The Last Great Game: Duke vs. Kentucky and the 2.1 Seconds That Changed Basketball [Hardcover]

Gene Wojciechowski (Author)

Book Description

Release date: January 5, 2012

The definitive book on the greatest game in the history of college basketball, and the dramatic road both teams took to get there.

March 28, 1992. The final of the NCAA East Regional, Duke vs. Kentucky. The 17,848 at the Spectrum in Philadelphia and the millions watching on TV could say they saw the greatest game and the greatest shot in the history of college basketball. But it wasn't just the final play of the game-an 80-foot inbounds bass from Grant Hill to Christian Laettner with 2.1 seconds left in overtime- that made Duke's 104-103 victory so memorable. The Kentucky and Duke players and coaches arrived at that point from very different places, each with a unique story to tell.

In The Last Great Game, acclaimed ESPN columnist Gene Wojciechowski tells their stories in vivid detail, turning the game we think we remember into a drama filled with suspense, humor, revelations and reverberations. The cast alone is worth meeting again: Mike Krzyzewski, Rick Pitino, Bobby Hurley, Jamal Mashburn, Christian Laettner, Sean Woods, Grant Hill, and Bobby Knight. Timed for the game's 20th anniversary, The Last Great Game isn't a book just for Duke or Kentucky or even basketball fans. It's a book for any reader who can appreciate that great moments in sports are the result of hard work, careful preparation, group psychology, and a little luck.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Almost 20 years later, the highlight still gleams. In the 1992 NCAA East Regional finals, Duke center Christian Laettner takes the overtime pass from the opposite end line, spins, and lofts a shot from the top of the key. Swish. Duke wins 104–103. Many consider it the greatest college basketball game ever. Wojciechowski builds to that momentous shot with a detailed history of both programs in the years immediately prior to the game. Kentucky, devastated by NCAA sanctions, hired coach Rick Pitino from the New York Knicks, and the volatile New Yorker instituted the killer conditioning program necessary to implement his full-court-pressing strategy. It worked. At Duke, Mike Krzyzewski had assembled a self-rejuvenating juggernaut that had yet to win an NCAA title, despite reaching the Final Four four times. The Blue Devils couldn’t get over the hump. In a jaunty, humorous, thoroughly engaging tone, Wojciechowski profiles the coaches, players, assistants, and trainers, offering fascinating portraits of group dynamics as the two coaches employ very different styles to guide their teams to the monumental showdown. This thoroughly enjoyable book will attract college basketball fans across the country, regardless of team loyalties. --Wes Lukowsky

Review

“[R]ecaptures the energy of one of sport’s greatest moments….A fitting, illuminating tribute to a game that many believe was the best ever.”
- Kirkus Reviews

“Wojciechowski offers a nice blend of past and present perspectives as he tells the story of how an unlikely classic came to be, how it played out, and how it lives on … [The Last Great Game] is both fun and thorough without getting tedious.”
- Erik Spanberg, The Christian Science Monitor

“[A] fascinating portrait ….This thoroughly enjoyable book will attract college basketball fans across the country, regardless of team loyalties.”
- Booklist

“You think you know all the stories? So did I. But I had not heard these.”
- Louisville Courier-Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Blue Rider Press (January 5, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 039915857X
• ISBN-13: 978-0399158575
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 1.3 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #88,469 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Really Nice Piece of Basketball History January 10, 2012

By Ronny

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I just finished "The Last Great Game" and I enjoyed it tremendously. The story of the two greatest college basketball dynasties in America is touched on in the form of Coach K and Rick Pitino and the teams they led into one of the greatest games of all time.

Fair warning to UK fans, the Duke team is given a far more thorough and in depth examination than the Kentucky team. Now that is not to say UK is ignored or that there is a bias or the sense that Duke is more deserving, rather it could very well boil down to a case of "to the winner go the spoils" since Duke did win the game. I do think the author could have added 15-30 pages to discuss UK's team dynamic, the players, and the campus- as he did with Duke- but I suspect this might have more to do with a lack of access to the UK side rather than a lack of diligence.

For Duke fans, you might be disappointed to learn that Bobby Hurley did not fully participate in the writing of this book. Given the attention given to the contentious nature of the relationship between Hurley and Christian Laettner and Hurley's pivotal role in Duke's success, I really wanted to hear Bobby's take on his college career and the game vs. Kentucky. That being said the sections devoted to Duke are well written and very revealing, giving a great perspective on all the players, the dynamic of the team, and Coach K's influence on their success.

I am a UK fan and I hate (but respect tremendously) Duke, and aside from a few complaints, I can recommend this book to UK, Duke and college basketball fans of all stripes.

And to respond to the other review regarding Hurley's participation:

Hurley is not quoted with any detail on the following:

Being "handed the keys" to the team as a Freshman to the chagrin of the upperclassmen.
His contentious relationship with Laettner.
Needing bathroom breaks in the finals loss to UNLV due to illness.
Being labeled a whiner as a Freshman.
Playing with a broken foot in a loss during the 92 season.

I simply think his voice was largely missing in the book, especially given his pivotal role in the story.

But it's still a fantastic book that I highly recommend...just not as perfect as others would have you believe.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed it immensely January 12, 2012

By SoCal

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Great book if you are a fan of college basketball or sports in general and remember the game.

I am a Duke grad so I loved it. Probably more Duke than Ky but still plenty for the Kentucky fans.

You get a real appreciation for what it takes to succeed at the highest levels of college sport. I came away with a much higher regard for Pitano.

My only gripe is that I got the Kindle version. No page numbers and sloppy conversion. For example a 6 foot 11 inch player is described as 611 in height.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Those Who Watched the Game Will Never Forget January 9, 2012

By Eric Mayforth

Format:Hardcover

On the morning of March 28, 1992, the Duke Blue Devils needed three more wins to become the first team in 19 years to repeat as national college basketball champions. Very tough squads stood in their path, though, and the game they played against the Kentucky Wildcats later that day in the East regional final of the NCAA Tournament is the contest that author Gene Wojciechowski looks back on in "The Last Great Game."

Wojciechowski tells the story of the Duke and Kentucky programs for the few years leading up to their epic '92 clash. Coach Mike Krzyzewski and Duke struggled for years with Final Four failure before finally winning a national title in 1991, and Rick Pitino was hired in 1989 to coach Kentucky back into elite status following crippling NCAA sanctions.

The author's history of the Duke and Kentucky programs of those years is excellent, as is his remembrance of the '91-'92 season and the 104-103 overtime classic itself. The author was able to get many interviews with players and coaches involved in the game, which was just unforgettable.

It's almost impossible to believe that it has been (gulp) 20 years since the game--I can still remember watching it and all who did watch it knew as soon as Christian Laettner's shot went in that they had just seen a game that would be talked about for decades. Wojciechowski's book is an outstanding recollection of a great game and a great era in college basketball.