They are trying to become first team to win back-to-back titles since Duke in 1991-92.
By JOEY JOHNSTON
The Tampa Tribune
(c) Tampa Bay Times. Originally published March 22, 2007.
Christian Laettner, retired from the NBA, now spends time fishing, working out, planning various business ventures and carting around his children to their activities. When someone recently referred to him as a “soccer mom,” he burst out laughing.
“I like the place I’m at in my life,” said Laettner, the former Duke University All-American.
And the place he lives – of all places – is Ponte Vedra Beach.
An outpost in Gator Nation.
“Is something going on with Florida’s basketball team?” Laettner said playfully. “I haven’t kept up.”
Actually, Laettner knows the Gators are gunning for immortality, trying to become the first team to repeat as national champions since Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s Duke Blue Devils in 1991 and ’92.
The No. 1-seeded Gators, who face No. 5 Butler in Friday night’s Midwest Region semifinals at St. Louis, are four victories away from equaling Duke’s accomplishment. Those Blue Devil teams have grown in stature, simply because of college basketball’s modern truism.
Nobody repeats.
In fact, Duke is the only back-to-back national champion since John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins ruled college basketball, capturing titles in 1972 and ’73 (the latter being the first prime-time telecast of an NCAA title game).
“It’s a pretty rare thing,” said Laettner, 37, who was Duke’s centerpiece, the national player of the year, the arch-villain to nearly every opponent and the architect of a dynasty-saving desperation shot that still resonates.
“I’d be really surprised if Florida won it again. That’s a big target on your back. It’s probably even tougher now than when we did it.”
Gator upperclassmen were barely in grade school when Duke won consecutive titles.
“I know they were good,” Florida junior forward Joakim Noah said. “But it’s not something I could remember.”
For players and coaches in the early 1990s, it’s something they can’t forget.
Laettner Returns For Repeat
Duke entered the 1990-91 season with a distinct reputation.
Can’t win the big one.
Krzyzewski’s program had been to four of the previous five Final Fours – with no championships – and was coming off a devastating 103-73 loss to UNLV in the 1990 title game.
The Blue Devils reached yet another Final Four and faced UNLV in the 1991 national semifinals. Jerry Tarkanian’s Runnin’ Rebels, 34-0, were going for a wire-to-wire No. 1 season.
But this time, it was Duke’s day.
Laettner and Bobby Hurley led the Blue Devils to a come-from-behind 79-77 upset. Duke then defeated Kansas 72-65 in an anti-climactic national-championship game.
There wasn’t much remaining for Laettner to accomplish. He considered leaving for the NBA after his junior season. But much like the Gator triumvirate of Noah, Al Horford and Corey Brewer, he made a startling decision.
“If I would’ve left, our chances at repeating would not have been so good,” Laettner said. “I always said if Kobe Bryant or Kevin Garnett had gone to college, if Chris Webber had stayed another year or two, there may have been another repeat champion. But that wasn’t the landscape back then.”
Except at Duke.
Laettner, a four-year starter, became one of the most publicized, high-profile players in college basketball history. Duke was an obvious favorite of the television networks.
“Those guys – Christian Laettner, Grant Hill, Bobby Hurley – they were like rock stars,” former Georgia Tech player James Forrest said. “They were treated like major celebrities.”
“The Duke teams just had an arrogance about them – and I mean that in a good way,” former North Carolina State player Tom Gugliotta said. “When you’re playing against them, you don’t want to see that. But nobody could beat them and it just seemed like [Duke] was always in your face.”
Duke Rescued By ‘The Shot’
In 1991-92, Duke opened at 17-0 before losing at North Carolina 75-73. Two weeks later, there was a 72-68 defeat at Wake Forest.
“That’s still one of the best memories of my basketball life – beating Duke,” former Wake Forest player Rodney Rogers said.
And that was it – a 34-2 season.
Duke was ranked No. 1 each week.
“We were under constant pressure,” Krzyzewski said. “Florida is as good as any team in the country. The fact they haven’t been No. 1 the whole time – and other teams have been the focus of attention – kind of helps them. But it’s a little different.
“Once we got to the tournament, the pressure increased. The fact is, Christian Laettner stepped up and hit an amazing shot against Kentucky or we never would have done it [repeated].”
Christian Laettner’s shot.
It was the East Region final in Philadelphia, and Duke was going down. The Blue Devils were losing by one point to Kentucky with 2.1 seconds remaining in overtime after an insane banked-in runner by Sean Woods.
When the deflated Blue Devils huddled with Krzyzewski, the coach’s words made everyone pause.
OK, we’re going to win the game.
“It calmed everyone down,” Laettner said. “In my mind, I thought, ‘Well, if Coach K thinks that, well, maybe we can win. He drew up a play that we practiced before and it worked.”
Hill, unguarded, unleashed an inbounds pass that soared to Laettner, who leaped to flag it down at the opposite foul line. How much can happen in 2.1 seconds? Laettner dribbled to the left, turned to the right and released.
Swish.
Duke 104, Kentucky 103.
“It was the moment you always think of when you’re a kid,” Laettner said. “You’ve got the ball. The clock goes – 3 … 2 … 1 – then the buzzer. It’s good!”
“I was sick,” said Florida coach Billy Donovan, who was then an assistant on Rick Pitino’s Kentucky staff. “But now, in the grand scheme of things, you think what a blessing it was to be part of something like that – the greatest college basketball game ever played.”
Eventually, the moment allowed Duke to make basketball history.
Now the Blue Devils’ legacy is being stalked by Florida, seeking a similar combination of pluck and luck.
“I know some secrets and clues that could help Florida, but I’m not allowed to disclose them,” Laettner said with a conspiratorial grin. “Those Florida guys have a chance to make history.
“If they realize that – and they’re hungry – what else can you do? You just go play.”
