To celebrate SLAM’s 30th anniversary, we’re spotlighting the 30 most influential men’s college teams from our past 30 years. Stats, records and chips aren’t the main factor here, it’s all about their contribution to the game’s cultural fabric.
For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve also got an exclusive retro collegiate collection, out now, that pays homage to each squad’s threads. Shop here.
With future legends Tim Duncan and Randolph Childress, the ‘95 Demon Deacons carried themselves with a sinister swag that separated them from the rest. The birth of the Big Fundamental began in Duncan’s sophomore year—posting 16.8 points and 12.5 boards, the skinny 6-11 sophomore dominated the ACC, where he lulled defenders to sleep on the wing and left opponents shook in the post.
Then there was Childress. We’re talking about the dude who dropped 107 points in three days during the ACC Tournament in his senior season. The highlight that made Childress an integral part of the Deacon culture would come from the ACC tournament against the Tar Heels, who had stars like Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace. Childress capped off his 37-point performance with a game-winning jumper that ignited fans from Winston-Salem to Greensboro Coliseum.
Head coach Dave Odom knew what it took to win within a stacked conference, securing his third ACC Coach of the Year honors in ‘95 with Wake Forest achieving the No. 3 national ranking ahead of the NCAA tournament. Freshman guard Tony Rutland referred to the culture as a “brotherhood, a camaraderie.”
The type of culture that had Odom cracking jokes and Duncan cracking a sly smile at the top of the ladder for the ACC Championship. In the end, it was all business.
Photos via Getty Images.
