It was back in 2008 when Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski had a chance to get his 1,000^th win one game earlier than a Sunday ago from today. Unfortunately for fans of the Blue Devils, a victory was not to be found in the second round game of the NCAA Tournament on that March day.

 

Standing in the way of Duke was a tough, hard-nosed club coached by Bob Huggins and wearing West Virginia University uniforms. The team, granted, was not nearly as challenged offensively as this year’s version of Huggins’ Mountaineers, but there was a similar toughness and tenacity in a different way that allowed the No. 7 seed Mountaineers to topple the second-seeded Blue Devils by a 63-57 score at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.

 

There was also something else that took place in that game. It was something that showed Duke and the rest of the country that you don’t – to paraphrase the late Bill Stewart – go messin’ with the old gold and blue.

 

Before I go further, I should be very clear that as much as I can’t deny Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s coaching talent, ability to recruit and success in big games for decades, I also don’t buy into the squeaky clean image that folks at ESPN and other college talking heads try to force down the public’s throat. You know, that Duke plays the game and does things “the right way.”

 

In a nutshell, I haven’t liked Duke basketball since the days of Johnny Dawkins and Jay Bilas. I bring that up for those who will certainly say that I’m hating on the Blue Devils. That’s okay, I’ve got proof for what I’m about to talk about – video proof.

 

Now back to 2008.

 

Late in that game and with WVU in control, a freshman named Cam Thoroughman did something that many hardcore fans of the Mountaineers and even Thoroughman himself remembers and hears about to this very day.

 

“I’ve been working in Illinois since 2011 and right now I’m working for Marathon Petroleum,” said Thoroughman, who is living in Terra Haute, Indiana and is a Human Resources Consultant with Marathon. “There’s video of what happened and, yea, it goes around. I think everyone in the company has seen it or sent it to me.”

 

Before we get to the video clip and that moment that not only summed up the toughness Thoroughman was bringing to the table and to the program, but what WVU would try to bring in during the Huggins’ era, it’s best to know how that season progressed.

 

Understand, it was Huggins’ first year back with his alma mater and these weren’t his players. Yet somehow the team found itself and by the time the postseason approached things were clicking. Thoroughman, a 6’7 freshman, who played limited minutes, knew the team had things working first, as the Big East Tournament unfolded, and then as the NCAA Tournament began.

 

“We were blooming at the end of the year. I remember we had some big wins in the season  over a Pitt team that was ranked crazy high, we beat UConn in the (Big East) Tournament and were just playing strong as the season was moving ahead,” said Thoroughman. “I don’t think we had any game that year where we had a sense that we couldn’t win, and that included Arizona and Duke.”

 

Arizona was WVU’s first round foe that year in the NCAA Tournament. And after dispensing the Wildcats, it was on to face the Blue Devils. As one might imagine, no one outside of the Mountain State was giving WVU much of a chance. Thoroughman said the team’s confidence and the fact that Huggins was approaching the game in the same manner as others, let him and others know that they had nothing to fear based on what was on the front of the opposing team’s jersey.

 

“We were so focused on getting past Arizona that we weren’t looking ahead toward possibly playing Duke. Plus, you only have a day off so we didn’t get caught up in the hype of playing them. That’s not something that happens with Coach Huggins no matter who was coming up on the schedule,” said Thoroughman. “Don’t get me wrong, we all knew we were playing a program considered among the best in the land, but our focus was on the game plan and scouting report. When you’re in that moment, if you’re in awe of anyone you don’t have a chance. We definitely weren’t in awe of Duke.”

 

Thoroughman didn’t remember the game plan. It’s likely, however, it pointed out Duke’s lack of inside strength and that getting physical was the best recipe to knock the Dukies off their mighty perch. It also proved to be best for Thoroughman.

 

Thoroughman wasn’t exactly a major contributor throughout the season. He got spot duty as a freshman and had just 16 rebounds all season heading into the Duke game. What he did have was a sense of being a part of the team and because of that he opted to postpone needed knee surgery to play in the tournament just in case Huggins looked his way.

 

And Huggins did. Despite averaging just .6 points per game and less than six minutes per outing, Thoroughman came up with some of the game’s biggest plays. He played nine minutes and scored four points and grabbed four rebounds – including three offensive boards. Two of the offensive rebounds came on one second half possession as the Mountaineers slowly took pounded Duke into submission.

 

“With about seven minutes left, we were taking control. It’s tough to remember, but late in that game we knew it was ours,” he said.

 

Despite those key rebounds and those key baskets, they have nothing to do with the moment Thoroughman still hears about – and sees – to this day. And it happened in the game’s final seconds.

 

With less than 20 seconds to play and down eight, Duke rushed the ball up the court looking to score. The Blue Devils’ Greg Paulus managed to gather in a ball knocked from him and scored inside to pull Duke to within six.

 

As Paulus went up, it’s what happened away from the action that put Thoroughman’s moment in motion. Duke’s Gerald Henderson comes from behind as Paulus goes up and drills Thoroughman in the back with a pretty vicious forearm.

 

“It was late and they were trying to pull off a miracle to beat us at that point and maybe he thought that could draw a reaction; or maybe he was frustrated. I guess you could say it was cheap because it wasn’t necessary,” Thoroughman said. “I really think he was just trying to get a spark out of me.”

 

Henderson didn’t get a spark. Instead, he got all of Thoroughman who turned around and absolutely plowed Henderson into the ground by running through him. Part of it was likely a flop – another Duke specialty – and part of it was force. Even Thoroughman acknowledges that it was a combination of both.

 

“It looks a lot worse than it really was. Obviously, after he did that I was going to make some contact and push a little harder than I usually would,” said Thoroughman. “You add that with him flopping and it really looks vicious. The amazing thing is that neither incident drew a whistle.

 

“After the game, (that video) just blew up and it’s been following me ever since,” Thoroughman said with a laugh. “We hung our hats on being tough and that’s what I really like about watching this year’s team. They’re tough and get after it.”

 

Thoroughman would have a distinguished career at WVU. He was the ultimate role player for some of Bob Huggins’ best teams – including the 2010 Final Four squad. Today, Thoroughman has moved on from the game and has even tried to move away from the video that still follows him. In fact, he’s recently moved into another phase of his life.

 

“I just got married,” said Thoroughman of his new wife Becca. “We’ve got a great life together and our whole lives in front of us.”

 

Something tells me that part of the future probably includes a lot more mentions of that particular moment. After all, there’s video of it and it never gets old.

 

Editor's Note: Photos of Cam Thoroughman courtesy of WVU Sports Communications.