Duke Bio

  • Named one of the top 50 basketball players in ACC history during the ACC's 50-year celebration in 2003.
  • First-team Academic All-American as a sophomore, junior and senior, the only three-time first-team Academic All-Americans in Duke men's basketball history. Joins Maryland's Tom McMillan (1972-74) as only ACC players in history to earn first-team Academic All-American three times.
  • Honorable mention All-American on the court as a sophomore (1977-78 season), first-team consensus All-American in 1978-79 and consensus second-team All-American in 1979-80.
  • Joins former Duke star Shane Battier as only players in Duke history to be named first-team Academic All-American and consensus first-team All-American on the court in the same year. Gminski did that in 1979-80, his senior year.
  • Three-time first-team All-ACC, one of just five Duke players in history to do it, one of two to do it in the last 38 years (Trajan Langdon, 1997-99 is the other).
  • Co-ACC Rookie of the Year in 1976-77 when he averaged 15.3 points and 10.7 rebounds a game to go with a 51.5 field goal percentage. He led all ACC freshmen in scoring and rebounding that year.
  • Named the ACC Player of the Year at Duke as a junior in 1978-79 when he averaged 18.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. Ironically, that was the only year of his college career that he did not average a double-double.
    Only player in Duke history to be named both ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC Player of the Year over his career.
  • Had his Duke jersey retired prior to his final home game at Duke on Feb. 20, 1980. He then led Duke to an 87-82 overtime victory over a top 20 Clemson team by scoring 29 points, pulling down 19 rebounds and blocking seven shots.
  • One of the great ACC Tournament performers in history, he was second-team All-Tournament as a freshman and first-team All-ACC tournament as a sophomore, junior and senior.
  • Averaged a double-double three of his four seasons and had 19.0 points per game and 10.1 rebounds per game averages for his 122-game career.
    Helped Duke to the NCAA Tournament in each of his last three seasons, including the NCAA Tournament Championship Game in 1978 (loss to Kentucky) and Regional Finals in 1980 (lost to Purdue). First-team All-NCAA Final Four as a sophomore in 1978, he was also an NCAA Tournament All-Regional selection that year. Later named All-Regional as a senior in 1980.
  • Sixth in ACC history in career scoring with 2,317 points and sixth in career rebounds with 1,242. Joins Danny Ferry as only Duke players with over 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. Also fifth in ACC history in career blocked shots with 345. Duke's all-time leader in blocked shots and rebounds and he is third in scoring.
  • Recipient of the Swett Trophy as a Duke team MVP in 1978, 1979 and 1980.
  • Six-time ACC Player of the Week selection over his career.
  • Earned his degree in history from Duke in May of 1980 at the age of 20. Had graduated a year early from Monroe High School in Monroe, CT.
  • Has already been inducted into the Duke University Sports Hall of Fame and the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.
  • On the ballot for the CoSIDa Academic All-America Hall of Fame, he has been a finalist in recent years.