1992-93

Season Overview

The 1992-93 Blue Devils entered the season chasing history — no team since UCLA in the early 1970s had won three consecutive national championships. But the losses from the 1992 team were enormous: Christian Laettner, Thomas Hill, and Brian Davis had graduated. Billy McCaffrey had transferred the year before. The irreplaceable was gone.

What remained was still formidable. Senior Bobby Hurley was the NCAA’s all-time assists leader and a First Team All-American averaging 17.0 points and 8.2 assists per game. Junior Grant Hill was evolving from sixth man to the best all-around player in the ACC, averaging 18.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 5.2 assists. Sophomore Cherokee Parks stepped into Laettner’s role at center. Senior co-captain Thomas Hill (no relation to Grant) provided veteran leadership. Junior Antonio Lang was a versatile wing defender.

Duke went 24-8 and finished 10-6 in the ACC, tied for third — a significant step back from the back-to-back championship teams. The team reached #1 in the polls during the season but was inconsistent, particularly on the road. On February 24, 1993, Hurley set the Duke and Cameron Indoor Stadium single-game record with 16 assists in a 98-75 demolition of #6 Florida State, showcasing the brilliance that had made him the most decorated point guard in college basketball history.

The ACC Tournament ended early with a quarterfinal loss to Georgia Tech. Duke received a #3 seed in the Midwest Regional of the NCAA Tournament and appeared to be rolling after a 105-70 blowout of Southern Illinois in the first round.

Then came California — and Jason Kidd.

The Bears, a #6 seed led by the electrifying freshman point guard, ambushed Duke with a 16-3 run late in the first half and opened the second half with eight straight points to build an 18-point lead. Cherokee Parks went down with a sprained ankle. It looked like a rout.

But Hurley wouldn’t let his career end quietly. He scored 32 points — a career high — hitting six three-pointers, and led an incredible 18-2 Duke run that brought the Blue Devils within 72-71. Grant Hill drained a three to tie it at 76. The comeback was real.

Then Kidd took over. He flipped in a shot underneath with 1:11 remaining and hit two clutch free throws to restore California’s lead. Hurley fired three-pointers in the closing seconds, but none fell. California won 82-77.

Krzyzewski’s postgame press conference was raw and emotional. ‘It tears me up that we lost,’ he said, ‘only because I won’t have a chance to coach these two guys again,’ gesturing to Hurley and Thomas Hill sitting beside him. ‘We didn’t lose this ballgame. Cal won it.’

Hurley stood at the podium and said: ‘I’m going to miss playing with these guys, because when it comes down to winning a war, I want these guys on my side.’

As the final seconds ticked off, Krzyzewski stood on the sideline and clapped — for his team, for the era, for everything they had accomplished. The five-year Final Four streak was over. The dynasty’s first chapter was closed.

Hurley left Duke as the NCAA’s all-time assists leader with 1,076 — a record that still stands. His #11 jersey was retired. He was the 7th overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft. Grant Hill, Parks, and Lang would carry the torch into 1993-94 for one more deep run. But the Laettner-Hurley era — five Final Fours, two championships, The Shot, the UNLV upset, the Fab Five demolition — was complete. It remains the greatest sustained stretch in Duke basketball history.

It was supposed to be Duke’s coronation tour — a third straight national championship, something no program had accomplished since Wooden’s UCLA. After blowing out Southern Illinois 105-70 in the first round, the Blue Devils looked locked in and dangerous. The dynasty was still alive.

Then California showed up, and a freshman from Oakland named Jason Kidd showed the world what he could do.

The Bears ambushed Duke with a 16-3 run late in the first half to build a 10-point halftime lead. California opened the second half with eight straight points, and suddenly Duke trailed by 18. Cherokee Parks went down with a sprained ankle. The dynasty was dying in real time.

But Bobby Hurley — the NCAA’s all-time assists leader, a two-time national champion, the toughest kid from Jersey City — refused to let his career end in a whimper. He hit three after three after three, scoring 32 points on six three-pointers, the most he’d ever scored in a Duke uniform. Grant Hill added 18, and Thomas Hill chipped in 14 as Duke mounted an extraordinary 18-2 run to pull within 72-71.

For a few breathless minutes, it felt like the comeback was destined. Grant Hill hit a three to tie it at 76. The arena was electric.

Then Kidd — the future #2 overall pick, the future NBA MVP, the future Hall of Famer — answered. He flipped in a contested shot underneath with 1:11 left and hit two free throws to restore California’s lead. Hurley launched three desperate three-pointers in the final minute, but they all missed. California won 82-77.

Krzyzewski stood on the sideline in the final seconds and clapped. Not for the result — for his players. For what they had given him. For what they had built together.

‘It tears me up that we lost,’ he said afterward, his voice breaking, ‘only because I won’t have a chance to coach these two guys again.’ He pointed to Hurley and Thomas Hill.

‘I’m going to miss playing with these guys,’ Hurley said, ‘because when it comes down to winning a war, I want these guys on my side. That was the case tonight.’

The five-year Final Four streak was over. The three-peat dream was dead. The Laettner-Hurley dynasty — five consecutive Final Fours, two national championships, The Shot, the UNLV upset, the Fab Five demolition — was complete. And it ended with Hurley doing what Hurley always did: shooting until there was nothing left to give.