The replay: Duke’s rough week, a Hall of Fame snub, and up-and-down news for UNC
.JPG "Clemson guard David Collins (13) fouls Duke forward Wendell Moore Jr (0) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Clemson, S.C., Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022. Collins was ejected. Duke beat Clemson 82-64. (Ken Ruinard/The Independent-Mail via AP)")
It was a finish the likes of which is usually reserved for a Thursday in March. Down by two, seconds remaining, the ball kicks into the corner for a prayer of a 3.
And it drops. Ballgame.
More often than not over the years, Duke has been the team on the winning end of shots like that, but this past week, they suffered the opposite fate at the hands of Virginia. After the Cavaliers squandered what had been a 12-point lead, Reece Beekman’s 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds left gave Virginia a 69-68 win over the Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Duke led 68-66 when its star freshman Paolo Banchero lost the ball in the lane for a turnover with 37 seconds to play.
“We put ourselves in position to win,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “We made two bad plays, two really bad plays: One on offense and one on defense. And that’s all it takes.
The Blue Devils rebounded Thursday with a methodical win on the road at Clemson, but nearly lost a star player after a dangerous play under the basket.
Clemson senior David Collins was ejected after he undercut Duke’s Wendell Moore as Moore dunked on a breakaway drive with 3:01 to play before halftime. Moore crashed the ground hard, causing Krzyzewski to storm off the Duke bench in anger and onto the court. The play happened at the end of the court nearest the Clemson bench.
Officials separated the players and immediately signaled an intentional foul on Collins. Moore got to his feet quickly. After the officials reviewed the play using video replay, Collins was ejected and a Flagrant 2 foul was assessed.
Torry Holt snubbed
We don’t want to pick nits, but … How is N.C. State legend Torry Holt not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
The case for the Gibsonville native who set ACC records that still stand at N.C. State before going sixth overall in the 1999 draft is beyond clear: NFL records for consecutive 1,300-yard seasons and 90-catch seasons (six straight in each) and the most productive receiver in the game in the prime of his career. Only two other receivers have even recorded six 1,300-yard seasons. Jerry Rice and Randy Moss are in the Hall of Fame. Holt is not.
Holt was a key cog in an offense that changed the game and has already seen Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Orlando Pace and — most relevantly — Isaac Bruce inducted from that St. Louis Rams team.
There’s always next year.
Mixed bag
It was a week of mixed news for the UNC men’s basketball team, which hung on to beat Clemson on Tuesday to remain unbeaten against teams outside of the all-important Quad 1.
However, the Tar Heels also learned that a key piece of their team won’t be coming back this season.
First, the game: Caleb Love shook off his struggles when it mattered most, making a go-ahead 3-pointer with 36 seconds remaining. He then had a drive and assist to Brady Manek for the game-winning layup with 3.1 seconds to play as the Tar Heels escaped Clemson with a 79-77 win at Littlejohn Coliseum.
When David Collins’ 3-pointer at the buzzer fell short, Carolina began its celebration and Love turned to wave goodbye to the students in the bleachers surrounding the court.
Then, later in the week, Dawson Garcia and the school announced that Garcia, who’s been away from the team helping with a family medical situation, would not return to the team this season, leaving the Heels shorthanded in the frontcourt.
With games winding down, the Heels are still searching for a big win to boost their NCAA tournament bubble hopes.
Staff writers Steve Wiseman, Luke DeCock and C.L. Brown contributed to this story.
