When UCF and Arizona State tipped off recently, the most decorated names in the building weren’t on the floor-they were pacing the sidelines.
Johnny Dawkins and Bobby Hurley, two Duke basketball legends with banners hanging in Cameron Indoor Stadium, squared off as head coaches in a matchup that brought a unique kind of nostalgia to the hardwood. Both men helped shape Duke into the powerhouse it is today, and now they’re carving out their own legacies in the coaching world.
Let’s start with Dawkins, who helped lay the foundation for the Duke dynasty. A smooth, left-handed scorer with a knack for big moments, Dawkins played under Mike Krzyzewski from 1982 to 1986, during the early years of Coach K’s historic run in Durham.
Dawkins didn’t just play at Duke-he helped define what Duke basketball would become. He poured in 2,556 points over four seasons, a school record that stood until JJ Redick came along two decades later.
Dawkins’ senior year was something out of a storybook. Duke went 37-3, setting an NCAA record at the time for wins and games played in a single season.
Dawkins was the engine behind that run, earning back-to-back First-Team All-American honors and walking away with the Naismith Player of the Year award. The Blue Devils came up just short in the 1986 national championship game, falling to Louisville, but Dawkins’ legacy was already secure.
Fast forward to 2023, and Dawkins received one of the highest honors in college hoops-induction into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. Reflecting on the moment, Dawkins said, “I'm humbled and grateful… Every step of this journey has been filled with incredible teammates and mentors who have made an impact along the way. To be enshrined along Coach K and several other great players and coaches is an incredible honor as well.”
Across the court, another Duke icon was leading his team with the same fire he once brought to the floor. Bobby Hurley, Duke’s floor general in the early ’90s, still holds the NCAA Division I record for career assists-a staggering 1,076 dimes over 140 games. He wasn’t just a passer; he was the heartbeat of a Duke team that went back-to-back in 1991 and 1992, capturing the program’s first two national titles.
Hurley’s partnership with Christian Laettner and Grant Hill made that Duke squad one of the most feared in college basketball history. In 1992, they averaged 88 points per game, steamrolling through opponents with a blend of speed, skill, and swagger. Hurley’s 7.68 assists per game didn’t just lead the team-they orchestrated a symphony of scoring.
Now, as a head coach, Hurley has a new appreciation for what he and his teammates accomplished back then. “I just know now as a coach just how difficult it is to coach and win games, any game,” he told Yurview. “It makes it more impressive to me what we were able to accomplish.”
So when UCF and Arizona State met, it wasn’t just another non-conference clash. It was a reunion of two of Duke’s most influential players-now mentors, leaders, and competitors in a new chapter of their basketball journeys.
The jerseys may be retired, but the passion clearly isn’t. And for fans of the game, watching Dawkins and Hurley go head-to-head on the sidelines is a reminder of just how deep the roots of college basketball run.