a PF and wasn't "great."
That gives a 7 year span of Duke not having a "great" center.
I love Zoubek as much as anyone, but wouldn't consider him "great."
Click to expand...
Josh got a lot of grief b/c he had horrible body language on the worst Duke team since '95. He was an effective college 5 as a soph, which we didn't really appreciate or acknowledge until the 2 1/2 year drought that followed.
Zoubs was great for the second 1/2 of the year w/in the context of the 2010 title team. That's not "all-time great-great," but great w/ qualifications.
 
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dukiejay

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Mar 2, 2005
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I think people can be pretty nit-picky at what great really means. Does it mean individually great or great within in the team concept at Duke? I guess I prefer the latter.

Coming into this season Duke has arguably had one of the best centers in all of college basketball two of the last three years. That's pretty good. If we go back to the 2004-05 season, when Shelden was a junior, Duke has arguably had one of the best centers for four of the past 11 years. And that's nationally....not within the conference.

Also, that doesn't take into account Mason averaging nearly a double-double as a junior, or Zoubek having one of the best half-season transformations in Duke basketball history.

While I agree that Duke is historically known more for great guards and wing players, that doesn't mean we haven't produced some outstanding post players....some of whom are very recent.
 
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GAAP_rivals

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Dattier said:
Josh got a lot of grief b/c he had horrible body language on the worst Duke team since '95. He was an effective college 5 as a soph, which we didn't really appreciate or acknowledge until the 2 1/2 year drought that followed.
Click to expand...

Plus his mom was one of the hottest MILFs in college b-ball. That has to count for something.
 
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Willcampbell

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GAAP said:
Plus his mom was one of the hottest MILFs in college b-ball. That has to count for something.
Click to expand...
Hotter than Tammy Hansflop?
PS: I know the answer and I agree with you. But how about J. Noah's Mom?
OFC
 
S

skysdad

Heisman
Mar 3, 2006
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He wasn't the last great Duke center but since we are on the subject mike Gminski. Sorry most of you missed him. OFC
 
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dukehokie

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DukeRulesBasketball said:
Yea I think he played with Bilas, Ferry, and Dawkins. His career at Duke ended before Laettner and Hill arrived, or he might have been there for a year with Laettner and Hill, but the last great center is a no brainier, when I go with Okafor.
Click to expand...

Alaa Abdelnaby played with Laettner and Hurley, just not Grant.

He never played with Bilas or Dawkins, but did play with many players most notably Danny Ferry, Tommy Amaker and Phil Henderson. He was a solid player for Duke.

Just wanted to clear that up.
 
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Willcampbell

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Alaa was as loyal a Duke grad as you will find, also. Every time I went to a Duke game in the Northeast, whether at the Meadowlands or the Garden or that dump in Philly, he was there. As was Bobby Hurley.
OFC
 
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Willcampbell

All-Conference
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Indulge me... I just thought of one more memory of Alaa. The night we got destroyed by UNLV by 30 points in the finals, there was a shot of him on the bench. The devastation and sadness was palpable and lives on in my some of my sad memories.
OFC
 
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pandarod

Junior
Dec 2, 2003
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Willcampbell said:
Indulge me... I just thought of one more memory of Alaa. The night we got destroyed by UNLV by 30 points in the finals, there was a shot of him on the bench. The devastation and sadness was palpable and lives on in my some of my sad memories.
OFC
Click to expand...

I remember watching Abdelnaby always doing the little things that made the other players shine. A clutch rebound or a pick at a crucial time, he just always seemed to make everyone around him better. There were more talented Centers than him at Duke, but watching his toughness and the way he made the players around him better always made me respect his game. Those were some tough Duke teams.

Panda
 
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youngman42

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Mason had a very good senior season, but not sure I'd label him "great." He had a lot of turnovers (especially in big losses against MD and L'Ville). Going back to the 70's, I'd say truly great Duke centers: Gminski, Laettner, Brand, and Okafor.

A lot of top quality to great players played center. Ferry was great but he was really a PF who was often forced into the C position; same with Boozer. Sheldon was also more of a PF in the center position - though he was a very good low post player offensively and defensively. Brand was close to just being a PF but his wing-span helped him be a true college center.
 
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Dattier

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youngman42 said:
Mason had a very good senior season, but not sure I'd label him "great." He had a lot of turnovers (especially in big losses against MD and L'Ville). Going back to the 70's, I'd say truly great Duke centers: Gminski, Laettner, Brand, and Okafor.

A lot of top quality to great players played center. Ferry was great but he was really a PF who was often forced into the C position; same with Boozer. Sheldon was also more of a PF in the center position - though he was a very good low post player offensively and defensively. Brand was close to just being a PF but his wing-span helped him be a true college center.
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If we're looking at greatness for an entire career, you could eliminate Mason. I think you're splitting hairs over the difference between "great," "hmmmm, yeah, he was pretty great," and "very good."

I definitely agree w/ you on Ferry, as he had an outside game as well. Booz and Shelden were absolutely college centers, though, as was Elton, and I think you're letting their NBA positions redefine what they were at Duke.
 
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DukeRulesBasketball

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Speaking of centers anybody know wha
dukehokie said:
Alaa Abdelnaby played with Laettner and Hurley, just not Grant.

He never played with Bilas or Dawkins, but did play with many players most notably Danny Ferry, Tommy Amaker and Phil Henderson. He was a solid player for Duke.

Just wanted to clear that up.
Click to expand...
thanks I appreciate it. After watching so many seasons of Duke basketball seasons just seem to run together anymore the older I get and it gets hard to remember when certain players played and who they played with. This means I'm getting old:D
 
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HuffyJB

All-Conference
Jan 13, 2005
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Dattier said:
I definitely agree w/ you on Ferry, as he had an outside game as well. Booz and Shelden were absolutely college centers, though, as was Elton, and I think you're letting their NBA positions redefine what they were at Duke.
Click to expand...

I was thinking that sort of thing when I started reading the thread. If you are asking about players that were in the post at Duke, not their eventual pro position, then the list of great players in pretty extensive.
 
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