BIG MEN OFF CAMPUS

The most recognizable Duke frat doesn't have a section on West. It's never dealt with ALE, but has been known to party. And its initiation ceremony just happens to be in New York and broadcast on national TV. It has no Greek letters, but the most recognizable Duke frat is the group of Blue Devils in the National Basketball Association.

"The Duke thing is a fraternity," says rookie J.J. Redick. "We all feel a special connection, even the guys I didn't play with."

His teammate, Grant Hill, agrees, even though he graduated long before any of the Dukies currently in the League. "We all come from the same fraternity," Hill says. "It's all love when we see each other."

Shavlik Randolph found out about the unique culture of Duke pros during his first year in the NBA. Randolph's 76ers were taking on the Clippers and their leader, former Blue Devil Elton Brand. The undrafted rookie had met Brand, but he wasn't even sure the established star knew who he was.

As Randolph checked in and went to guard the star forward, Brand slapped the rookie on the ass and said, "What's up, Dukie?"

"You feel connected, you feel bonded with that guy," says Randolph. "It's like you were a part of something bigger than yourself-something very special."

Lately that something has indeed been special. Right now is the Golden Age of the Duke Frat. Duke can claim 13 players in the League, second only to Connecticut's 14. And the Blue Devils aren't riding the pine and cashing checks. There are six former Dukies in the NBA's top 100 scorers, the most of any college.

Duke players are making their impact throughout the league. Carlos Boozer and Brand are two of the most dominant big men in the game. Grant Hill has experienced a reemergence as he enjoys his healthiest season in the past six years. Luol Deng has become an untouchable piece of a young Bulls team that is a formidible challenger in the Eastern Conference.

Players from the generation where Duke had earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for eight of nine years all pointed to one thing when asked about their collective success at the next level-if you can handle the pressure at Duke, you can handle the NBA. And while many rookies have to adjust to the constant attention, for Duke players it's almost a step back.

"You get more publicity than a lot of NBA players and teams do just from playing at Duke," Randolph says. "Once you get to the NBA, not all your games are on TV. And it's a big change-you're not playing in sold-out arenas every night."

And once the Blue Devils make a roster, they are taken into the fold of the Duke Frat, where the vets who have been around the block teach the rookies a few lessons about life in the League.

The president is clearly Hill, not only by age but also by example. Hill, who is nearly six years older than any other Dukie in the NBA, is the bridge to the first generation of Krzyzewski success. He has also followed the example of associate head coach Johnny Dawkins and other originals in reaching out to young Blue Devils.

"Grant is definitely like a big brother to a lot of us," says Dahntay Jones, a guard for the Memphis Grizzlies. "He took time out of his schedule to reach out to me when I first came into the League."

The new generation has followed that example. Former teammates will often eat at each others' houses when in town for a road game. Or a couple of K's former charges may take a timeout a few hours before tip-off just to catch up. And when Randolph broke his ankle in practice earlier this season, he heard from nearly all of his brothers.

Much of the interaction takes place where it all began-in Cameron. Hill, Jones, Chris Duhon and Daniel Ewing all came back last summer to serve as counselors for K Academy, Krzyzewski's fantasy camp, and Boozer and Dunleavy have been back in previous summers.

And with a growing number of players leaving Duke early, some NBAers also come back to finish their degree, as Boozer plans to do sometime in the next three summers.

Dawkins develops workouts for the players while they are in Durham, and most scrimmage against the current class of Blue Devils. But the players say the trip is worth it simply for the memories. "When you go back to campus you get reenergized," Hill says. "You're in an environment where you've had success, and it just reminds you of what it takes to win and to be successful. And for me-I get charged up even if I just go back to visit."

Campus is also a place to compare notes about life in the pros and passing down advice. With the average career in the NBA lasting only a few years, the majority of the counsel deals with staying in the league for as long as possible.

"When you see a player as dominant as Shaq play for three teams in his career, you realize how tough it is to stay with one team," Boozer says. "So I tell the younger guys the same thing they told me, which is no matter how much you are playing, do whatever you can to make an impact, because the other 29 teams can see how effective of a player you are."

Things didn't always seem so rosy for the ballers from Durham. For a while the Duke name was, fairly or unfairly, associated with flopping at the next level.

A number of Blue Devils in the '80s and early '90s had solid, lengthy careers in the NBA, but the fact remained that by 1994 Krzyzewski had produced three National Players of the Year but not a single NBA All-Star.

In 1989, NPOY Danny Ferry didn't do much to help Duke's name in the NBA. Ferry was picked second overall by the Los Angeles Clippers, but not wanting to play for the lowly franchise, he played a year in Italy before his rights were traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Ferry then signed what was at the time a fairly lucrative contract but averaged double-figure scoring for only two seasons during his 13-year career.

By the time Bobby Hurley, the promising point guard who was the seventh pick in the 1993 draft, got into a life-threatening car accident during his rookie year, some were already questioning if Duke players were a risk worth taking.

But that thought didn't last long, even if the flop stereotype lasted throughout the next decade. In 1994, Grant Hill graduated from Duke and proved that some players truly are can't-miss. The athletic swingman could play almost any position and was a model spokesman for the Detroit Pistons. And in his first season, with Dawkins providing guidance in the Detroit locker room, Hill scored nearly 20 points per game as he ran away with Rookie of the Year honors.

"If there was a stigma, it's pretty much been completely eradicated in the past 10 years," says an Eastern Conference scout. "Ever since Grant Hill came into the league, nearly anyone that has come out of there has been extremely productive, whether as a starring player or a role player."

These days, Blue Devils benefit from-and have to deal with-the fact that they are on TV more than the average NBA player.

Nearly every Duke game is on national television and ESPN's round-the-clock coverage leads to analysts breaking down every aspect of high-profile players' games. But NBA front office gurus maintain that Duke players are not hurt or helped by the constant attention, largely because they spend so much time breaking down every prospect.

"I don't think it heightens their warts any more than say, a prospect from Shaw," says an Eastern Conference executive. "You might not see the kid from Shaw on TV as much, but if he is a legitimate prospect, then you're going to have numerous scouts who have seen a number of games."

No one has had to deal with questions about expectations and shortcomings more than Duke Frat's newest member-sophomore Josh McRoberts.

McRoberts never quite reached the lofty predictions made about him in his short time on Duke's campus. But Randolph knows better than anyone that doesn't reflect on his potential as a pro. Randolph averaged only 4.4 points per game during his last season as a Blue Devil but has found success as a role player for the Philadelphia 76ers.

"It's so hard for somebody to average 20 points a game at Duke," says Randolph. "So if a guy is only averaging 14 or 15 points, people start to ask, 'Well is he not doing this or that?' They don't understand how tough it is. I know because for me personally, I play better in the NBA than I actually did in the Duke system."

Despite any past disappointments and future uncertainties, McRoberts can rest assured joining this frat.

Everyone's a millionaire, and there are no paddles.