DETROIT (11/13/2020) — The Titan family is in mourning today with the news that they have lost one of their all-time great players as Terry Duerod entered eternal life on Friday after battling Leukemia.
“He did so many things in his life, made so many great transitions,” said former teammate and lifelong friend Earl Cureton. “Not just in basketball, but being a husband, being a friend, being a firefighter and everything he did, he excelled at. That is the only way I can sum him up, he was a one-of-a-kind guy.”
Duerod, 64, was known as “Sweet Doo” during his time with the Titans from 1975-79, helping the men’s basketball program rise to national status. He was known as one of the best shooters in the game in a time when there was no 3-point line.
The sharpshooter finished his career scoring 1,690 points, which is still sixth in school history and fourth when he graduated. In 111 career games, he tallied 15.2 points per game and is among the top 10 career leaders in field goals (third with 790) and field goal attempts (fourth with 1,542).
“So sad to learn about the passing of Terry Duerod,” said former coach Dick Vitale. “He is one of the really special players at the University. I am absolutely crushed. I found out with a phone call from his wife this morning that he had passed from cancer. He was unique. He was Mr. Excitement. When the ball was in his hands, the crowd was in a frenzy. His range was the minute he came out of the locker room. I am telling you, if there was a 3-point line during that era, he would have put points up at a staggering rate and his stat totals would be way higher than they are.”
During his time, he helped the Titans to one of their best runs in school history compiling a 91-22 record with three trips to the postseason and two postseason victories. The Titans made the NCAA Tournament in 1977 — with a win in the first round — and 1979 as well as the NIT in 1978 — tallying another triumph.
In 1977, the Titans won their first-ever NCAA Tournament game with a 93-76 win over Middle Tennessee State, before falling to Michigan, 86-81, a game that many thought could have been for the national championship itself. During the year, the Titans went on the road and defeated eventual national champion Marquette, and ended the season ranked No. 12.
Duerod joined the team in 1975-76 and averaged 8.4 points. As a sophomore, his production increased to 11.3 points as the team won 25 games and earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament, the first by a Titan team in 15 years.
In his junior year, he upped his scoring to 17.2 points as the Titans posted another 25-win campaign and earned a bid to the NIT, defeating VCU, 94-86, in the first round after he netted 18 points.
He then capped his Titan career with an amazing senior season as he was tabbed an All-American after averaging 23.3 points, seventh in school history at the time and ninth today. He posted a school record with 303 field goals, while his 23.3 points rank eighth in the school record book. His 47-point outburst against CCNY on Feb. 10, 1979, is still the third-best single-game performance of any Titan and the best at the time as he eclipsed Spencer Haywood’s 45 against Canisius in 1969. He dropped in 22 points in his final game in a Titan uniform against Lamar in the NCAA Tournament.
“It was a magical moment for us as Smokey Gaines did a great job of recruiting Terry and got a commitment. That was big news, a local kid, stays home, plays for his city and University and joined Tyler (Terry) and Long (John), other local kids and brought a lot of fame and great memories to the Titans and the city. He was a winner in life, that is exactly who he was and I will miss him dearly. It was such an honor to coach him,” added Vitale.
He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the third round (48th overall) in 1979 and played in 143 career games in the NBA over four seasons. He averaged 9.3 points per game and shot 47.2 percent from the field during his rookie campaign for the Pistons. He later played for the Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors, winning a NBA championship with Boston in 1981.
“He was a great person, he has always been the same, ever since I met him. If you want the truth, he will tell you the truth, he was always straightforward. He was such a great guy. If there was anyone I trust in the world, it would be him because I know he would always be there for me. You don’t get friends like that. We had a special friendship, he was a brother to me. He is the godfather to my daughter,” said Cureton.
A star at Highland Park High School, when his time playing professional basketball was over, Duerod began a 27-year career serving as a firefighter in Detroit, a career that he retired from in 2016 at the age of 60 because of the department’s retirement policy.
He was inducted into the Titan Hall of Fame in 1993 and saw his jersey retired to hang from the rafters of Calihan Hall in 2016. In 2016, he also received Detroit Mercy’s John Conti Letterman of Distinction Award, given to former varsity athletes who distinguish themselves in the community.
More information on his arrangements will be posted as soon as they are known.
