![]() He did things on the court that previously hadn’t been seen at Cameron Indoor Stadium. His aggressive and instinctive play helped change the image of Duke basketball. In 1978, Banks was named the ACC Rookie of the Year and helped Duke reach the NCAA championship game. “I had to achieve in order for others of my race. “There weren’t many blacks, but it was a small and significant group of blacks,” said Banks, who earned a degree in history and gave the commencement speech at graduation. Willie Hodge, Edgar Burch, Rick Gomez, George Moses, Ken Young and Harold Morrison all played on the Duke varsity team before Banks and starting point guard John Harrell, a transfer from North Carolina Central, entered the school in September 1977. He arrived in 1968 and played on the varsity squad in 1970 but eventually transferred. The first African-American player at Duke with a basketball scholarship was Don Blackman. ![]() 25, 1978, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. ![]() North Carolina went on to defeat Duke, 87-83, to win the ACC regular-season championship on Feb. Gene Banks (left) of Duke is stripped of the ball by John Virgil (right) of North Carolina as Banks was about to make a layup off a fast break. He arrived in 1965 on a “grant-in-aid” and played on the varsity squad from 1967 to 1969. Claiborne was the first black basketball player at Duke. While North Carolina and North Carolina State enjoyed success in recruiting African-American players, Duke was behind the trend. I knew it was a very big decision that had been on his mind.” “The only thing I knew about Duke was that it was in the ACC and it was in North Carolina,” said Clarence “Eggy” Tillman, Banks’ frontcourt mate at West Philadelphia High. His decision to attend Duke came as a surprise to others. In a dream, Banks said he saw himself wearing a blue and white Duke uniform. One day, Banks took the advice of his mother, went into his room, closed the door and prayed. In the end, it was a dream that pushed Duke to the top of his list. To get him off my back, I chose to go there. “ kept hammering me about the academics and the beautiful buildings. “The only thing I knew about the was David Thompson,” said Banks. So were the University of Pennsylvania and Villanova, two schools within a stone’s throw of Banks’ home.īanks said it was his English teacher at West Philly, William H. Duke’s Zion Williamson was the talk of the town at NBA All-Starīanks had options on where to play collegiately.What if top athletes used their leverage to get scholarships for academic stars?.Grant Hill: ‘I was fortunate, but that didn’t necessarily help in the basketball world’.“I was excited to play with the best players in the country. “I was proud to be a McDonald’s All American,” said Banks. He scored a game-high 22 points and led the McDonald’s squad to a 112-92 victory, earning game MVP honors. Banks showed why he was considered the best prep player in the country. Banks was regarded as the best of the best.Īlthough there wasn’t a McDonald’s game in 1977, the team was featured in the Capital Classic in Washington, D.C., against an all-star team from the D.C. In 1977, Banks was named to the first McDonald’s All American team, which also featured Basketball Hall of Famer Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Albert King, Wayne McKoy, Jeff Ruland, Darnell Valentine and Al Wood. “Gene could talk to anyone about anything,” said retired West Philadelphia High School coach Joe Goldenberg. On any given day they’d fight, but not when we played.” ![]() “I had gang members come up and say they wouldn’t fight out of respect for what we were doing,” said Banks. But an unspoken truce would be observed for a day whenever the Speedboys performed. There would be gunplay on occasion, albeit nothing like what is seen today. Youngsters would square off and fight with their fists or a knife. He was the best,” said Darryl Warwick, the team’s sure-handed point guard who went by the nickname “City Lights.”ĭuring the ’70s, it was common, especially around Banks’ high school, to see gang conflicts. And he was appointment viewing at West Philadelphia High School. He played with a high basketball IQ and intensity. Nicknamed “Tinkerbell,” Banks could dominate both inside and outside. Word of mouth and a mention in Street & Smith’s helped players develop a rep and mystique. There were no scouting services or mixtapes when Banks played. Gene Banks of Duke goes up for a shot against North Carolina at at the Greensboro Coliseum in 1980, Banks became the first McDonald’s All American to sign with the Blue Devils.ĭuke University/Collegiate Images/Getty Images ![]()
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