The Next Play: Duke, UNC move on; Canes back on the road; HS basketball in home stretch

So, now what?

It’s clearly a question at the top of people’s minds, no matter which team in the Triangle we’re talking about.

Duke and UNC met in their classic rivalry series on Saturday; N.C. State saw Notre Dame that day, too; Two Hurricanes skaters and their coach participated in All-Star festivities; and area prep teams met in a critical week for conference standing.

Here’s what this week has set up as an encore:

No rest for the weary

Just about 48 hours after Duke tipped off against UNC in another classic clash, the Blue Devils are back on the hardwood on Monday, hosting Virginia in one of only four remaining home games in the Coach K era. The Cavaliers are firmly on the outside of the bubble at the moment, but any success against Duke on Monday would be a big boost.

Duke, meanwhile, is working to remain atop the increasingly muddled ACC field. After hosting Virginia Monday, Duke travels to Boston College on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Duke’s opponent on Saturday, UNC, will have an extra day of rest before traveling to Clemson, though the extra travel may mitigate the extra day off. The Heels will then see Florida State at home next weekend.

Back from break

The Carolina Hurricanes were one of the first NHL teams to shut down prior to the league’s All-Star break, a move that had originally been planned as part of an Olympic break. After a week off and sending a pair of players to that All-Star game, the Canes are back in business this week with a four-games-in-six-days road swing to colder climes.

They’ll play back-to-back contests in Toronto and Ottawa before jetting off to Boston and then Minnesota. Each of these games are postponed games from earlier in the season that were wiped out due to COVID restrictions or infections.

Top teams collide

On the prep sports docket this week, Millbrook, the defending state 4A boys basketball champion, will play back-to-back games Monday and Tuesday against Wake Forest, one of this year’s top contenders.

Millbrook started slowly against some stiff competition, but has been running well of late. That matchup is a heavyweight.

Justin Pelletier

The News & Observer

Justin is a 25-year veteran sports journalist with stops in Lewiston, Maine (Sun Journal), and Boston (Boston Herald). A proud husband, and father of twin girls, Pelletier is a Boston University graduate and member of the esteemed Jack Falla sportswriting mafia. He has earned dozens of state and national sportswriting and editing awards covering preps, colleges and professional leagues.