The day that Duke loses in the NCAA Tournament is fast becoming a national holiday. Nothing else in the sports world can bring together fans like the Blue Devils going down. And since no one probably minds to extend the holiday to a week, the Top 7 this week looks at the most annoying players of the Coach K era.

7. Thomas Hill

Only because the only time he is ever shown on TV, his hands are on top of his head and he’s crying.

6. Danny Ferry

This guy used to be the poster boy for hated Duke players until the next guy(s) came along. Especially annoying was Ferry's lack of basketball tights underneath his nut-huggers.

5. Christian Laettner

His accomplishments clearly make him one of the best college basketball players of all-time: 4 Final Fours, legendary buzzer beaters, and possibly the single-best game ever played in the NCAA Tournament (10 for 10 from the floor, 10 for 10 from the line in the Kentucky game). Perhaps if he weren’t a Dukie he wouldn’t have been as annoying. He did annoy many by taking Shaq’s spot on the 1992 Dream Team, a decision that made a lot more sense then than it does looking back on it now.

4. Chris Collins

I’m not saying that the next four guys on the list are the exact same person, but it’s close. They are all Ecksteinian creations, except David Eckstein is actually a pretty likable player…and he is not from Duke. Chris Collins always had a disgruntled look on his face. Cheer up, Chris; you've got Coach K to lean on!

3. Greg Paulus

In the new tradition of incorporating soccer and basketball, Paulus has one of the most ridiculous flops in the history of hoops that you can find on You Tube.

2. Steve Wojciechowski

Wojo sounds like the name of a child’s blanket, which reminds one of the horrendous Fergie line “I’m gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket,” - which makes him even worse. His hugs of Coach K on the sidelines were Full House-level bad too. As is that photo.

1. J.J. Redick

When the next ungodly hated Duke player comes along, let us not forget how hard it will be to top the hatred that was had for Redick. Too often, we are quick to label someone else as the greatest at what they do without considering how difficult it is to top the previous king. This must be the case here, although JJ probably could have cut it down by about 45% had he just called himself “Jon” Redick. Instead, he consistently had chants thrown at him containing f-bombs.

And gave the air shocker on occasion.



Sweet.

The Top 7 is written by Jason Major. He thinks Steve Wojciechowski was way cooler than JJ Redick. Email him at jason@joesportsfan.com