Angry Young Man Sets Sights on Title

DENVER —  Phil Henderson is not a particularly bad dude. He’s just acting like one.

Somebody asked him Saturday about how calling his Duke basketball teammates “a bunch of babies” after a loss at the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament might have motivated them, and Henderson said: “That’s old news, and it’s been resolved. Next question.” Then somebody else asked him about almost transferring out of Duke before the season, and Henderson said: “That’s more old news. I want to live in the present and the future.”

So, what the devil, I asked Henderson what he sees himself doing in the future.

“Working in a garage on a bunch of cars,” he said. “What do you think I’ll be doing?”

“Beats me,” I said. “You good with motors?”

“Hey, I’m not serious, man,” Henderson said, punching me on the shoulder.

Hey, lighten up, Phil. OK, so we grew up a couple of miles apart. Doesn’t mean I know what you’re thinking, man. I do know that you came back to Illinois a couple years ago after having some eligibility problems at Duke and drove a forklift for a while. If you say you’re going to be running a motor pool, who am I to argue?

I had never seen Phil Henderson so hostile, not in the three successive years he and the Blue Devils have been to the Final Four. When I heard about the tantrum he threw at the conference tournament a few weeks ago, I wondered what was up.

Henderson has had a hard year. Since last year’s NCAA semifinal loss to Seton Hall, he had been arrested on a driving-while-impaired violation and had spoken with Illinois Coach Lou Henson about leaving Duke and returning to his home state. Something definitely was wrong. How many seniors quit school after going to two consecutive Final Fours?

On the court, Henderson was in rare form Saturday. He master-minded Duke’s 97-83 elimination of Arkansas. He accounted for 28 points and eight rebounds. He lobbed Alaa-oop passes to Alaa Abdelnaby. He quarterbacked the offense, with point guard Bobby Hurley suffering from stomach flu. He made three three-pointers, one of which he took so much time aiming, he could have called over to the bench to throw him a towel.

Henderson was clearly the star of the show. Afterward, though, he seemed testy, disagreeable. I couldn’t figure it out.

Here’s a guy going to the national championship game, right? One of the few guys ever to be in three Final Fours, right? You wouldn’t expect that when somebody asked him how he would like people to remember him as a basketball player, his answer would be: “Oh, what’s the difference? We’re not writing a book about me.”

OK, Phil. Chill out. Dumb question. Try this one: “Arkansas players called the way they played ’40 Minutes of Hell.’ What would Duke players say Duke plays 40 minutes of?”

Henderson shrugged.

“Forty minutes of playing hard, trying to win,” he said. “How do I know? I have no cliches. Cliches aren’t going to win basketball games.”

But Phil . . .

“I believe in practicing moderation, humility. I’m not one like Arkansas that talks much. On the court I talk a lot of mess, but not now.”

Phil, you seem . . . I don’t know . . . so angry.

“Hey, all this hoopla, the media, the fans . . . It’s not that I don’t appreciate the attention. I’m just trying to stay angry. I’ve been here three times and gone away with nothing. So, I figure if I stay angry, I’ll play better. I apologize if I’ve been rude to the fans in the lobby of the hotel, if I’ve been turning my back on all the autograph-seekers. I’m just trying to stay in an angry mood.”

Any particular reason?

“I’m angry because we haven’t won it yet. Look, I think we’re good guys, nice guys, honest guys. I want people to like Duke’s basketball team. But did you ever watch Charles Barkley play? I don’t know what Barkley’s like off the court, but while he’s playing he looks like he’s . . . at the whole world. Anger--that’s a motivator.”

OK, Phil. We understand.

By the way, who would you like to win the other game, Nevada Las Vegas or Georgia Tech?

“What do I care?” Henderson asked. “I haven’t got any bets on the game.”