Duke has had some wonderful walk-ons over the years and some who became critical. In 1977, when Tate Armstrong was injured and the guard core was thin, walk-on Bruce Bell became a starter and played really
well for Duke. Around the same time, Rob Hardy became a very useful player.
In more recent times, Justin Robinson came to Duke as a preferred walk-on and became an immensely influential part of the team. In his final season, he had begun to emerge as a key player just as Covid hit.
And over the last few years, Spencer Hubbard became a much-loved walk-on who ultimately earned a scholarship.
Last year, you’ll remember Duke was an unbelievably tall team. Hubbard was the outlier of course. Just 5-8, more or less average height for the rest of us, he appeared diminutive on the court.
He was ferocious in practice though and helped his teammates prepare for tough opponents. And on occasion, he got into games and had his own chance to shine.
His most shining moment, if you will, came last year in Duke’s most recent trip to New York and Madison Square Garden prior to Tuesday night’s win over Kansas.
Hubbard got the ball and found himself wide open at the top of the three point line, and, being prepared for the moment, let it rip.
As it fell through the net, his teammates cheered wildly, as did Duke fans. It was a wonderful moment for a kid who probably could have been a scholarship player at many schools. Instead, he chose to come to Duke, to walk on and to hope for a few minutes here and there. This one was truly special.
