In 1972, the NCAA ruled unilaterally to allow freshmen to participate fully in all varsity sports. There were situations prior in which first year players could participate, but those were typically due to war time efforts, which left colleges devoid of students and particularly student-athletes. The “no play” rule stemmed from studies that showed freshmen athletes had the propensity to fail classes, leaving them ineligible for sports or out of school altogether. Even still today, there are those who feel freshmen should not be allowed to play, giving them the opportunity to adjust to college life and academia.
Well, those days are beyond us and freshmen have become essential to college sports, playing on our natural tendency to gravitate toward the unknown. Our curiosity gets the best of us, and we love the term potential and the greatness it suggests. More times than not, despite our wishes and prayers, freshmen players are on the bench watching greatness happen, cheering on those special moments that we superficially think they’ve earned and deserved. But sometimes, those prayers are answered, and a freshman rises to the occasion on the big stage. Guys like Michael Jordan, Pervis Ellison, Grant Hill, Carmelo Anthony, Greg Oden and Anthony Davis refused to be seated and all starred on the greatest stages college basketball had to offer.
There is however, one stage in particular that can define a career. The theatre known as Duke vs. UNC brings out the best in the guys on the floor and the worst in the fans that obsess over it. Every now and then, within the fraternity Phi Beta Frosh, somebody emerges and takes that stage and makes their first appearance in THE game a personal Barbara Streisand moment. For 40 minutes, the stage is theirs and a select few failed to disappoint. Let’s take a look at some recent big time performances by the guys that usually carry the senior’s bags and defer the ball to those established team captains.
In a January 22nd, 1983 blowout loss to Carolina, Mark Alarie scored 23 points and pulled down 6 rebounds while freshman Jay Bilas scored 14 points and grabbed 8 boards against a tough Carolina frontline that boasted Sam Perkins and Brad Daugherty.
During a February 3, 2000 matchup, Duke won an overtime thriller 90-86 with big help from Jay “Don’t call me Jason” Williams’ 12 points and 6 assists and Carlos Boozer scoring 15 points and securing 7 rebounds while matching up against the enormous Brendan Haywood. But the star that night was “King Joseph” Forte, who hit 20 points while nailing 2 huge threes late during what seemed like a forever comeback from 19 points down. The Heels were all but dead, until Forte decided to take over and the whole team fed off the freshman’s big time performance.
JJ Redick gave Duke a 4-9 three point shooting night to finish with 17 points in an 83-74 win at CIS on February 5, 2003.
Luol Deng brought 17 points and 12 rebounds and sustained a mild concussion due to a David Noel elbow in the 83-81 OT thriller at Chapel Hill during the 2003-2004 season. Every point and rebound was needed in that victory and Deng brought a huge effort. His second game against the Heels was even bigger.
In 2004-2005, DeMarcus Nelson’s 16 points proved crucial, but his defense all game, particularly in the waning seconds of the February 9th matchup secured a dramatic one-point 71-70 victory for the Devils in Cameron.
In what seemingly became a trend, Duke was aided in a big way by freshmen. Greg Paulus dished 7 assists and Josh McRoberts scored 17 and pulled down 5 misses in a close 87-83 win at Chapel Hill.
The following season, Duke lost a heart-breaker to the boys in powder blue despite 26 huge points from Jon Scheyer and 14 from Gerald Henderson. UNC freshman Brandan Wright torched Duke down the stretch and finished with 19 and 9.
The very next season, in Kyle Singler’s first game against Carolina, he gave Duke a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds. Duke won that matchup 89-78 in the DES.
In the February 10th, 2010 dogfight, Duke won 64-54. Mason Plumlee showed up with 7 points and 9 rebounds and an iconic reverse jam and roar that has become his signature.
2010-2011 is worth mentioning, because Seth Curry (though not a freshman), in his first matchup against Carolina helped bring Duke back from a halftime double digit deficit with 22 points. Duke won a battle at Cameron 79-73. In my mind, Kyrie would have hit UNC for 28. Just sayin…
See item: Austin Rivers. What more needs to be said? He was 9-16 from the field, 6-10 from the three, with 26 points on the night. Duke was getting beaten in every aspect of the game, and with every shot Rivers took, there seemed to be purpose. Earlier in the season, Rivers had a similar performance in a blowout loss to Ohio State, but it seemed to be an NBA audition. This game, Austin took shots like a leader, with purpose and Duke continued to hang around and hang around. He was 5-9 from three and with Duke down two; he brought the ball up the floor. The assumption was drive and Tyler Zeller switched on a pick and stayed with Austin. You know the rest of the story from there, easily the latest and greatest first time freshman performance ever in THE rivalry.
As you can see, as first year players have become more significant in the college game, their roles in big games have become bigger and better. This year, Marcus Paige, JP Tokoto, Joel James, Brice Johnson, Rasheed Sulaimon, Alex Murphy, Amile Jefferson, and Marshall Plumlee all have a chance to continue what has become tradition; a freshman playing a pivotal role in the Duke/Carolina game. Will they step up to the plate? Numbers alone says at least one of them will. Who will it be? My curiosity is peaked.
