Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, March 16, 1992 TAG: 9203160068
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Doug Doughty, Assistant sports Editor
DATELINE: CHARLOTTE, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
Laettner had 25 points, 10 rebounds and seven steals Sunday in leading the Blue Devils to a 94-74 victory over North Carolina in the ACC championship game at the Charlotte Coliseum.
"I shouldn't say [this], but I'd like to give him the Academy Award, too," said Smith, who pleaded with the officials that Laettner was faking contact. "He's the best actor since Meagher."
Dan Meagher was a role player noted for his rough play on coach Mike Krzyzewski's first Duke teams in the early 1980s.
"Jon Barry said a similar thing yesterday, that we win because of the Duke mystique," said Laettner when asked about Smith's comments.
"We'll use anything in our power. Hopefully, the Duke mystique will help us win some more games in the tournament."
Laettner is writing a diary for Gentleman's Quarterly and he is featured in the most recent issue of People magazine, so he isn't lacking for attention.
"If the producers are watching me play basketball and think I'm a good actor, maybe they'll give me a call," Laettner said. "I'll send him [Smith] my first movie promo."
Laettner, who made five of eight shots from 3-point range, received the Everett Case Award as the tournament's most valuable player.
"Christian Laettner certainly is hard to guard," Smith said. "He does so many things, he should be national player of the year, of the people I've seen."
\ After wrapping up the first ACC championship any of them had experienced, the Duke players briefly debated whether to cut down the nets.
"Christian wanted to do it, but I didn't," said Brian Davis, who is one of the Duke co-captains along with Laettner. "We've still got some things left to accomplish, but coach [Krzyzewski] thought it was a good idea."
\ Laettner passed Mike Gminski to move into second place on the Duke career scoring list with 2,345 points. Laettner has a chance to move past Virginia's Bryant Stith, who is fourth on the all-time ACC scoring list with 2,393 points.
\ Laettner on winning the championship after two previous losses in the final: "It means a lot to us. I think we said that coming in. Like everybody said a million times, we didn't have one and now we do. It's under our belts and that's where it's going to stay for me with the NCAAs coming up."
\ Duke junior Bobby Hurley set the record for assists in an ACC final with 11, assists in one ACC Tournament with 26 and career assists in the ACC Tournament with 50. He also tied a record for assists in one ACC Tournament game with 13 on Friday against Maryland.
Hurley had two assists and five turnovers Saturday in an 89-76 victory over Georgia Tech, the only time in 25 games this season that he has had more turnovers than assists.
\ When Hurley forced a turnover in the opening minutes by diving for the ball, teammate Thomas Hill yanked Hurley to his feet and screamed his approval.
"We wanted to show a lot of emotion in the beginning because we weren't sure it was there last year and wanted to make sure it was there this year," Hill said.
\ FOLLOW SHOTS: The closest game in the tournament was played Thursday night, when No. 8 seed Maryland defeated ninth-seeded Clemson 81-75. In every other game but one, the margin of victory was in double figures.
Hubert Davis led North Carolina on Sunday with 19 points, easily his lowest total in the past seven games. Davis is averaging 27.4 points over that span and shooting 60 percent (28-of-47) on 3-pointers.
Duke sophomore Grant Hill, who hit all eight of his shots Sunday, is shooting 62.9 percent for the year. Hill, who plays shooting guard for the Blue Devils, has attempted two 3-pointers in his career, none this season.
Duke had defeated North Carolina in the ACC championship game only once in six meetings before Sunday.
The Blue Devils' 58.1-percent shooting from the field was the second highest in 39 championship games. Virginia set the record when it shot 60 percent against North Carolina in the 1976 final.
Duke was 39 of 43 from the free-throw line in the semifinals and final.
by CNB