Duke Basketball has always been the home to some of the best college talent at any given moment. But one player has captured the hearts and minds of the Cameron Crazies.
Is it Cooper Flagg, the presumed No. 1 overall pick in this summer’s NBA Draft? Not quite!
How about Tyrese Proctor, the three-year star that comes to Durham from Sydney, Australia? Close, but no!
It is a graduate guard that comes off the bench in games when the final score is no longer in question. Spencer Hubbard, a native of Los Angeles, CA, has been at Duke since coming to campus in 2020.
While just a practice squad member in first season, he eventually earned a walk-on opportunity in 2021.
“It’s awesome. Spencer’s given us five years,” Coach Jon Scheyer said after Duke’s 93-49 victory over Mount St. Mary’s on Friday afternoon in Raleigh. “The rest of us are jealous, we wish you guys cheered for us as loud as Spencer gets an applause. Besides that, I think it’s an awesome thing.”
For a player who has scored only 18 points in four seasons, why has this 5-foot-8 guard connected with both his teammates and the Cameron Crazies? To the point that they will actively boo if he is not dressed to compete.
“To see a guy that’s been here for five years — blood, sweat, and tears, practice every day, growing up — that’s what college is all about. That’s what this program has been about,” Scheyer said back on March 1st after their 100-65 victory over Florida State. In that game, Hubbard set a new career high with five points.
On Friday, he checked in with four minutes to go and the crowd in Raleigh cheered louder for him every time he touched the basketball than they did for Cooper Flagg during player introductions.
After notching an assist on Neal Begovich’s three pointer, he finally got his one shining moment with 50 seconds left in the game.
Spencer Hubbard gets a bucket 🔥#MarchMadness @DukeMBB pic.twitter.com/if5gR1UkEr
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 21, 2025
Being a huge fan of Duke growing up, Hubbard has been dreaming of moments like this.
“Just to see the love from our fan base and just to get out there in general is a pretty amazing experience,” Hubbard told CBB Review on Saturday.
Even his teammates that have only known him for one season have recognized what he means to this program.
“[Hubbard] works so hard for us, cheers for us all the time,” said freshman Sion James told CBB Review after the Mount St. Mary’s game. “So, man, I wanted him to have his moment. He got the finger roll [that] was pretty, hopefully we get him another opportunity soon.”
It was not just this crowd in the Lenovo Center, but Hubbard has his name chanted at Madison Square Garden during their February match-up against Illinois. With a building so iconic chanting for him, it was only fitting that he hit a three-pointer that sent the starters into a frenzy.
I can’t stop watching this clip w/ the sound on 🔋 pic.twitter.com/UkUbQlgJLY
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) February 23, 2025
“It’s a rush of adrenaline, and I think it speaks a lot about the type of team we have and the type of guys that we have,” Hubbard said.
But with all this love and adulation from the fans, is the team worried about him getting a big ego?
“[Hubbard] is so steady and so talented, who cares if his head gets big, we will enjoy the moment,” James said when posed with that scenario.
Mason Gillis, playing his first season at Durham after four seasons at Purdue, agreed with James’s assessment while talking about how special Hubbard is to this team.
“[Hubbard is] a selfless person,” Gillis told CBB Review. “He’s always thinking of other people in front of himself. So, whenever he gets a little moment, you know, we want him to be successful.”
One thing that has always been a trend with Duke is that many players return to Durham to become assistant coaches. Will Hubbard follow this trend?
“Let’s go one step at a time with Spence,” Scheyer told CBB Review on Saturday. “Let’s see about winning tomorrow, and then we’ll go from there.”
The Blue Devils will look to get Hubbard another moment when they face off against Baylor, and former Blue Devil Jeremy Roach, in the second round on Sunday at 2:40 PM. The game will air on CBS.