With hype and hoopla making March Madness a captive contest, the focus has shifted to individual glories. After all, teams are banking on their star power to take the tourney by storm. Some of these stars are getting spotlight for their sensational stats. And this is where the Madness knows no bounds.

Those ruling record books are seen as the sure shots of success. Nonetheless, it would come as a surprise to fans that the highest scorer in the March Madness is a player from the late ’80s to the early ’90s. Who was he and how exactly he entered into record books? Let’s find out.

The Star Who’s Second to None

Characterized by extensive hype and an impeccable coach, Duke Blue Devils won the tournament twice consecutively in 1991 and 1992. This came under their acclaimed head coach Mike Krzyzewski who took over the position in 1980. Devils also had a run of Final Four from 1989-92. This contributed immensely to the players getting more chances to prove their mettle in March Madness. Riding high on their brilliant performances, Blue Devils established themselves as one of the best teams ever to grace the college basketball circuit.

One of the best players who was a treat to watch was Blue Devils’ center Christian Laettner. Laettner took the team to the Final Four during his freshman year and helped them make it to the Finals in two consecutive seasons. He thus played 23 NCAA tournament matches out of a total of 24 games in those four years. He also helped his team win 21 contests out of those.

Apart from the highest points record, there are two other records that Laettner holds. In fact, his NCAA tournament records do not stop here. He also had the most free throws made and attempted with 142 and 167 numbers in both departments respectively. He also had the highest points tally in the March Madness with 407 points in 23 games which is a record even now.

“Outstanding Performer Under Pressure”

Having a height of 6 feet 11 inches, the New York-born took full advantage of his towering figure. During the regular season, he basketed an exceptional number of points and rebounds. While in his freshman year, Laettner had a decent 8.9 points per game and 4.7 rebounds per match. It was in his sophomore year that he came into his own. 

Laettner then potted 16.3 points per game with 9.6 rebounds per contest. In the following seasons, Laettner had 19.8 points per game with 8.7 rebounds per outing. Whereas in his final season for Devils, Laettner scored 21.5 points per game with 7.9 rebounds per match.

Not only this, he extended his brilliant run into exceptional performances during the NCAA tournament. One of his best displays came against Kentucky during the 1992 regional finals. Another of his amazing performances came against the University of  Connecticut Huskies in the 1990 regional finals.

Read More: Houston Cougars, Purdue Boilermakers, and Others – Top 10 NCAA Men’s Basketball Teams That Can Make It to the March Madness

The two games had Laettner making a jumper to help his team which was trailing by one point with barely 2 seconds left. He was also selected as the tournament’s most outstanding player during Duke’s first claim to the national championship title. Laettner also brought an end to the fan-favorite UNLV during the 1991 Final Four game.

During the 1992 East Regional Final, Laettner’s buzzer-beater helped his team win the game and has since then become famous as The Shot. The ESPN furthered Laettner’s dominance by announcing him the “College Basketball Player of the Year” and “Outstanding Performance Under Pressure.” Thus, Duke star established himself as a major force in the college basketball circuit. His game-winner against Kentucky has since then been depicted on television and is one of the most favorite moments in the college basketball circuit.

The Hate he gets

As Duke’s mainstay player, Laettner drew raging animosity from his rivals. The ESPN also created a documentary on it titled “I Hate Christian Laettner.” The film explored the reasons behind hating the player in detail. Another major controversy surrounding Laettner was that he had stepped on the chest of Kentucky player Aminu Timberlake in 1992. Though he regretted it later, Laettner believed that ejection would have been too far-fetched as a punishment.

The 2x NCAA Champion was drafted as the third overall pick in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He had an average NBA career and was caught up in controversy. But that is a theme for another date. As of now, Laettner is regarded as one of the best players to grace the college basketball scene and he delivered reliably when it mattered the most taking his team to 2 NCAA titles and helping them become the formidable team that they are today.

His brilliance made Coach K into what he is today and for the Blue Devils, Laettner will forever be remembered for his exemplary NCAA tournament performances saving his team from elimination and advancing them to the next round for tougher and bigger battles, only to win them mostly.

Read More: Despite Zach Edey’s Surge for Purdue, Can UConn Go for Back to Back NCAA Titles?