Duke-Indiana: 1992 SemiFinal Drawing*

A Story by Abishai100

Coach K and Bob Knight square-off against each other in 1992, offering fans of college basketball an iconic dichotomy.

An American sports fanfare-toast to the unforgettable if tense 1992 Duke- Indiana (NCAA tourney-semifinal) game, a special trophy for modern NCAA-TV (American diet!).

DISCLAIMER: I have no affiliations/ties with either school to indicate a personal demo bias/intention.

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Two legendary NCAAB coaches in America, Bob Knight and Coach K, were about to square off against each other in the iconic NCAA men's basketball tournament, March Madness. Ironically, Knight and Coach K once worked alongside each other.

The 1992 Indiana Hoosiers were anticipated to possibly be the strongest and most talented men's college basketball team in the tourney-pool that year. The Hoosiers, coached by Bob Knight, boasted great players including Eric Anderson and the amazing Calbert Cheaney, whom many considered was the greatest college player that year.

The 1992 Duke Blue Devils were a great squad indeed, and they're seeking to repeat as national champions under Coach K. Now, Coach K had flowered the Blue Devils since the Big '80s, raising them to greatness by taking them to multiple Final Four appearances in the March Madness tournament, and after stunning the 1991 heavyweights UNLV, the Blue Devils were striving to win yet another this year. They'd already played arguably the tightest and most energized men's college basketball tourney game in American sports history, the Regional Final game with the Kentucky Wildcats, coached by Rick Pitino and boasting gifted senior-players all returning from a multiple-year suspension and looking for great redemption. Now, Coach K and the Blue Devils, led by guard Bobby Hurley and center Christian Laettner, hoped to get past the Indiana Hoosiers in this Final Four game, the National Semifinal.

UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian commented that if anyone could stop the proverbial 'Duke train' this year, it'd definitely be the Calbert Cheaney led Indiana Hoosiers. Indeed, as the Semifinal game began, Indiana was rolling to a mighty offensive show, and boasted a terrific 39-27 lead with just 2 minutes to play in the 1st half.

Calbert Cheaney was at the center of this NCAAB men's drama on TV, as he continued to showcase why he simply frightened his great opponents with the right exciting blend of acrobatics, strength, and shooting/dunking. He's an all-around offense musketeer, and many claim one of the greats in NCAA history. Who'd stop this offense-show, under Bob Knight's coaching?

Coach K wouldn't be outshined after having so many laurel-drama victories in the past years and especially in 1991 and in this season. He wanted Bobby Hurley, the star Duke guard, to buckle down and display the leadership-promise he had. Hurley was simply cool-headed and brilliant, serving as a master-general on the court and keeping the Hoosiers' Calbert Cheaney just as bare arm-length. The Blue Devils pulled to within 5 points to bring the score down to 42-37 at the end of the 1st half after trailing by 12 points with just 2 minutes left to play in that 1st half!

It was Bobby Hurley who continued to shine as the brilliant general of this NCAAB show that National Semifinal game with the talented Indiana Hoosiers. He brilliantly marshaled and orchestrated the multi-pronged Duke offense/defense to make sure that the Blue Devils always stayed mightily close to Knight's Hoosier squad. Hurley put on a commander-show as the nation's best point-guard and miraculously helped Duke defeat Indiana by the tight-score of 81-78.

Coach K was proud of his entire team but most of all of his star-guard Bobby Hurley. Without Hurley, the Blue Devils would've been simply vanquished by Calbert Cheaney's demonstrative Hoosiers in that close game in America, televised of course.