From: jdt29225@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Jazzy J )
Subject: Re: Hurley
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 17:36:05 GMT

clancy@cs.utexas.edu (Daniel J. Clancy) writes:
>Think how much attention Hurley would be
>getting if Duke hadn't done so well the last few years?

>Suppose Hurley played for Memphis state in place of Hardaway.  I
>don't think he would get as much press as he has because he is not dazzling 
>enough to attract it on his own without a strong team around him.
>His skills are in running a team.  If he does not have a strong team to
>run his skills are not as evident.

	Hmm... these are very interesting points.  Which brings me up
	to something I've been thinking all along.  (Of course, this will
	bring back the Jazzy hates Hurley thread.. :)  )

	I'm beginning to wonder if Hurley's assist record is really going
	to mean anything.  Think about it.  Hurley will most certainly
	break the career assist record later this year, surpassing Chris
	Corchiani and Keith "Mister" Jennings.  But is it all that
	great or such an achievement?  I'm not so sure.

	1)  Hurley plays on a great team.  He gets about 8 assists on a
	    good night.  Duke annually features a great team, and they go
	    far into the tournament, so for the season they end up playing
	    about 35-37 games, at the least (in the past 3 seasons, Hurley
            has played 38, 39, and 31 games respectively).  Corchiani at
	    NC State and Jennings at East Tennessee St. didn't play more
	    than 32-33 games any given season.  Take 8 assists a game, and
	    that could be an additional 50 assists a year for Hurley.

	2)  Look at the surrounding cast.  Hurley's had the benefit of
	    throwing to the likes of Christian Laettner, Grant Hill, Thomas
	    Hill, Phil Henderson, Alaa Abdelnaby, and Robert Brickey, all
	    offensive forces.  Corchiani might have had Rodney Monroe, Tom
	    Gugliotta (in his lower scoring days), and Chucky Brown, but
	    Brian D'Amico?  Hardly the caliber of any of the Duke guys.
	    Jennings is even worse -- can't get too much out of the likes
	    of Rodney English, Marty Story, Greg Dennis, and Alvin West
	    (all were good players, but again, not like the Dookies).

	Not to compare the two or anything, but when Sherman Douglas broke
	the all-time assist record, he didn't get much press because they
	were always talking about the talent he had around him (i.e. Coleman,
	Seikaly, Owens, Thompson, etc).  

	There's no doubt in my mind that Hurley is perhaps one of the best
	college point guards ever.  His championships and MVP award speak
	for themselves.  However, I don't think the assist record should be
	all that big of a deal.  Like the previous poster noted, if he
	played somewhere like Memphis St, he wouldn't get half as much press.
	 
	Jazzy J
	     
-- 
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|   " I try to discover a little something to make me sweeter..."   --Erasure |
|   Jazzy J               jdt29225@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu         U-Illinois/Urbana |
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