Considering that basketball has been Duke’s signature sport since at least the 1960s, it took some time for current or former Blue Devils to make their mark in that sport.
Some of this is timing. Dick Groat would have made the 1952 team but he was already in the majors by then, without playing an inning of minor-league baseball. Art Heyman was playing playing pro ball in 1964, Jack Marin and Bob Verga in 1968, Randy Denton in 1972.
Jeff Mullins was Duke’s first basketball Olympian. He won gold for the United State in 1964 in Tokyo, although a leg injury kept him out of the gold medal game, a 73-59 win over the Soviet Union.
Mullins averaged 2.3 points per game in eight games.
Another fun fact. Mullins’ roommate in Tokyo was our old friend Larry Brown. Mullins told me they got along well.
We have to skip to 1976. Tate Armstrong played sparingly for the Dean Smith-coached US team. But he got a gold medal for his efforts.
You’ve likely heard of Armstrong. But did you know Duke had another basketball Olympian that year in Montreal?
Yes, that would be Canadian Cameron Hall, who played for host Canada and almost got a medal. The USSR defeated Canada 100-72 in the knockout round and then the USSR defeated Canada for the bronze.
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