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This is a repost from earlier this year on our bulletin board. This is a
great account of Fred Lind's astonishing performance against UNC in 1968.
Enjoy!
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Pardon a history lesson from a long-time lurker, but I have to agree with
the previous poster that the Freddie Lind game was the most awesome
moment in Cameron history (although it was Duke Indoor Stadium in 1968).
And I have been to 90 percent of the games played in Cameron since then,
including UNC in '98 and DePaul. Both were great moments.
Still, the Lind game was special, in ways that are hard to explain in
hindsight. It wasn't just that the opponent was Carolina (ranked No. 2 in
the
nation that day with Charlie Scott, Larry Miller, Rusty Clark, Dick
Grubar, Bill Bunting, Eddie Fogler and Jim Delany). And it wasn't just
that
the
game went into triple overtime before Duke won 87-86.
No, what made it special was Lind and his remarkable contribution.
How can I explain this to someone who wasn't there -- before that game,
Fred Lind was a joke. He was a 6-10, 240-pound junior who had scored
maybe 10 points in his two varsity seasons (freshmen weren't eligible
them). He was Duke's version of the human victory cigar. He never played
unless the issue was decided one way or another. Although he was on
scholarship, the closest thing I can compare him to would be Ryan Caldbeck
...
imagine how you'd feel if K sent Caldbeck into the Carolina game with
the
game on the line.
But that's what happened that day. All-American center Mike Lewis got in
early foul trouble and his backup, Warren Chapman was sidelined with
knee problems. Chapman's knees had been a problem for weeks, but usually
when Lewis was out, Vic Bubas slid forward Steve Vandenberg over and
brought another forward (usually Tim Kolodjiez ... K would have loved
him) off the bench.
He couldn't do that against UNC's size -- Clark, listed at 6-10 was
clearly a seven-footer, and Bunting was a legit 6-10 (although slender) at
PF. It
was later reported that Bubas called Lind in the night before the UNC
game and told him to be ready to play.
I don't know how Link took it, but the Cameron crowd (they didn't call
them crazies then) was shocked when Lind got in in the first half, after
Lewis
picked up three fouls. I think we were all pleasantly surprised that the
player we considered a joke hold his own during a good seven or eight
minute
stretch.
Lewis returned to start the second half as Duke fought to stay close to
UNC. But he picked up his fourth ... then fifth foul and left with Duke
down
about five with about five minutes left.
In came Mr. Lind. This time, he was not merely adequate ... he was
inspired. For the next five minutes, he was everywhere -- rebounding,
scoring and
scrambling on the floor for loose balls. He helped Duke tie the game (on
a shot, I believe, by Dave Golden). With the score tied and time running
down, UNC went to the Four Corners for the final shot. They got the ball
to Clark down low. He turned, shot ... and had it stuffed down his throat
by
Lind.
Cameron was going nuts as the game went into overtime. But once again
Carolina took the lead. Please forgive my memory, since I can't keep the
sequence straight but I know that UNC took a two-point lead into the
final
seconds of both the first and the second overtimes.
On one occasion, Lind tied the game by cooly sinking two free throws.
On
another, he pulled up at the foul line on a fast break and dropped in a
15-foot jumper just as the buzzer sounded.
The final overtime wasn't quite as dramatic -- I'm pretty sure that
Vandenberg actually hit the shot that put Duke up three with seconds
remaining
and UNC scored a meaningless basket at the buzzer. I believe Lind ended
the game with 17 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks ... I might be off a
bit on the stats, but I'm pretty certain he had more points, rebounds
and
blocks in that game than in his entire career up to that point.
When it was over, the crowd rushed the floor and carried off Freddie
Lind
... not only that, a few hundred/thousand students waited in the area
between Card and Cameron for Lind to dress and leave -- then they
carried
him to the main quad for another celebration.
I've never seen anything like it ... before or since. And I've never
heard Cameron louder than it was that day.
I know it was a long time ago, but Freddie Lind deserves to be
remembered.
P.S. If I got any of the details wrong, please forgive me -- it was a
long time ago and maybe it's like the Bard said, "the feats we did that
day
will be
remembered -- with advantages." But I'll swear to the gist of the story
and "stand a tip-toe when the day is named."