Next the army comes back to Cameron

Date 11/8 || Time 6:00 || Venue Cameron Indoor Stadium || video ACCN

Before we talk about the Duke-Army game on Friday night, let’s take a look back at the coaching history at Army, because there are some really interesting characters.

First and foremost, of course: former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and his mentor Bob Knight, both of whom had long and illustrious careers. But there are others.

Tate’s Locke destroyed his reputation at Clemson, but he was a good coach. Former Wake Forest coach Dino Gaudio was there too (he also destroyed his reputation, in his case at Louisville). Former K assistant Pete Gaudet also trained there. But the most interesting coach by far is one you probably never would have thought of: Joe Stilwell.

He wasn’t a bad coach either, compiling a 49-17 record in three different stints (1902-04, 1907-11, 1913-14), but fate had other plans. Vinegar Joe, as he was later known, commanded U.S. operations in the Sino-Burmese theater during World War II.

The current coach is Kevin Kuwick. He had one year and finished the season 10-22, but has already worked with some great coaches: Brad Stevens at Butler, Thad Matta at Ohio State, Archie Miller at Dayton and Bob McKillop at Davidson. This is a nice basketball education.

A graduate of Notre Dame ROTC, he served for 10 years, including a presumably dangerous tour in Iraq.

The army is of course a completely different profession. Obviously Duke has more talent. Guys like Cooper Flagg, Khaman Maluach, Kon Knueppel, Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster will all likely be NBA players at some point.

But ask yourself this: If one of these guys were in a place where there was gunfire, would they run toward it or away from it?

We suspect that, like most of us, they would run away from it.

Everyone at West Point will probably run for it. It’s a very different way of thinking and in many ways deeply admirable. Yes, they are trained to be warriors, but they are also trained to think and adapt quickly to changing circumstances. It’s a fascinating place.

Because of the nature of a military academy, Army is less likely to have the kind of turnover that Duke experienced last season. The Black Knights do not have a normal structure for their teams. Duke gives out scholarships and the NCAA limits them. We’re not sure if West Point still requires people to be on some sort of team, but that’s how it used to be. That might explain why there are 27 players listed on the roster and we’re sure not all of them are traveling and in fact only 10 played in the opening game against Albany.

Josh Scovens, a 6-6 sophomore from Greensboro, scored 22 points against Albany. He also had five rebounds. Jalen Rucker, who has an interesting history with Army basketball,

Tate Laczkowski, a 6-8 freshman, had 10 rebounds.

Ryan Curry, a 6-0 sophomore, appears to be the point guard.

We’re sure Duke was there for all the video of Army’s win over Albany, but it’s hard for most of us to get a real feel for this team.

As mentioned, Duke will have far more talent, but Army is a team that is likely full of hardasses and these guys can be difficult to deal with. It’s not likely they will win – Duke will be heavily favored. It’s whether they win or lose, they’re going to play hard as hell. They will be hectic. They will plant bone-rattling pickaxes. They will dive for balls.

In short, we expect the Army to show a lot of heart. It may not surpass Duke’s talent, but it will likely make an impression and possibly leave a few bruises.

One last thing: After SMU left the AAC to join the ACC, the AAC took over Army. This is Army’s final season in the Patriot League.