Tag Archives: North Carolina

Duke basketball 2014 target Theo Pinson chooses North Carolina

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The No. 13 recruit in the class of 2014, according to ESPN, has chosen North Carolina.

The 6-foot-6 wing player was said to be debating between North Carolina and Indiana, but was also considering Duke, Louisville and Georgetown. It had been wrongly reported earlier this month that Pinson had dropped the Blue Devils as a potential school, but the story was later recanted.

Pinson joins a talented Tar Heel recruiting class that includes small forward Justin Jackson and combo guard Joel Berry.

According to Fox Sports’ Evan Daniels, North Carolina is handily leading the 2014 recruiting race.

After securing a commitment from 2014 wing player Grayson Allen last month, Pinson was not a critical recruit for the Blue Devils. Duke’s top 2014 recruits remain Jahlil Okafor and Tyus Jones.

NBA Draft: ACC who’s in and who’s out

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The NFL Draft may be this weekend, but there is plenty of news surrounding June’s NBA Draft. With the early entrant eligibility deadline for the draft on April 28, here’s a look at who’s in and who’s out from the ACC.

Declared for the NBA draft

Lorenzo Brown, N.C. State: Brown is leaving for the NBA after a junior season in which he averaged 12.4 points and an ACC-best 7.2 assists per game. At 6-foot-5, Brown has very good size for a point guard, but he shot just 26.3 percent from beyond the arc last season and watched his scoring actually decrease from his sophomore season. He’s a potential second round pick.

Reggie Bullock, North Carolina: Bullock broke out during his junior season, raising his scoring

Reggie Bullock is taking his talents to the NBA after a standout junior season in Chapel Hill.

Reggie Bullock is taking his talents to the NBA after a standout junior season in Chapel Hill.

average from 8.8 to 13.9 while grabbing 6.5 rebounds. Bullock should intrigue NBA owners in need of a wing player thanks to his 43.6 percent shooting from 3-point range. He could hear his name called in the late-first round.

Alex Len, Maryland: Len is leaving Maryland after his sophomore season after scoring 11.9 points and grabbing 7.8 rebounds per game. Len is still somewhat raw, but he is almost assuredly going to be drafted in the lottery. Len could be a top-five pick this June.

C.J. Leslie, NC State: Leslie’s stock slipped after returning to school last season. The Wolfpack’s leading scorer put up 15.1 points and grabbed 7.4 rebounds per game, shooting more than 50 percent from the floor in 2012-13. Unfortunately for Leslie, he’s considered a bit of a ‘tweener in NBA circles. At 6-foot-9 he’s got the height to be an NBA power forward, but at 200 pounds he is underweight. He’ll be taken somewhere around the late-first or early-second round.

Returning to school

P.J. Hairston, North Carolina: Hairston burst on the scene mid-season when Tar Heel head coach Roy Williams made the change to a small-ball lineup, making Hairston his power forward. Hairston averaged 14.3 points per game and shooting 39.6 percent from 3-point range last year. Hairston could be the focal point of the North Carolina offense next year with Reggie Bullock taking his talents to the NBA.

James Michael McAdoo, North Carolina: McAdoo went from being a potential lottery pick last season to being a fringe first round pick this year, which is part of the reason why he is returning to school this season. McAdoo averaged 14.4 points and 7.3 rebounds in his first season as a starter. He’ll look to improve those numbers next season and rebuild his sinking draft stock.

T.J. Warren, N.C. State: Warren started 14 games last season, averaging 12.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Warren could be the Wolfpack’s most important player in 2013-14 given that Brown, Leslie, Richard Howell, and Scott Wood are all going to the NBA and Rodney Purvis is transferring to UConn. Warren will look to play his way into the first round next season.

Still deciding

Shane Larkin is still debating whether or not to declare for the NBA Draft.

Shane Larkin is still debating whether or not to declare for the NBA Draft.

Shane Larkin, Miami: Larkin, the reigning ACC Player of the Year, is still undecided about his basketball future. Larkin made his presence felt in his sophomore season, scoring 14.5 points, doling out 4.6 assists, and playing 36.4 minutes per game. With Marcus Smart going back to Oklahoma State instead of entering the draft, Larkin could be a first-round target for teams looking for point guard help.

ACC announces men’s basketball opponents, matchups

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A full schedule won’t be out until September, but the ACC announced each team’s opponents for the 2012-13 season today.

The 18-game conference schedule will have Duke playing four teams twice during the regular season: Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Syracuse and Wake Forest.

Syracuse, along with Pittsburgh and Notre Dame, will be playing for the first time in ACC next year after coming from the Big East. The Blue Devils will play the Panthers and Fighting Irish on the road. Notre Dame is coached by Mike Brey, a former Blue Devil assistant under Coach K.

Duke’s home opponents: Florida State, Georgia Tech, Maryland, N.C. State, North Carolina, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest

Duke’s road opponents: Boston College, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Miami, Pittsburgh, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Wake Forest

Here are some fun nuggets on the schedule from the team’s official Twitter account:

Duke baseball, No. 1 North Carolina and Matt Harvey

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Duke baseball takes on No. 1 North Carolina this weekend, looking to take down a Tar Heel squad that is 36-2 on the season.

But it’s not unprecedented for Duke to beat a No. 1 UNC team. The Blue Devils also did it in 2009, taking two of three from the Tar Heels.

The starter for game three of that series? Matt Harvey, now a rising star with the New York Mets who took a no-hitter into the 7th inning in his last start. In his first full big-league season, Harvey has a 3-0 record and 0.82 ERA in three starts.

But Harvey was the losing pitcher when Duke upset No. 1 UNC and clinched the series. Duke tattooed Harvey for seven earned runs on seven hits in just two innings of work in that rubber game. The Blue Devils won the game 10-9, upsetting the nation’s best squad.

Harvey, the No. 7 pick of the 2010 MLB Draft by the Mets, also pitched against Duke in 2010. He got the win the second time around, but didn’t pitch well again. He gave up six runs (three earned) while giving up seven hits and four walks in five innings of work.

Former Blue Devil Marcus Stroman, a pitcher who became the first Duke player selected in the first round of the MLB Draft in 2012, tweeted this after watching Harvey’s second professional start this year:

Let’s file this as did not have.

Stroman’s only game against Harvey was the 2010 contest. Stroman went 1-for-4 with a walk.

Around the Triangle: Week 18

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Duke finished second in the ACC, a single game behind Miami in the regular season standings after completing the sweep of North Carolina this weekend. Were N.C. State and North Carolina able to solidify their position in the standings? Lets have a look.

NC State (22-9, 11-7), 5th seed in the ACC

March 6: Wake Forest 66, NC State 81

Unranked NC State enhanced their chances of a better seeding in the ACC tournament with a comprehensive win over Wake Forest. C.J. Leslie led the Wolfpack with 19 points and 10 rebounds but three other Pack players also had double-digit scoring. Lorenzo Brown had 11 points, seven assists and six rebounds in a great all-round performance, with freshmen T.J. Warren and Rodney Purvis chipping in with 15 and 14 points, respectively. N.C. State was strong on the boards, underlining one of the strengths it has had all season and also had 10 steals a marked improvement from their season average.

March 9: NC State 67, Florida State 71

In a testy, physical game the Wolfpack fell to Florida State in both teams’ final game of the regular season. Scott Wood had 18 points in a losing effort as N.C. State wrapped up its regular season and secured the fifth seed in the ACC tournament. Richard Howell had a significant milestone as he grabbed his 1000th career rebound in the game. Lorenzo Brown also impressed with 14 points and eight assists but the Wolfpack’s poor rebounding, a surprise to many, as they grabbed only 27, came back to hurt them as they let a lead slip away and lose another close game.

Analysis: N.C. State finished up their ACC play with an 11-7 record, which could have been so much different had they closed out certain close games in the middle of the season. But the team is well stocked for a run in the ACC tournament. The team is very strong at rebounding and plays a strong offense that features stand out players. Freshman TJ Warren leads the ACC with a 61.3 field goal percentage and Richard Howell has been putting up double-doubles all season long. They should be a team to fear—its a matter of it all coming together at the right time.

Upcoming: Mar 14 vs. 12th-seeded Virginia Tech in the ACC Tournament first round

UNC (22-9, 12-6), 3rd seed in the ACC

March 6: North Carolina 79, Maryland 68

Unranked North Carolina posted a comfortable win over Maryland to solidify its standing in the ACC. Reggie Bullock had 19 points and 12 rebounds while P.J. Hairston added 22 points. The Tar Heels were helped by the Terrapins terrible shooting from beyond the arc as they missed 20 of their 23 attempts.

March 9: Duke 69, North Carolina 53

Duke completed the double over North Carolina with a dominating win over the Tar Heels. Seth Curry and Mason Plumlee were no match for an undersized North Carolina line-up as they were out-played by a confident Duke team. With this game, both teams completed their regular season commitments and will now turn their attentions to bigger things.

Analysis: This team has hung around in the ACC and locked up the number three seed. They looked like a legitimate contender with six wins in a row, but do people still feel that way after getting routed by Duke at the Dean Dome? The Tar Heels lack consistency and experience—two factors that will affect their tournament chances.

Upcoming: Mar 15 vs. the winner of 6th-seeded Florida State and 11th-seeded Clemson

Duke women’s basketball vs. North Carolina live updates

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Duke 92, North Carolina 73 (final): Elizabeth Williams finished out the game strong, adding an easy hoop, a few free throws, and her second block of the game. Sierra Moore and walk-on Jenna Frush made their first appearances of the game with the lead comfortably in hand. Despite the large deficit, the North Carolina effort never waned, staying with their full court press to force head coach Joanne P. McCallie to call time out to bail out the in-bounder. Tierra Ruffin-Pratt continued her strong second half, finishing the game with 25 points.

Duke 80, North Carolina 60 (3:44, second half): Haley Peters and Allison Vernerey both fouled out. Peters ends her night a perfect 7-for-8 from the floor, good for 15 points. For the Tar Heels, after her big first half Waltiea Rolle has not had a single point in the second half. Tierra Ruffin-Pratt, however, has 14 this half after being held scoreless in the first. Duke has figured out how to beat the North Carolina press by throwing touchdown passes to Alexis Jones, resulting in easy layups.

Duke 70, North Carolina 46 (7:57, second half): Haley Peters continued her assault on the Tar Heels, now a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor. She is up to 17 points on the game to go along with five rebounds. Not to be outdone, Alexis Jones drilled a three-pointer from well beyond the arc, giving her 11 points this half. Tierra Ruffin-Pratt, looking to make up for her empty first half, came up with a steal and transition hoop in an attempt to keep the Tar Heels close.

Duke 58, North Carolina 40 (11:57, second half): Alexis Jones, who was quiet in the first half, has been anything but in the second period of play. After shooting just 2-of-7 in the first half, she opened the second half with eight points on 3-for-4 shooting. Tierra Ruffin-Pratt finally got her first point of the game after drawing a foul on Allison Vernerey and making a free throw. The Tar Heel full-court press has drawn a few Duke turnovers, but the Blue Devils haven’t let the lead slip below 17.

Duke 53, North Carolina 30 (14:22, second half): Alexis Jones started things off right for the Blue Devils in the second half, flying by the defense for an easy layup. Jones’ hoop opened the flood gates inside for Duke, as Elizabeth Williams and Haley Peters quickly found success in the paint as well. While the Blue Devils were getting easy looks, the Tar Heels struggled mightily to score early in the half, allowing Duke to continue it’s dominance by going on a 10-2 run.

Duke 39, North Carolina 24 (halftime): The post players for both teams—Elizabeth Williams and Waltiea Rolle—have had impressive showings in the first half. Williams was not only providing the points on offense—11 points on 4-of-9 shooting—but was also giving the North Carolina guards fits trying to force passes into the post. Rolle meanwhile, has 10 points in her own right, including a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe. Duke took charge in this game late in the first half, finishing the period on a 12-2 run starting at the 4:11 mark.

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