YouTube Gold: Duke-Wake Forest, 1987
Duke was a very good team
When Carl Tacy recruited Muggsy Bogues back in the early 1980’s, it probably seemed kind of nuts to a lot of people: who would ever sign a 5-3 guard?
Bogues was in the ACC when there was some unbelievable talent: Michael Jordan, Ralph Sampson, Len Bias, Kenny Smith, Danny Ferry, Mark Price, Johnny Dawkins, John Salley...and you could keep going. The talent was amazing.
But Bogues was up to it.
In this game with Duke from 1987, Wake Forest was outgunned, but Bogues was just so quick and daring that it was impossible to contain him.
And while Wake Forest was really bad during the Bob Staack era, and finished just 14-15 in 1986-87, Bogues nearly led them to an upset in this game of what would be a Sweet Sixteen team that spring.
Duke won 62-60, but it took overtime to do it.
When you watch this, keep in mind that Tommy Amaker, who was mostly responsible for guarding Bogues, was a very quick player and a superb defender.
No one could guard Bogues.
After the 1986-87 season, he would enter the NBA as a first-round draft pick to great doubt, again because of his diminutive size.
When he retired in 2001, there were no more doubts because Bogues had answered all the questions about him.
We’ll see another Michael Jordan before we see another Muggsy Bogues.