Sports Blog

Wake Forest’s victory against Duke on Sunday night gives a nice boost to the Demon Deacons’ portfolio in terms of postseason consideration. Not only was it a victory for Wake Forest, but it came against a highly ranked opponent.
Now, North Carolina State needs a similar home result against North Carolina when the teams tangle Wednesday night in Raleigh. It might be about the only thing capable of salvaging some of the Wolfpack’s postseason aspirations (though a date with Duke on March 1 could offer similar benefits).

These in-state games not only get the juices flowing, but the rewards for the underdogs seem to come with additional payoffs if the results favor them.
Plus, either N.C. State and Wake Forest are guaranteed one more nice victory when they play each other next month.

– Bob Sutton

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One would guess that Winston-Salem is a good place to be as the final laps of the Daytona 500 are taking place. This is one of the hubs of NASCAR.

Meanwhile, the race in Atlantic Coast Conference basketball is at an important juncture.
Duke is here for tonight’s game againts Wake Forest. Duke hasn’t lost in the league and, according to the standings entering the day, Wake Forest would be the second-toughest opponent remaining on Duke’s second (behind second-place North Carolina).
So this ought to add a heightened level of importance to this game.
The No. 12 car of Ryan Newman won the big race. Wake Forest doesn’t have a No. 12 of its roster, but Duke has freshman standout Kyle Singler wearing the No. 12 jersey.

– Bob Sutton

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The Duke / Maryland basketball series has grown in prominence during much of the past decade. There have been bad feelings and back-to-back national championships for the men’s teams.
But just how this fits into the scheme of things in the ACC is open to debate — and it something that pops up when these teams meet.
It doesn’t come close to equaling the Duke / North Carolina rivalry, but from the Maryland perspective that doesn’t matter.
The game tonight matters a lot in terms of the ACC this season. This is only one of three remaining games for Duke against teams in the ACC’s current top six — the others are home meetings with Georgia Tech and North Carolina.
Both teams are on a roll. Maryland’s four-game winning streak includes two final margins of 10 or more points.
And if the Terrapins win here again — like they’ve done in half of their last eight trips to Cameron Indoor Stadium — there will be even more discussion about how this fits into that rivalry pecking order.

– Bob Sutton

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North Carolina’s team was greeted by some unanticipated icy conditions in Charlottesville, Va., for tonight’s ACC game.
Outside the arena, it has been extremely dark because a transformer is out. That means some traffic signals are out and street lights aren’t shining.
But, the game goes on — and conditions are expected to improve later.

Meanwhile, the condition of the Tar Heels is still an issue.
North Carolina swingman Marcus Ginyard went to the court for early warmups despite his ankle injury. Yet team officials say there’s no guarantee that he’ll play.
“He looks better, but still no definitive word,” team spokesman Steve Kirschner said just moments ago (30 minutes prior to the scheduled tip-off).
The main issue today in Virginia is the presidential primary. Not sure how much popular support Tyler Hansbrough will have tonight.

– Bob Sutton

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This is the time of the year that really gets the juices flowing for ACC basketball fans.
After a weekend of action, including a two-overtime game between North Carolina and Clemson, there’s only one day to assess the state of the league. That’s tonight, when none of the teams are in action.
But North Carolina will be on the move. The Tar Heels are busing to Charlottesville, Va., in anticipation of Tuesday night’s game at Virginia.
That kicks off a three-day stretch that includes some crucial games, including Maryland, which could still have something to say about the top of the ACC standings if the Terrapins can knock off Duke on Wednesday night.

– Bob Sutton

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One of the interesting aspects of many North Carolina home men’s basketball events is what often takes place prior to the “big” game.
It’s junior varsity basketball.
The Tar Heels JV team plays a limited schedule, and the games are sparsely attended. Hargrave Military Academy is the opponent for the JV team for today prior to the main event against Clemson. Some early arriving students are looking on during the second half, and Hargrave Military Academy is firmly in control of this one.
After two seasons, Jack Wooten of Burlington “graduated” from the JV team to this season’s varsity Tar Heels.
But in-season promotions aren’t likely to happen. And there’s no one on the JV team that can fill point guard Ty Lawson’s spot in the lineup. He won’t play again tonight, sitting out a second game in a row with a sprained ankle.

– Bob Sutton

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Duke basketball games can become events, and that’s what the university is hoping happens with the football program.
New coach David Cutcliffe is already part of some promotional pitches aimed at drumming up support for the football program.
The setting around Saturday’s Boston College / Duke basketball game probably allowed quite a bit of imagination regrding football. That’s because it was a festive atmosphere outside Cameron Indoor Stadium, most of it in view of the football home (Wallace Wade Stadium). It’s this type of buzz that Duke wants for its football program, too.

– Bob Sutton

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It’s time for Wake Forest vs. North Carolina State in men’s basketball. Often, this comes on the same day or within a day of a Duke / North Carolina matchup.
So today’s game can have its own identity. After all, these are two old rivals with plenty of classic get-togethers in their own right.
And this game will determine some sort of pecking order in the middle of the ACC standings — not that much has been sorted out at all at this point.

The Demon Deacons and Wolfpack should take advantage of this spotlight, of course today it’s shared with the Super Bowl (and North Carolina / Florida State later in the afternoon).
The second N.C. State / Wake Forest game comes March 8, with tip-off nine hours prior to the Duke / North Carolina rematch.

– Bob Sutton

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It seems like the Duke basketball team was just leaving the court. That was Thursday night.

By Saturday afternoon, the Blue Devils are back in another game. For Duke’s sake, it’s probably good fortune both games are at home. First, North Carolina State visited, then Miami.
There’s really no rhyme or reason to this schedule. Some teams are off for a week and they hit with games that seem to come in rapid fire.
The Blue Devils are probably pleased to be playing Saturday afternoon for several reasons. First, such set-ups practically became void for Duke in recent years, when traditional tip-off times became a thing of yesteryear. And further, in this case, it gives the Blue Devils a headstart on preparing for North Carolina, which doesn’t play this weekend until Sunday afternoon at Tallahassee, Fla.
Of course, if Duke doesn’t take care of business against Miami then it won’t seem like such a good idea to the Blue Devils.

– Bob Sutton

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