ASU’s Hurley savors Duke return
Oct 27, 2024, 11:04 PM ET DURHAM, N.C.– Bobby Hurley made himself college basketball royalty inside Duke’s Cameron Indoor Arena, the Jersey kid who ended up being the All-America point player for two championship game teams.Moments from that journey– having his jersey retired, tense tussles with competing North Carolina, love overflowing from heaven Devils’ famously rowdy home crowd– stayed pristine in his memory. He wanted absolutely nothing to alter those vibes three years later, and that’s why he couldn’t help but feel some uneasiness about his return Sunday night on Cameron’s opposing sideline with Arizona State in a charity exhibition game.The great news was he found open arms awaiting him.Editor’s Picks 1 Related The bad? His Sun Devils were dealt with as rudely on the court by the seventh-ranked Blue Devils as he had actually seen numerous visitors from his own playing
days, sometimes leaving him helplessly calling timeouts to stop Duke’s romping second-half momentum in the 103-47 loss.”All the other stuff was exceptional,”Hurley stated with a disappointed chuckle. “It’s just, in some cases you ought to leave well sufficient alone or something. That’s why I never ever wished to return here.
… We used to do this to everybody. It was a difficult night, difficult night. “Certainly, the 53-year-old Hurley– who played his final game at Duke in 1993 under now-retired Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski– was left in the uncomfortable position of savoring feelings stirred from his Duke return yet
being flustered by Arizona State’s performance in a game he said was “cluttered with failure”for a group picked to finish 12th in the expanded 16-team Huge 12.”Hat’s off to where (the Blue Devils)are,”Hurley said,”and oh s– about where we are.”The main function of the”Brotherhood Run “game was to benefit the Duke Children’s Medical facility, however the opportunity to reconnect with one of the program’s favored boys in Hurley became its own draw. The slender 6-footer still cuts a substantial figure in Duke tradition, from his
No. 11 jersey hanging in the rafters to the fact he still owns the NCAA’s assist record( 1,076)he set 31 years ago.Hurley stated Saturday he had been back to Cameron for a game only once before however “felt odd not being on the flooring” and didn’t return.”I never wanted to return here since it was so good to me, “Hurley stated then.Cameron was excellent to him again– before tipoff, anyway.Hurley received a rousing
ovation when he emerged from the checking out tunnel, raising his right-hand man to acknowledge the cheers near midcourt before hugging present Blue
Devils coach Jon Scheyer. Then he signed up with Scheyer and Krzyzewski at midcourt for a pregame acknowledgement of the Duke ties had actually brought them together, while program and NBA excellent Grant Hill– Hurley’s Duke teammate for 3 years– sat behind the scorer’s table.” It’s an honor to have Bobby back here,” Scheyer stated.” I have actually been a big fan of his ever since I have actually seen college basketball. So to have that moment before the game with him and Coach K meant a lot to me, ideally indicated a lot to him.”That homage consisted of a video montage of Hurley’s Duke days. There, on Cameron’s new midcourt scoreboard, pictures of Hurley
‘s youth flashed across the screen: him taking his undersized frame into the paint to end up versus a protector, the fearless second-half 3 he hit that assisted Duke ultimately stun unbeaten UNLV in the 1991 Last Four, pictures of arms raised in jubilation
after numerous wins and titles. Bobby Hurley was left in the awkward position of relishing emotions stirred from his Duke return yet being flustered by Arizona State’s efficiency in a game he said was”cluttered with failure.”AP Photo/Ben McKeown As the video played, Hurley and Krzyzewski stood side-by-side below, with Coach K wrapping his left arm around his former pupil’s shoulder to indulge in those memories together.Hurley dipped into Duke from 1990-93, assisting the Blue Devils to Krzyzewski’s first two NCAA champions in 1991 and 1992 along with an appearance in the 1990 title game. Hurley was the Last 4’s most exceptional player in Duke’s repeat run, ended up being an Associated Press third-team All-American as a junior and first-teamer as a senior.”I definitely liked coaching Bobby, “Krzyzewski stated Saturday.The journey had enabled Hurley to go back to familiar areas, including
Durham essential Bullock’s Bar-B-Que dining establishment not far from campus for lunch and the possibility to jog the school golf course simply as he did when he was a student.He still wears his 1992 back-to-back title ring as a tip of those days, though this time he got here with household in tow that included his first grandchild– a newborn called Rowan– in a tip of just how much has changed.Reunion now past, he can turn his attention to repairing things for the Sun Devils before hosting Idaho State in their Nov. 5 opener.” My granddaughter’s never going to remember this game,”Hurley said.”She’s 3 months old, thank God.”