Duke basketball champ botches his all-time Blue Devil lineup
By Matt Giles
The power forward in Williams’ all-time Duke basketball five: SHANE BATTIER
Need a crafty defender around the paint? Call on Shane Battier (1997-01), a three-time NABC Defensive Player of the Year who still holds an NCAA record with 111 drawn charges and also sits inside the top five among all Duke basketball players in both career blocks (254) and steals (266).
Need a multifaceted weapon on offense? Battier fits the bill. During his four-year stay in Durham, the 6-foot-8, 225-pound stretch-four developed into one of the deadliest and most efficient scorers in the country. The former heralded prep from Michigan averaged 19.9 points as a senior, and for his college career, he shot 50.0 percent from the field, including 41.7 percent from deep.
Need a proven winner? No problem, for no Blue Devil has ever seen action in more Duke victories than Battier. In fact, his 131 wins are six more than No. 2 on the list. Moreover, it’s certainly worth noting that the program averaged fewer than four losses per season — and totaled only six losses against ACC foes — with the high-IQ hoopster on the roster.
And of course, Battier capped off his brilliant Duke basketball career with arguably the greatest defensive play in program history — against Arizona in the 2001 title game — leading to a net-cutting ceremony in Minneapolis.
Nope, Jason Williams won’t receive any flak from Ball Durham for deciding on Battier at the power forward.
However, with no disrespect to the lengthy bruiser at the five-spot here, we’ve reached the point where we must call out Williams for the absolutely inexcusable flaw to his all-time Duke basketball lineup…