At site where son starred, Friars strut out their best to please coach
Bob Hurley kept a straight face, acting like a grizzled poker player instead of the finest high school basketball coach in the nation.
The legendary St. Anthony basketball coach brought his Friars to the famed basketball cathedral known as the Cameron Indoor Stadium, on the campus of Duke University – the place where his son, Bobby, performed magic throughout his four-year All-American career.
But Hurley professed and insisted that it was just another game; a crucial contest against the nation’s No. 13-ranked team from Hopkins, Minnesota. He wasn’t going to get caught up in nostalgia and warm memories.
"Absolutely none," Hurley said. "I was more concerned about [senior forward] Obie’s [Nwadike] health than anything else. (Nwadike was up all night Friday into Saturday with a bad case of stomach flu.) I just wanted our team to play well here. We needed to play well. I think I went through that (the nostalgic feeling) a long time ago. That was a great time. But playing well here was more important than anything else."
It had been nearly 11 years since Hurley stepped foot into Cameron, where he had been countless times before, watching his son work his wizardry, leading Duke to back-to-back national championships in 1991 and 1992. Bobby’s uniform jersey, No. 11, was retired and still hangs proudly from the rafters of the historic arena.
In fact, it’s hard not to notice it, as it drapes across the back baseline, with names like Laettner, Hill, Ferry and Battier, All-Americans all the same like Bobby Hurley.
"It’s the first thing everyone looked at when they walked in," said Nwadike, who recovered in time to play in the game Saturday night. "When you play for St. Anthony, you hear about Bobby Hurley all the time. So we all noticed it more than anything else."
"I think a lot of us came into the gym looking for it," said senior center Terrence Roberts. "We got to take a look at everything, the banner, the trophies, the displays. After all, he’s the coach’s son, and we’ve all heard how great of a player he was."
So considering this was the coach’s first trip back to where his son once held court, it would have been totally inappropriate for the Friars to actually lose, correct?
"If he [Hurley] didn’t think it was important for him, then it’s definitely an understatement," Roberts said. "I could tell the way he felt by the way he talked and the way he was acting. He wanted to win here more than anything."
"Being here was totally different than any other game," Nwadike said. "Coach Hurley wanted it bad. We knew it was a must-win for us, even if we did it just for him."
With that in mind, the Friars went out and played their finest game of the season, soundly defeating the team from Minnesota, 63-46, shutting down Hopkins’ All-American Kris Humphries, who will play at Duke next year, in the process.
The Friars, who had been struggling offensively all season, had four players in double figures, led by Roberts with 14 points. Ahmad Mosby continued his solid play with 13 points, followed by Nwadike, who had a solid 12 points and eight rebounds. Sophomore sharpshooter Sean McCurdy, seeing his first action of the season, tallied 10, including nailing three 3-pointers.
"That’s the thing I’m most pleased with, getting Sean back and getting extensive playing time," Hurley said of the sophomore transfer, who missed the first seven games of the season with a knee injury. "He’s a very good shooter and he’s physically tough. Having him back gives us more juice. Being able to use Sean gives us more options."
Hurley had some concerns going into last week, facing Neptune – the team the Friars met in the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions finale last year – then Hopkins, a team with an All-America center and nationally ranked.
Instead of losing both games, which was a possibility, and entering this week with a 4-4 record that is totally unthinkable in St. Anthony standards, the Friars won both games and are now a more St. Anthony-like 6-2.
"This was a huge win," Hurley said after the game. "That’s why the Neptune game was so important. It put us in position for this game. It was a terrific win for us, in a great atmosphere where the kids are going to remember this for the rest of their lives."
Much like the memories that were created by the coach’s son – not to mention, the coach who coached his son.
"Having the Hurleys back here brings back some amazing memories for me," said Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, who greeted Bob Hurley, his wife, Chris, and daughter, Melissa, when they came to practice a day earlier. "Seeing them brings back the laughter and the tears we shared back then. They are always a big part of who we are here and will always be a part of our family. It’s great to have them back."
Added Krzyzewski, "They are Duke people forever. Seeing them brings back the great memories. They were emotional times. Bobby’s one of my all-time favorite players. I love him. As a player and as a person, he made me so very happy many, many times. It was great to see Bob and Chris again."
So while it was a chance for some to relive great memories in Duke basketball history, the stoic coach was more concerned about the current season and the chance for his team to grow.
However, Hurley’s players knew that for him, deep inside, going back to Duke and coming away without a win would have been an empty feeling.
"I don’t think anyone expected us to win," Roberts said. "So it was big. I’m glad we were able to win for Coach Hurley. I think we were able to show Coach Hurley that we could play at a high level."
"It was definitely important for us to play well here," said Nwadike, named the Player of the Game. "We can get a little comfort out of knowing we did well."
And knowing that the Hurleys are still winners in Durham, N.C., the place where Bobby called home for four years. In this respect, you can go home again, even if it is some 600 miles away from home.