PART TWO
If you’ve stuck with me this long you’re probably wondering if Duke ever had any sustained success against great players.
The answer is an emphatic yes.
Let’s start with some split decisions.
I’ve always thought that Michigan’s Cazzie Russell was the best college player between Jerry Lucas and Alcindor/Jabbar. Yes, I think Cazzie Russell was a better college player than either Art Heyman or Bill Bradley. The 6-5, 220-pound wing averaged 27.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game at Michigan, while shooting 50.5 percent from the field and 82.8 from the line at a time when the Big Ten was the nation’s best conference top to bottom.