All Sports Discussion

DURHAM – Three months ago, Virginia Tech’s players celebrated wildly on the court in the Maui Invitational as the Hokies upset then-No. 3-ranked Michigan State. Virginia Tech was 6-0 under new coach Mike Young with what it hoped was a signature win. That was then, this is now. Michigan State has failed to lived up …

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RALEIGH – Ah, this must have been what it was like in the older, smaller ACC days when N.C. State played on an NCAA Tournament level with neighboring Duke and North Carolina for bragging rights in the Triangle. Unranked N.C. State looked like anything but a team still seeking an NCAA bid as the Wolfpack …

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DURHAM – Duke’s unparalleled No. 1 from a year ago made a surprise campus visit to watch the Blue Devils and the player wearing his No. 1 this season. Zion Williamson, 2019 national player of the year, meet Vernon Carey, Duke’s 2020 national player of the year candidate. With Williamson enjoying an NBA All-Star game …

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DURHAM – Two dramatic finishes, two clutch performances. In just 48 hours, Tre Jones has gone from little brother of Duke icon Tyus Jones – a star on the 2015 NCAA title team — to his own Blue Devils iconic stature. He’s at least getting there until the season ends with or without a national …

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CHAPEL HILL – The next time unranked North Carolina faces a Duke team rated in the Top 10, bank on the Tar Heels pulling off an upset. If they can make free throws, that is. Struggling North Carolina was on the verge of shocking its historic Tobacco Road rival before sub-.50-percent free throw shooting down …

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DURHAM – Are you listening this Saturday, Blue Devils? Pay attention to the opponent was Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski’s complaint with his team last Saturday when the Blue Devils took Boston College lightly. Duke trailed most of the game until pulling out a 63-55 victory against a team it had defeated by 39 points a …

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North Carolina and point guard Cole Anthony can finally put to rest he’s not playing the remainder of the season to protect his NBA draft stock. Tar Heels coach Roy Williams said Friday Anthony has resumed practicing. That doesn’t mean the projected lottery pick will play Saturday when the Tar Heels play host to Boston …

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Mike Krzyzewski frequently shows anger on a basketball court, but it’s limited to poor play from his Blue Devils or calls he feels the referees missed. This time his wrath found a new target in Duke’s 79-67 win Tuesday night over visiting Pitt. At the halftime buzzer, the 40th-year Duke coach walked as briskly as …

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DURHAM – The first Basketball Jones-led point guard tandem that pushed Duke to its 2015 NCAA basketball title was Tyus Jones and Quinn Cook. As interchangeable parts they set their Blue Devils lore into the quarry stone used to build Cameron Indoor Stadium. Now, another Jones-led Duke tandem resembles the 2015 depth that two interchangeable …

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CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina’s injury-riddled basketball team finally secured the victory coach Roy Williams never really wanted to claim if he had his wishes.When the Tar Heels beat Yale on Dec. 30, Williams moved into a tie for fourth with Dean Smith on the NCAA Division I career wins list with 879 victories. Williams …

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CHAPEL HILL – Roy Williams lives by unwritten philosophies he began learning from Dean Smith upon arrival in Chapel Hill 51 years ago to play on North Carolina’s freshman team. He never disagrees with his mentor. Until now. “I am mad at Coach Smith right now, to be honest with you,” Williams said. “He had …

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