Duke building
a challenger?
The sounds of hammering and sawing
from Duke University and Cameron Indoor
Stadium are banging and buzzing their way
to the ears of basketball fans from coast to
coast.
They are the sounds of rebuilding and one
of the main foundations around which the
rebuilding is centered is freshman Gene
Banks, one of the top recruits in the nation
this year.
Banks will join an already proven lineup
which includes junior swingman Jim
Spanarkel and sophomore center Mike
Gminski, possibly the best combination in
the Atlantic Coast Conference.
"Gminski is improving, and Banks is
everything that's been written about him,"
Duke Coach Bill Foster says.
Duke, after coming off a 14-13 season
overall last year and 2-10 in the conference,
faces one of the most exciting years in nearly
a decade, since the great Duke teams of the
1960s. Duke fans, including some of those
who deserted the Blue Devils during the past
lean years, are emerging from the
woodwork, clamoring for a ticket to a Duke
game and the chance to see young Banks do
his thing.
This renewed interest in Duke basketball
resulted in a demand for tickets
unprecedented in recent years. Duke
officials have renovated Cameron, where the
Duke team plays its home games, and will
face the unenviable task of telling some of
those fans who remained loyal during the
dark years that there is not a ticket for them
this year.
"We'll be more equal with the other teams
in the conference," Foster says.
In fact, Duke is likely to be so equal it
could compete for the conference title. The
opening game tonight in the Big Four
tournament with Duke against Carolina
could be an indication of things to come for
the Blue Devils.
Duke will be playing some veterans who
were forced into action last season when the
Blue Devil mainstay, golden boy guard Tate
Armstrong, was out with a broken wrist.
Steve Gray, who had less than sensational
games during Armstrong's absence, returns
and should add depth to the Duke
backcourt. Bruce Bell, who saw limited
action, provides additional depth.
But it's the newcomers in the lineup that
have the Blue Devils buzzing. John Harrell,
a sophomore transfer (6 feet, 170) from N.C.
Central, will provide backup at the guard
position. Bob Bender (6 feet 2, 175),
ineligible until Jan. 9 because he transferred
from Indiana where he played on its 1976
national championship team, should add
some spark to the Duke attack. Bender will
i'V'jei-, .:..!
" - t - y
:i J:
Friday, December 2, 1977 Weekender 11
Duke center Mike Gminski (43), who
defended against Carolina's Mike
O'Koren in this game last season, is
looking for another fine season after
earning ACC co-Rookie of the Year
honors last year. He'll join AII-ACC
performer Jim Spanarkel and the much
discussed freshman Gene Banks in the
Duke lineup. Photo by Bruce Clarke.
miss two of Duke's conference games,
including the Big Four tournament this
weekend.
Kenny Dennard (6 feet 7, 200), another
freshman, should start opposite Banks at
forward but hasn't had the publicity Banks
has had.
With players like Harold Morrison,
Cameron Hall and Scott Geotch sitting on
the bench, Foster has experienced reserves
he can call on when his starters get tired or in
foul trouble. Each saw considerable action
last season.
"Our team will have a little more depth,"
Foster says. "Our injuries in preseason have
been to players who played before. Our
starters have been very durable. We'll be able
to substitute more than in the past."
- GENE UPCHURCH
Conveniently located distribution boxes
are just 41 Good Reasons
to pick up your DTH today and everyday
NEW SUNDAY SPECIAL
"PICK YOUR DISCOUNT
Now, on Sundays only, Poor Richard's gives you an
opportunity to purchase merchandise for up to 20 less
than their usual low prices. Just reach into the discount jar
and select a card and that discount is all yours.
POOR
RICHARD'S
Open Sundays
1:00 p.m. until 5:30 p,m.
Monday - Saturday
Eastgcte Shopping Center
Around the Corner Next to Eckerd's
929-5350
Inexperience a big problem
for desertion-plagued Pack
Two things are red at N.C. State as
basketball seasons opens this year.
One is the school color. The other is Norm
Sloan's face.
The veteran Wolfpack coach, in his 12th
season in Raleigh, has several reasons for his
face to be as scarlet as the jackets worn by his
supporters. For one, his top player and the
best player in the conference, Kenny Carr,
was lured away after his junior year last
season by the big bucks of the pros. Then, the
Walker brothers, Steve and Brian, decided
Sloan had promised but not delivered
several things they wanted. Steve wanted
more playing time and little brother Brian
wanted to be point guard. Dirk Ewing and
Al Green, reserves last season, also decided
to leave.
One of the few concessions for Sloan as
the season opens is that three of his starters
from the 17-11 season last year return.
Speedy Clyde "The Glide" Austin (6 feet 2,
IS I) returns at point guard, with his 12
pomt-per-game average and his lightning
like moves. Tough "Hawkeye" Whitney (6
feet 5, 234) is back to do battle at forward
with the rest of the tough forwards in the
league. And Glenn Sudhop (7 feet 2, 238),
famous for his height but not for his playing
ability, returns at center, free from the
personal problems that plagued him last
year, Sloan says. Junior Tony Warren (6 feet
6, 186) and senior Craig Davis also return.
Both were reserves last year.
What bothers Sloan is the youth and
inexperience of the team. Austin and
Whitney are both sophomores (Whitney
shared ACC rookie-of-the-year honors last
season), while Sudhop is a junior. Nine
players on State's 15-man roster are
freshmen. Sloan recruited 10 players,
including Kendal "Tiny" Pinder, a junior
college transfer from Miami Dade.
"We're the roughest team in the league,
maybe the nation," SloAn says. "That poses a
problem, but that's not all bad. There's no
way to tell how much progress we've made
because we've played against each other."
Sloan probably will go with a lineup that
includes Austin, Warren, Whitney, Pinder
and Sudhop. He says some of the freshmen
might break into that lineup, but probably
not.
In addition to Pinder, one of the
newcomers expected to make a contribution,
if only in a reserve status, is guard Kenny
Matthews (6 feet 3, 185).
Other freshmen expected to see some
action are Art Jones (6 feet 7, 185), Craig
Watts (6 feet 11,210) and Donnis Perkins (6
feet 3, 185). Sloan signees now on the
backburner for future years are Joe Stiltner,
Chuck Nevitt, Keith Almond, Ken
Montgomery and Pete Keefer.
"They all have good futures, but not nqw,"
Sloan says.
Sloan is not apologetic about Carr leaving
State, and doesn't even like to talk about the
Walkers leaving.
"It was an ideal time for Kenny to go for
the maximum dollars," Sloan says. "But I
want players to come and stay. I'm not
interested in developing players for the
pros."
Sloan's team this season seems light years
away from his 1974 NCAA championship
team, a team that he let take the ball and run
with it. He must carefully mold his squad this
year around a nucleus of returning starters
and experienced reserves.
"1 thought we had a pretty good year last
year," he says of the team's 17-11 mark. "But
after alumni meetings, I found myself
apologizing."
- GENE LPCHURCH
w Harden
beefed up
OlUiliii
"We were down 26-zip at the
half. Instead of the same old pep
talk, I promised the boys I'd buy
them all Hardee's Roast Beef Sand
wiches if we won.The thought of
that piled-high roast beef must
have beefed up our line, because
we piled up 12 touchdowns and
26 safeties. I wonder what'll hap
pen if I promise each of
them two Roast Beef
Sandwiches?"i
1
W
x is . v
r j it-