North Carolina State University Athletics
Haynes' World: Shades of '74
4/3/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Tony Haynes
When Gary Hahn and I were broadcasting the ACC Tournament semifinal game between Duke and Maryland back on March 10, I had an inkling that I might be watching the two best teams in the country.
One month later, I still feel the same way. It's probably the same feeling many folks had when NC State squared off against Maryland in the 1974 ACC Championship game.
And though the Blue Devils defeated Arizona for their third National Championship on Monday night, I'm firmly convinced that Maryland was actually the second best team at the Final Four last weekend. And as they proved in their four meetings with Duke this season, the Terps are a close second.
In order to take home their third title in the last 10 years, the Devils had fight off some rather stiff resistance from their conference rivals from College Park. Duke did prevail in three of the four meetings between the two teams, but that record could easily have been reversed. Ultimately, as they did in their championship game victory over Arizona, the Blue Devils always seemed to make the big shot, grab the big rebound or come up with a key loose ball at just the right moment.
If the Terrapins and their fans aren't accustomed to being second banana, they certainly know what it's like to play the role of bridesmaid. What happened this year is very reminiscent of the 1974 season when Maryland was clearly the second or third best team in the nation. It just so happened that NC State was a little better.
Long before they could even dream of dethroning seven time champ UCLA in the Final Four that year, the Wolfpack had to deal with a Maryland team that was clearly good enough to win it all. And like the Duke vs. Maryland epics of this season, the Pack and Terps met in three memorable match-ups 27 years ago. It all culminated with what is still regarded as the greatest ACC game ever played, NC State's 103-100 overtime triumph over Maryland in the ACC Championship game.
This year, Duke's memorable 84-82 win over the Terrapins in the ACC semifinals was also a classic. The parallels are worth noting because in both instances, the winners of those two incredible games went on to capture National Championships.
History can never be rewritten, but it is somewhat fascinating to wonder what Maryland's fate would have been had it found a way to turn the tables on NC State in 1974 and Duke this year.
What was the difference? Consider the fact that in both cases, the Wolfpack and Blue Devils had something the Terrapins didn't have: the very best player in college basketball. In 1974, the National player of the Year was NC State's David Thompson. In 2001, the National Player of the Year is Shane Battier of Duke.
Shades of '74 indeed.
