Jeremy’s Journal: Unranked Boston College Upsets #1 Duke (12/9/17)

It was a frosty afternoon in Chestnut Hill, MA.  With white flakes parachuting from the sky, and the temperate below freezing, Duke’s militant-minded head coach,  the legendary Mike Krzyzewski, prepared his soldiers in black and blue for a December matchup against an in-conference opponent, Boston College.

As both teams geared up for battle, I found my way into the bleachers at mid-court. Though I was a lifelong Duke fan, who cried in 2006 when JJ Redick and Shelden Williams fell to LSU in the Sweet 16, jumped for joy when Butler’s Gordon Hayward missed the potential championship-winning half court heave in 2010 to give Duke the title, was in disbelief when C.J. McCollum’s #15 Lehigh Mountain Hawks upset #2 Duke in the first round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament, and rejoiced once again when the big three, Tyus Jones, Jahlil Okafor, and Justise Winslow, guided the 2015 team to glory, I had never witnessed my beloved program play in-person. However, while on winter break from college, and a few dollars in my pocket, I was finally able to support my team from a first-person view.

Heading into the contest, Coach K’s Blue Devils had outgunned every opponent that was placed in their way. A perfect 11-0, with a trio of impressive neutral site wins, including a victory over Michigan State, a sharp Spartans team led by future NBA-talent Jaren Jackson Jr. and Miles Bridges, Duke shipped up to Boston as the number one ranked team in the country.  Eager to kick off conference play on the right foot, the Blue Devils took the court with their usual starting five. A star-studded, opening lineup featuring Marvin Bagley III (2nd pick in the 2018 NBA Draft), Grayson Allen (21st pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, led the NBA in 3pt % in 2023-24), Gary Trent Jr. (NBA Cup Champion with the Milwaukee Bucks), and Wendell Carter Jr (7th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft).  At this point in time, this dynamic bunch appeared unstoppable.

Far less accomplished, at least on paper, the Boston College Eagles headed into the contest with a 6-3 record. Despite the decent standing, they had lost two of their last three tilts,  including a 20-point beat down against Providence.  So while the Blue Devils came in untouchable, BC had already proven they were more than flawed. That being said, as a Duke enthusiast, sporting my team’s attire, I sat with comfort. Assuming the ensuing game would be a cakewalk for the indestructible team.

To be fair, as I dwelled inside of the Conte Forum, a chummy arena that housed just under 9,000 fans in total, giving it a distinctive, high-school-like feel, I did at least give some though to a potential upset. The last opposing team to take this very wooden floor as the number one seed in the country was the North Carolina Tar Heels back in 2009. As luck would have it, the defending champions, led by future NBA players, Tyler Hansbrough, and Ty Lawson were shockingly defeated by an unranked BC team. BC’s Tyrese Rice had a monster game, finishing with 25 points, in route to an 85-78 win. It was the first time since 1977 that the Eagles had bested the top team in the country. When I put two and two together, I realized that the ensuing match in front of my eyes, was as identical to the 09 game as it could be. The top team in the land, littered with NBA-talent vs a bunch of scrappy ballers.  In my eyes though, Duke isn’t like the Tar Heels. They are far superior to their in-state rivals. Plus, heading into this one, the Blue Devils had won 23-straight games against BC, so even though history had shown that madness could follow, I loved our chances.

If you’ve ever seen the movie, Space Jam, then you’ll understand that, what wound up transpiring, was akin to a scene involving the Monstars. In the movie,  a starting lineup of aliens (Pound, Bang, Bupkus, Nawt, and Blanco), each stole the basketball-skills from the souls of five NBA stars. Pound pilfered Charles Barkley of his knacks, Patrick Ewing lost his skills to Bang, Bupkus snatched Larry Johnson’s, Nawt went after Muggsy Bogues, and Blanco pocketed Shawn Bradley’s powers. By pinching the players, the aliens morphed into ‘Monstars’, and became NBA All-Stars.

I make reference to this classic film because the less-talented, shaky-of-late, BC Eagles transformed into 3-point assassins, while Duke couldn’t buy a make.  In the first half alone, BC went a preposterous 11-of-15 from deep, giving them a 7 point lead at the break. Though they cooled off a tad, the 3-party continued, as they wound up hitting four more in the 2nd half, finishing 15-of-26. On the other end, Duke, in an attempt to keep up from beyond the arc, shot a measly 8-of-30. Grayson Allen, the aforementioned star, who now lights it up from deep in the NBA, shot an abysmal 1-for-9 on three point attempts. As I watched BC’s Jerome Robinson rain every three he took (5-for-5), I just knew that some Monstar-like shift had to have taken place prior to the tipoff.

Despite the drastic difference in threes, Duke managed to stay in it. Marvin Bagley played well down low, finishing with 14 points and 12 rebounds, but at the end, it wasn’t enough. BCs, Ky Bowman put on a performance of the ages, as the sophomore messed around and almost got a triple double, finishing with 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists. Bowman’s teammate, Jordan Chatman, who ended the contest with 22 points, upped his clutch rating by hitting four consecutive free throws in the last 16 seconds of the game. FINAL SCORE: BC 89 DUKE 84.

As anticipated, the sold-out crowd of 8,606 stormed the court to celebrate the improbable outcome. Well, not all 8,606 fans. Shocked as ever, I stood in a fixed stance at my seat. No thoughts. No words. Below is my blurred view of the ruckus (By the point, I had moved away from the mid-court view).

Even though it was the opposite result I was hoping for, had Duke won with ease, the event wouldn’t have been memorable. Just another day at the barn. So as I reflect, I give thanks to the one-of-a-kind moment I was fortunate enough to witness on that ice-capped day in December.

Life Lesson: The more unique the experience, the more memorable it is. A less predictable life is far more thrilling than a life where tomorrow’s events are foreseeable. Keep it fun and interesting. 

Jeremy’s Journal is Jeremy’s way of expressing his gratitude to the world. At the end of each 500-1,000 word post, he will include a ‘Life Lesson’ of some kind. His goal is to remind himself, and his readers, how awesome everyone’s journey can be when perceived through the proper lens. 

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