CBS Ranks Duke’s Best Freshmen, But…
When CBS dropped its list of the top five freshmen in Duke basketball history — led by phenom Cooper Flagg and high-flyer Zion Williamson — the internet lit up. But as flashy as those names are, the list left out some of the very pillars who built Duke’s foundation. From Tyus Jones’ court IQ to Gene Banks’ trailblazing swagger, legends were forgotten — and longtime Blue Devil fans weren’t having it. This isn’t just about stats — it’s about impact, legacy, and the names that paved the way before the one-and-done era began. Let’s set the record straight.
Over at CBS, Cameron Salerno rates the Top 5 freshmen in Duke history. It’s not a bad list:
Cooper Flagg
Zion Williamson
Jahlil Okafor
Marvin Bagley
RJ Barrett
Not bad but there are some other guys who should have been considered, notably Tyus Jones. That guy was a computer on the court, constantly making the right decisions. He was a superb point guard.
It’s impossible not to list Grant Hill too. What were they thinking?
We’d also consider Bobby Hurley. He played in a different era and grew into a truly great point guard, but he was not bad as a freshman at all, leading his team to the championship game.
JJ Redick should also get some consideration. Like Hurley, he became truly great, but he was really good as a freshman, too.
We’re probably forgetting some people but there are three freshmen who cannot be overlooked on a list like this:
Jim Spanarkel
Mike Gminski
Gene Banks
Spanarkel was an unexpected surprise and he became Duke’s first ACC Rookie of the Year. He was an unbelievably smart player.
Gminski came to Duke at 16 and immediately became one of the ACC’s best centers, which was saying something in that era.
Finally, Banks came in with immense hype and lived up to it, helping to spark Duke to an incredible run to the 1978 national championship game. It was truly an extraordinary season, and Banks was the most charismatic player Duke had seen since Art Heyman. He did more for Duke Basketball than people realize, because Duke then was a lot less than Wake Forest now.
We surely missed some people but limiting it to five makes it a tough job.
