Duke basketball: The 10 most hated Blue Devils of all time
By Matt Giles
The most hated Duke basketball faces: Steve Wojciechowski
8. 434. Scouting Report. 1994-98. Guard. Steve Wojciechowski. player. Pick Analysis
The repeated floor slaps. The intensity of said floor slaps. The extended bear hugs with head coach Mike Krzyzewski. The pestering style of defense he played. The emotions he wore on his sleeve. Yes, all this made Steve Wojciechowski — aka “Wojo” or the chunky Polish kid from Baltimore — an annoying little squirt in the eyes of outsiders.
With all that in mind, some might be wondering why Wojo didn’t wind up significantly higher on this list. Well, to answer that, keep in mind that the 5-foot-11, 170-pound four-year starting point guard never once reached a Final Four, never once averaged double-digit points for a season, and never once kept up with a Speedy Gonzales at his position.
Yup, haters definitely didn’t mind all that about Wojo. Also, his Rudy-esque performances perhaps forced some to even respect the tough-minded kid a bit.
On the other hand, after having no luck with a pro playing career, Wojo quickly returned to the Duke basketball bench as an assistant, where he stayed for 14 seasons and saw the Blue Devils win two national championships. It’s no surprise the hate escalated considerably in those years as his face constantly showed up smack-dab next to that of Krzyzewski (i.e., more bear hugs galore).
Now, entering his seventh season as the head coach at Marquette with a solid 115-81 overall record, Wojo is seen by many as a legit candidate to replace Coach K, whenever the legend’s retirement day may come. Haters must be gearing up with insults for that possibility.
Might as well move on now to another former point guard who is a potential successor to the Duke basketball throne…