Dean Uthoff
July 23, 2020
Arne Duncan
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth: 6/11/64
- Place of Birth: Chicago, Illinois (USA)
- Position: G/F
- Height (CM): 198
- Weight (KG): 98
- Junior Assoc: None
- College: Harvard (1983-1987)
- NBL DEBUT: 19/02/88
- AGE AT DEBUT: 23
- LAST NBL GAME: 16/09/89
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 24
- NBL History: Eastside Melbourne 1988-89
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Arne Starkey Duncan was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois (USA) where he attended the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools and later Harvard College, where he played on the basketball team and graduated magna cum laude in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology.
FAMILY: Met his wife, Karen, while playing in Tasmania. They now live in Chicago and have two children.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Arne Duncan made his NBL debut with the Eastside Melbourne Spectres at 23 years of age. He scored 21 points in his first game.
After the Spectres chose not to re-sign Barry Barnes (who had been the Spectres head coach since they entered the NBL), former Melbourne Tigers player, Brian Goorjian, who had been coaching Ballarat in the Victorian State League was named as his successor. Goorjian’s arrival wasn’t exactly a warm one. With some team members feeling that Barnes’ assistant coach Colin Cadee should have been given the job, a number of players signed a petition to prevent Goorjian from getting the role.
Once appointed as head coach Goorjian, import Bruce Bolden and Brendan Joyce left for rival club Westside Melbourne and Peter Blight headed to Hobart. Goorjian retained the younger players on the roster, Ron Lemons, Warren Pink, Steve Lunardon, Shane Froling and Darren Lucas and but decided not to re-sign the team’s leading scorer from last season, Vince Hinchen. Instead, he would look to find a import better suited to the new look roster.
Goorjian struggled to find the right US talent to balance out the team. His first import, Kevin Ross (14.0 points, 3.5 rebounds), lasted only two games before being sent back to the US, and his replacement Quentin Anderson (12.0 points, 9.5 rebounds), wasn’t much better and was also given the axe after two games. Goorjian had also signed Harvard University’s leading scorer Arne Duncan to pair with the aforementioned Ross and Anderson. Duncan (24.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.4 assists) was a totally different story. A blue-chip athlete who went on the lead the team in scoring and in fact, packed a suitcase and flew to Australia with just a week’s notice after narrowly missing out on a contract with the Boston Celtics.
Mid-season Goorjian then signed Rick Sharpe (19.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists), who had played for his father Ed Goorjian at the University of Loyola and formed a nice tandem with Dean Uthoff (18.3 points, 17.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists). 22-year-old Lucas would be given the green light in his second season. He saw his minutes almost double (25 per game to 38 per game) and, as a result, saw his numbers skyrocket from 8.8 points to 23.1 points per game while also adding 3.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.9 steals. This included his 45-point career-high against the Perth Wildcats.
Duncan would average 24.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.4 assists. Eastside finished the season with 11 wins, 13 losses, and in the eleventh spot, leading Goorjian to describe the season as a ‘disaster’. Lucas would go on to be named the league’s Most Improved Player that year in one of the few positives of the Spectres season.
1989
After a import merry-go-round and lacklustre season in coach Brian Goorjian’s first year, he looked to create some stability within the franchise. He re-signed import Arne Duncan, last year’s leading scorer and paired him with import Ben Tower, a Michigan native who had been drafted by the Detroit Pistons five years earlier.
The Spectres retained the core group of last season’s roster, team captain Warren Pink, Dean Uthoff, the league’s leading rebounder and the league’s most improved player Darren Lucas. The rest of the roster was built around a bunch of young talent, with Shane Froling, Paul Hotchin and Steve Lunardon all returning with one more season of experienced, 17-year-old Spectres junior player Rupert Sapwell and 24-year-old Wayne Larkins from Westside Melbourne.
During the pre-season, Duncan suffered a injury that saw him miss the first half of the regular season.
The Spectres then signed Kent Lockhart, who had been playing in the state league for Sandringham, as an injury replacement for Duncan. Goorjian, who had been playing pickup basketball games against state league players during the offseason, was impressed by his ability to play both sides of the ball.
Lockhart (28.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists) led the team in scoring, and made such a impact on the team that when Duncan returned from injury, the team released Ben Tower and signed Lockhart to the full-time roster. With Duncan putting up big numbers again (28.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.6 assists), Dean Uthoff (18.6 points, 17.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists) leading the league in rebounding for a second consecutive year, the Specres finished the year on a four-game winning streak. Lockhart, who posted a incredible 47 points against the Newcastle Falcons in Round 18, was named to the All-NBL First Team, and with Eastside Melbourne improved from a 11-13 to 14-12 record leav ing Spectres fans very optimistic for next season.
Arne Duncan played two seasons the Eastside Melbourne Spectres. He averaged 25.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 5.5 assists in 36 NBL games.
CAREER RANKINGS:
– 30th in points per game.
– 45th in assists per game.
– 19th in steals per game.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 24 | Eastside Melbourne | 14-10 (7) | 13 | 574.0 | 372 | 81 | 73 | 33 | 48 | 30 | 3 | 59 | 35 | 131 | 274 | 48% | 43 | 125 | 34% | 67 | 86 | 78% | 59% | 56% | 41 |
| 1988 | 23 | Eastside Melbourne | 11-13 (8) | 23 | 972.0 | 554 | 108 | 125 | 46 | 62 | 57 | 6 | 71 | 61 | 208 | 413 | 50% | 51 | 117 | 44% | 87 | 105 | 83% | 60% | 57% | 40 | Totals | 36 | 1546 | 926 | 189 | 198 | 79 | 110 | 87 | 9 | 130 | 96 | 339 | 687 | 49.3% | 94 | 242 | 38.8% | 154 | 191 | 80.6% | 60% | 56% | 41 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 24 | Eastside Melbourne | 14-10 (7) | 13 | 44.2 | 28.6 | 6.2 | 5.6 | 2.5 | 3.7 | 2.3 | 0.2 | 4.5 | 2.7 | 10.1 | 21.1 | 48% | 3.3 | 9.6 | 34% | 5.2 | 6.6 | 78% | 59% | 56% | 41 |
| 1988 | 23 | Eastside Melbourne | 11-13 (8) | 23 | 42.3 | 24.1 | 4.7 | 5.4 | 2.0 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 0.3 | 3.1 | 2.7 | 9.0 | 18.0 | 50% | 2.2 | 5.1 | 44% | 3.8 | 4.6 | 83% | 60% | 57% | 40 | Total | 36 | 42.9 | 25.7 | 5.3 | 5.5 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 2.4 | 0.3 | 3.6 | 2.7 | 9.4 | 19.1 | 49.3% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 38.8% | 2.6 | 6.7 | 80.6% | 60% | 56% | 41 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 41 | 13 | 14 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 0 |
|---|
STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE
- Latrobe (1991)
Duncan played in the Australian state leagues from 1989-1991. In his last season he played for Latrobe, in the North-West Tasmania League.
FIBA EXPERIENCE
On May 11, 2014, Duncan was a member of the 2014 USA Basketball 3x3 Mens Championship Team. The team of Duncan, Jitim Young, Thomas Darrow and Craig Moore qualified to represent the United States in Moscow, Russia in the 24-country 2014 FIBA 3x3 World Championship from June 5–8. Duncans schedule did not permit him to attend,[36] but the team finished in 9th place in the 24-team tournament.
NBA EXPERIENCE
Duncan also participated in the 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend Celebrity Games. Comedian Kevin Hart conceded the 2014 MVP of the celebrity game to Duncan (20 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists). The 20 points are a Celebrity Game high.
COLLEGE
Duncan played college basketball at Harvard, As a freshman he was in the Harvard program before his varsity statistical record began as a sophomore in 1983-84.
In 1983-84, Duncan was a sophomore forward from Chicago, Illinois, wearing No. 42 on the official roster, and he played 26 games for a Harvard team coached by Frank McLaughlin that finished 15-11 overall and 9-5 in Ivy League play, tied for second.
That 1983-84 season, he averaged 11.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 33.7 minutes per game while shooting 101-for-190 from the field for 53.2 percent and 91-for-105 at the foul line for 86.7 percent.
His 1983-84 totals were 293 points, 103 rebounds, 57 assists, 34 steals, three blocks and 71 personal fouls, and he ranked behind Joe Carrabino and Bob Ferry in scoring while helping Harvard post a winning season in the Ivy League.
The 1983-84 year also saw Duncan become Harvard’s team leader in field-goal percentage, and his efficient sophomore season established him as one of the program’s key returning frontcourt players.
In 1984-85, Duncan returned as a junior forward, again listed on the official roster out of University High School in Chicago and again wearing No. 42, as Harvard went 15-9 overall and 7-7 in Ivy League play, tied for fourth, under McLaughlin.
During that 1984-85 campaign, he played 24 games and averaged 11.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists while making 98 of 185 field-goal attempts for 53.0 percent and 84 of 109 free throws for 77.1 percent.
His 1984-85 totals were 280 points, 128 rebounds and 78 assists, and he remained one of Harvard’s most productive all-around players alongside Joe Carrabino and Bob Ferry on another winning team.
After that season, Duncan took a year off from classes and worked at his mother’s tutoring center while writing his senior thesis, which interrupted his playing timeline and explains why there is no 1985-86 varsity statistical season for him despite his 1983-87 college span.
He returned in 1986-87 for his senior season under new head coach Peter Roby, with Harvard finishing 9-17 overall and 4-10 in Ivy play, tied for seventh.
In 1986-87, Duncan played 26 games and made 26 starts, averaging 16.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.1 steals in 33.3 minutes per game while shooting 161-for-319 from the field for 50.5 percent, 31-for-72 from three-point range for 43.1 percent, and 86-for-113 from the foul line for 76.1 percent.
His senior totals were 439 points, 130 rebounds, 92 assists, 54 steals, three blocks and 86 personal fouls, and he finished as Harvard’s leading scorer that season.
While at Harvard, Duncan co-captained the varsity basketball team and was named a first team Academic All-American.
He also earned All-Ivy League honorable mention in 1986-87, sharing Harvard’s captaincy with Keith Webster, and his 31 made threes at 43.1 percent remained one of the stronger long-range single-season marks in program history.
Across his varsity career, Duncan played 76 games and finished with 1,012 points, 361 rebounds, 227 assists, 88 steals and six blocks while shooting 360-for-694 from the field for 51.9 percent, 31-for-72 from three for 43.1 percent, and 261-for-327 at the line for 79.8 percent.
His career per-game averages were 13.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists, and his 1,012 points placed him among Harvard’s 1,000-point scorers and ranked 33rd in the program record book.
Duncan graduated from Harvard in 1987 with a sociology degree and magna cum laude honors after a college career that included two 15-win seasons, individual academic recognition, varsity co-captaincy and a senior year in which he was the team’s top scorer.
LIFE AFTER BASKETBALL
After playing in Australia's state league competition for two years Duncan returned to the US in 1992 to work with inner city school children. After his departure, former coach Brian Goorjian spoke highly of Duncan and the skills he brought to the Eastside Melbourne Spectres."He was one of the most intelligent players, of the imported players, I've ever brought out - in terms of understanding the game," said Goorjian.
Duncan would later serve as United States Secretary of Education from 2009 to 2015.
While his tenure as Secretary was marked by varying degrees of opposition from both social conservatives and teachers unions, he nevertheless enjoyed strong support from the US president who appointed him, Barack Obama.
Duncan previously served as CEO of the Chicago Public Schools from 2001 to 2009.
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