In the sixth episode of her present “Sue’s Places,” Sue Bird sat down with Coach Okay and JJ Redick forward of Duke’s home sport in opposition to North Carolina. The Blue Zone is right here to interrupt down the episode:
UConn and WNBA legend Sue Bird’s quest to study in regards to the historical past of school basketball led her to Duke and Okay-Ville to discover the world of tenting. On her ESPN+ present “Sue’s Places,” she interviewed Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski and the Blue Devils’ all-time main scorer JJ Redick.
She explored the historical past of Okay-Ville, named after Krzyzewski, which first bought its title in 1986 with an indication college students placed exterior Cameron Indoor Stadium. Coach Okay initially described the world as “a mini Woodstock,” with extension cords, sizzling tubs and music. He delivered pizzas and overestimated the followers.
Krzyzewski emphasised how essential the Cameron Crazies had been to his success, particularly in tight moments. The better part was when his staff wanted a key defensive cease, and he may rely on the followers to affect the stadium.
“We’d make the stop… when it worked, there’s an explosion,” Krzyzewski mentioned. “The feeling you get from that I think is even greater than the feeling when a guy hits a shot.”
In his period, the Triangle space — Chapel Hill, Raleigh and Durham — handled gamers like each heroes and villains. Because of the proximity, Krzyzewski mentioned this space is so distinctive for faculty basketball. On one hand, gamers had been adored by the Crazies.
“We were like the Beatles,” Coach Okay mentioned.
They needed to sneak former guard Bobby Hurley in a duffel bag out of a window as a result of there have been so many followers awaiting him after a victory in opposition to Maryland.
However, the flip aspect is excessive hate, and solely sure gamers can cope with the psychological hurdle that comes with fixed jeering and taunting.
Bird requested Krzyzewski which gamers bought probably the most hate and the way they handled it. He recognized Christian Laettner and JJ Redick as particularly welcoming the hate. Redick had a 29-point outburst in opposition to Indiana in 2005 amidst a raucous crowd that went after him relentlessly.
“The thing with the shot, you can silence the crowd… it’s the best,” Krzyzewski mentioned.
Bird went to an area Durham retailer and met Redick for storytelling about his glory days in Durham. He described how the dimensions of Cameron Indoor contributes to the depth of the stadium.
“It was a dream come true,” Redick mentioned about enjoying in entrance of the Crazies. “There’s no place like Cameron.”
Redick embarrassingly recollects the one time he frolicked in Okay-Ville. He admitted to enjoying beer pong with college students the evening earlier than the North Carolina sport.
While he was not capable of discern most of the chants in opposition to opposing gamers, one factor that sticks in his thoughts was the “speedo guy,” aka Patrick King. In a 2003 bout in opposition to the Tar Heels, King took off all his garments — save for a speedo — on a Jackie Manuel free throw and compelled a miss.
Interestingly, in Saturday’s loss to North Carolina, there’s proof that the speedo man could have returned. But this time it wasn’t so profitable, and Elliot Cadeau knocked down the free throw.
On the street, Wake Forest was a high quality staff in Redick’s period, with guys like Chris Paul and Justin Gray main the cost. Redick particularly remembered Winston-Salem as a hostile setting, with the scholar part stuffed with tie-dye t-shirts.
That was one other custom reappeared this 12 months, because the Demon Deacon trustworthy introduced again “Tie-Dye Nation” of their 83-79 win in opposition to Duke.
In the top, each Redick and Krzyzewski marveled on the willpower of the Cameron Crazies and the mutually helpful relationship between the followers and the staff. Although the Tar Heels took the matchup this 12 months, the custom is the epitome of ardour inside school basketball that may outline Duke’s excellence for a very long time.
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| Assistant Blue Zone editor
Ranjan Jindal is a Trinity sophomore and an assistant Blue Zone editor of The Chronicle’s 119th quantity.
