[none]

[Jim McMaster <mcmaster@sweng.stortek.com>]

Fcc: mail_log
Subject: Re: Duncan (was Re: Antoine Walker) 
In-reply-to: Your message of "Mon, 08 Sep 1997 21:30:37 EDT."
             <199709090130.VAA23741@barb.worldchat.com> 
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In message <199709090130.VAA23741@barb.worldchat.com>, "Mike Allen" said:
> First off, 500 sports writers can't be wrong.  

Well...yes, they can.  Sportswriters are, in the main, idiots.  If they had 
brains, they might be dangerous.

> Secondly if you want stats
> and highligths here you go!
> 
> Won the Following awards in 96-97:
> Associated Press
> National Association of Basketball Coaches Player of the Year
> US Basketball Writers Player of the Year
> Naismith and Wooden Awardss as the top college player
> 
> Named UNANIMIOUSLY, TWICE!  to the All-America First Team (Most recent
> player to repeat as a unamimous selection, SHAQ!)
> 
> Won The NABC National Defensive player of the Year for THIRD CONSECUTIVE
> SEASON.
> 
> Ended college career as the First in ACC and second in NCAA history with
> 481 blocked shots, and third in all time in the ACC in rebounds with 1,570.
>  He also became only the 10th player in NCAA division I history to score
> 2000 points and 1500 rebounds.
> 
> As far as stats go.
> 
> In 96-97 he averaged 20.8 Pts had 98 assists and 457 rebounds in 31 games.
>
You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but there is another college 
center you might want to consider, Bill Walton:

The Sporting News College Player of the Year, 1972, 1973, 1974.... Named to
The Sporting News All-America First Team, 1972, 1973, 1974.... NCAA Division I
Tournament Most Outstanding Player, 1972 and 1973 

Member of NCAA Championship teams, 1972 and 1973.  Holds NCAA tournament 
record
for highest field-goal percentage in one year (minimum of 25 made), 76.3
percent (45 of 59), 1973.  Holds NCAA tournament record for highest field-goal
percentage in career (minimum of 60 made), 68.6 percent (109 of 159), 1972
through 1974.

Terrible announcer, and his NBA career was destroyed by injuries, but he was 
the most dominant college center I ever saw.  Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul 
Jabbar) was a close second...much better scorer, but Walton was a much better 
rebounder and defender.  I would rate David Robinson third.  Tim Duncan would 
not make my top ten.  Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain would certainly be up 
there if I had seen them play.

> To conclude, how many top rated centres in the last 15 years have lead
> their school to a Championship?  The kid can't be totally blamed for Wake
> Forest's loss, there are 11 other players on the team.

True.  That isn't why he does not make my top ten.  I have just seen more 
players.  There is a great tendency among the young to rate the best they 
have seen as the best ever.  That is why the Bulls are getting so much hype 
as the best team ever over the '86 Celtics.  They claim Rodman and Pippen 
would "destroy" Bird and McHale.  The Bulls bandwagoneers only saw the broken 
down versions, and not the awesome players they were in their prime.

- -- 
Jim McMaster
mailto:mcmaster@sweng.stortek.com