Occasionally, I have a yen for college basketball from the late 1980s and before. Sometimes I run into a gem. Occasionally, favorites disappear. I’m on the hunt for more late 1970s or very early 1980s DePaul games, when Ray Meyer ran the diamond-and-one zone trap most of the time. Here’s why I bring all this up: I recently ran into an early 1980s Duke game, and remembered Gene Banks. Suddenly, my draft prep had a new spirit animal.
Banks was a very good college player in an elite conference. Announcers raved about his intangibles. Drafted by the San Antonio Spurs in the second round (28th overall), he started 81 games in his second pro season.