I got hooked a little earlier but very close to the same time, when my dad took me to a game at the Civic arena, for a Sunday afternoon matchup with highly ranked Villanova.  The arena was packed and we sat pretty far up in the cheap seats.    I recall that their star and future Draftee of the Pipers/Condors Howard Porter was injured coming into that game.  The Dukes still had Gary Major and Willie Hines on that team, but also had Billie Zopf and Moe Barr, as I recall.  The Dukes won easily as Nova was lost without Porter.

duq81 wrote:

Wildwood13 wrote:

The blog on the five best players got me to thinking where is the mention of players that I grew up watching and hooked me as a Dukes fan. That era began in 1968-1969 season while I was in grade school and for the next three seasons afterward. Their record was 21-5 losing to North Carolina in regional semifinals by 1. The following year was a bit of disappointment, record of 17-7 and all five starters got drafted. The following season they went 21-4 and could not go dancing because of the Roddy incident. Four of the five staters were from the previous season, with Mike Barr replacing Billy Zoph at the point. Therefore all five starters were drafted again, when there were only 28 professional teams between the NBA and ABA. The Big Train hit the Bluff, and in his first year the team went 20-5. The highest AP ranking for these four seasons are as follows 8th, 7th, 8th and 20th. Pretty impressive and the rest is history.

You've got it a bit twisted. The 1969-70 team was the disappointment. The only major loss from that team was Bill Zopf. Jarrett, Mickey, and the Nelsons were all back for 70-71. The team went 21-4, and lost to an undefeated Penn team in the NCAAs down in Morgantown. This was the Penn team led by Corky Calhoun, Bob Morse  (who killed the Dukes), Dave Wohl, and Steve Bilsky, and was coached by Dick Harter. This was the Penn team that famously lost to a Villanova team they had already beaten, by a stunning 90-47 score in the Eastern Regional Final. The Dave Roddy team was the 71-72 squad that was ruined by transfers, and by that bum Sonny Vacarro. Put Mickey Davis, and Ed Searcy on that team, and it's a top 5 squad that would have had a chance to reach the Final Four.

By the way, that's the era that got me hooked as well.

Would love to know the back ground on the Sonny Vacarro impacts.  What happened?

Late 80s/early 90s going to games with my Dad. The teams weren’t very good but it’s something dad and I did together (and still find time to do now and again) and that’s why I love basketball, love Duquesne, ended up going there, met my wife, had our kiddo (for those of you who know, she’s doing well, is one year old tomorrow, and and gets a little stronger every day) - - because dad took me to games.

Thanks Dad!

Last edited by Face (5/23/2019 7:40 pm)

Box & One wrote:

duq81 wrote:

Wildwood13 wrote:

The blog on the five best players got me to thinking where is the mention of players that I grew up watching and hooked me as a Dukes fan. That era began in 1968-1969 season while I was in grade school and for the next three seasons afterward. Their record was 21-5 losing to North Carolina in regional semifinals by 1. The following year was a bit of disappointment, record of 17-7 and all five starters got drafted. The following season they went 21-4 and could not go dancing because of the Roddy incident. Four of the five staters were from the previous season, with Mike Barr replacing Billy Zoph at the point. Therefore all five starters were drafted again, when there were only 28 professional teams between the NBA and ABA. The Big Train hit the Bluff, and in his first year the team went 20-5. The highest AP ranking for these four seasons are as follows 8th, 7th, 8th and 20th. Pretty impressive and the rest is history.

You've got it a bit twisted. The 1969-70 team was the disappointment. The only major loss from that team was Bill Zopf. Jarrett, Mickey, and the Nelsons were all back for 70-71. The team went 21-4, and lost to an undefeated Penn team in the NCAAs down in Morgantown. This was the Penn team led by Corky Calhoun, Bob Morse  (who killed the Dukes), Dave Wohl, and Steve Bilsky, and was coached by Dick Harter. This was the Penn team that famously lost to a Villanova team they had already beaten, by a stunning 90-47 score in the Eastern Regional Final. The Dave Roddy team was the 71-72 squad that was ruined by transfers, and by that bum Sonny Vacarro. Put Mickey Davis, and Ed Searcy on that team, and it's a top 5 squad that would have had a chance to reach the Final Four.

By the way, that's the era that got me hooked as well.

Would love to know the back ground on the Sonny Vacarro impacts. What happened?

Sonny Vacarro acted as an agent for Mickey Davis, and got him to jump to the Condors for $100,000. He sat on the Condors bench, instead of being the best player on a top 10 team. The decline began right there.

levon1975 wrote:

I got hooked a little earlier but very close to the same time, when my dad took me to a game at the Civic arena, for a Sunday afternoon matchup with highly ranked Villanova. The arena was packed and we sat pretty far up in the cheap seats. I recall that their star and future Draftee of the Pipers/Condors Howard Porter was injured coming into that game. The Dukes still had Gary Major and Willie Hines on that team, but also had Billie Zopf and Moe Barr, as I recall. The Dukes won easily as Nova was lost without Porter.

Porter played on the 69, 70, and 71 teams, same as the Nelsons, and Jarrett. Had to be 1969 if Porter was at Nova, since that was Major's senior year. Man, that team had some size with Major, and the Nelsons.
 

Face wrote:

Late 80s/early 90s going to games with my Dad. The teams weren’t very good but it’s something dad and I did together (and still find time to do now and again) and that’s why I love basketball, love Duquesne, ended up going there, met my wife, had our kiddo (for those of you who know, she’s doing well, is one year old tomorrow, and and gets a little stronger every day) - - because dad took me to games.

Thanks Dad!

You're welcome.  These games were very special to me too - and later with your younger brother. 

And I agree with VBC (thanks JW) - you and Lauren are very special parents.  Happy birthday Grace!
 

The kid from Schenley was Ricky Coleman, he wrecked his knee terribly and did not play that season. His final season at Jacksonville was 1974-1975 and he averaged 21.2 per game.

I was a student on campus from 66 - 71 undergrad through grad school (MA Economics). My freshman year the Dukes had a losing season with guys like Rich Carlberg, Gary Majors, Ron Guziak, Moe Barr, and the gunner Bill Reilly.  The following year was the beginning of the turn around.   The Dukes were 18 - 7 (had to look it up) led by Moe Barr, Ron Guziak and Bill Zoph.  If I were to pick my favorite player it would be Zoph. He was a classmate and we had several classes together. The following year 1968 - 69 was the basketball highlight of my years at DU.  That season the Nelson Twins and Jarrett made their debut. The Dukes were 21-5 (did not have to look it up) and lost in the NCAA Regional Semifinal.  The Dukes ended the season ranked 9th.  The following season was somewhat of a letdown as expectations were very high.  But the Dukes bounced back in 1970 -71 season going 21-4 led by Micky Davis, Jarrett and the Nelson twins.  The Dukes lost in the NCAA first round and finished the season ranked 15.  Sadly it was the last time they ended the season as a ranked team.

As some of the guys on this board who were students at that time know, there was a very close bond between the students and the players.  A lot of the players would come to our parties, or just hang out in front of the Dorms and just bs.  Mossie was a frequent visitor on campus and he could tell some stories.  There were some basketball players that were real characters (in a good way).  Not big in the record books but great guys like Bubba Reid, Al Kanaan, Larry Abraham, Pete Kuyulk, and Walt Zinn.  All good guys.

The era would be early 90s, cause I was on campus then.  Me along with my dad moving me into St Ann's and we see (I think)Ricky Lopes on the elevator, would thought my dad saw Bill Russell, he never saw anyone that tall before....me neither!  
I was lucky enough to see good A10 teams/players, some good DU teams(NIT team), Alston, Pipkins, etc., and some good crowds that made noise and had fun.  

CLK wrote:

I was a student on campus from 66 - 71 undergrad through grad school (MA Economics). My freshman year the Dukes had a losing season with guys like Rich Carlberg, Gary Majors, Ron Guziak, Moe Barr, and the gunner Bill Reilly.  The following year was the beginning of the turn around.   The Dukes were 18 - 7 (had to look it up) led by Moe Barr, Ron Guziak and Bill Zoph.  If I were to pick my favorite player it would be Zoph. He was a classmate and we had several classes together. The following year 1968 - 69 was the basketball highlight of my years at DU.  That season the Nelson Twins and Jarrett made their debut. The Dukes were 21-5 (did not have to look it up) and lost in the NCAA Regional Semifinal.  The Dukes ended the season ranked 9th.  The following season was somewhat of a letdown as expectations were very high.  But the Dukes bounced back in 1970 -71 season going 21-4 led by Micky Davis, Jarrett and the Nelson twins.  The Dukes lost in the NCAA first round and finished the season ranked 15.  Sadly it was the last time they ended the season as a ranked team.

As some of the guys on this board who were students at that time know, there was a very close bond between the students and the players.  A lot of the players would come to our parties, or just hang out in front of the Dorms and just bs.  Mossie was a frequent visitor on campus and he could tell some stories.  There were some basketball players that were real characters (in a good way).  Not big in the record books but great guys like Bubba Reid, Al Kanaan, Larry Abraham, Pete Kuyulk, and Walt Zinn.  All good guys.

Can you remember the Dukes being picked high in the preseason SI issue in the fall of 1969? With that Top 10 finish the previous spring, and the core of the team having 2 more years, it really looked like a return to the early-mid 50s, but we didn't quite reach that level, although it was still a very good run, one we'd kill for today.
 

duq81 wrote:

Here it is! I dream of returning to those heights.

https://www.si.com/vault/1969/12/01/613842/the-top-20-teams

Great find, duq81, and a great read. I forgot about Perry Johnson being part of that team. It was also interesting to see the mix of schools represented in the Top 20.

Wildwood13 wrote:

duq81 wrote:

Wildwood13 wrote:

The kid from Schenley was Ricky Coleman, he wrecked his knee terribly and did not play that season. His final season at Jacksonville was 1974-1975 and he averaged 21.2 per game.

Coleman indeed played at Jacksonville, and had a serious knee injury, but the UCLA/Jacksonville title game was in 1970. Ricky Colman was the point guard on the 1971 Schenley team that took the State Championship, so he'd have only been a junior in high school when Jacksonville played UCLA.

 
Duq 81, as I have stated previously, your knowledge of Duquesne basketball is outstanding. But your propensity to correct people is unprecedented. Please read my thread starter again. You corrected me twice there and this one regarding Ricky Coleman you are reading into what I say and assuming to much. In this one you are assuming that I say Ricky didn't play because of a wrecked knee. I state who it is, that he damaged his knee and his senior year was in 74-75. If you do the math, you would realize there is no way he could play in the 69-70 year as freshman were not eligible and that is a total of six different seasons.

In the thread starter, I say the disappointing season is the year the Dukes go 17-7. For some reason you say I have that twisted. Can't figure out for the life of me want you mean.That would be the year after 68-69 which makes it the 69-70 season.

You corrected me on the 70-71 and 71-72 seasons as to which one was the Roddy incident. One out of three, I expect better of you. Now when you correct people in the future I can no longer take it as the written truth. Happy Holidays enjoy the weekend.

Sorry on the Coleman thing. I quoted you, but meant to quote another poster that put Coleman on the team that played UCLA. As for the 69-70 team, it was the statement that 5 starters got drafted that threw me off. I thought you were saying that all 5 starters got drafted after that season. You must have meant they all eventually got drafted as that was not a senior dominated team.
I'm a history buff, so sometimes I get carried away about facts. I'll try to be good.