Coach K’s Cameron farewell: No. 4 Duke upset by archrival North Carolina

DURHAM, N.C. — North Carolina spoiled the emotional residence finale of retiring Corridor of Famer Mike Krzyzewski, beating fourth-ranked rival Duke 94-81 on Saturday evening at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

The day that was all in regards to the coach who has 1,196 profession victories and 5 NCAA championships abruptly was a season-defining efficiency for the Tar Heels, who performed fearlessly in an additional rowdy enviornment and shot 59% after halftime.

It marked the primary time an unranked North Carolina group had crushed a top-5 Duke group in Cameron since 1990, and it got here a month after the Blue Devils had received by 20 in Chapel Hill.

“All week, we simply talked about our aggressive battle,” first-year UNC coach Hubert Davis stated, “that we needed to do three issues: We needed to plant our toes, we needed to stand our floor and we needed to battle. … I simply felt like, as the sport went on, we began to simply acquire an increasing number of confidence.”

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By the ultimate minutes, the Tar Heels (23-8, 15-5 Atlantic Coast Convention) had been stretching the result in double figures, hitting clinching free throws and leaving the “Cameron Crazies” in disbelief that Krzyzewski’s remaining residence recreation after 42 years on the helm of Duke would finish this manner.

Put up-game ceremony

The college held an on-court ceremony for Krzyzewski after the sport, although the coach first grabbed the microphone with the loss on his thoughts.

“I’m sorry about this afternoon,” he started, then waved off cheers from the followers. “Immediately was unacceptable, however the season has been very acceptable. And the season isn’t over.”

Krzyzewski may solely watch from his seat on the finish, when UNC was in agency management. And when the horn sounded, the Tar Heels mobbed one another to have fun on the courtroom, whereas Caleb Love — who overcame an 0-for-8 taking pictures begin to rating 15 of his 22 factors after halftime — jawed on the Crazies.

Actor and comic Jerry Seinfeld, heart, sits subsequent to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, proper, previous to an NCAA school basketball recreation between Duke and North Carolina in Durham, N.C., Saturday, March 5, 2022. 
(Related Press)

Armando Bacot scored 23 factors to guide UNC. R.J. Davis had 21 and Brady Manek 20, marking the primary time in program historical past that the Tar Heels had 4 20-point scorers in the identical recreation.

Freshman Paolo Banchero scored 23 factors for the Blue Devils (26-5, 16-4), who shot simply 42%.

UNC led by simply two with 5 1/2 minutes left after they made their transfer, with Davis getting by Banchero for a driving layup, adopted by Love penetrating to search out Manek for the rating to take a 79-71 lead with 3:52 left.

Manek additionally got here by with one in every of his 5 3-pointers at a important second, answering one from Wendell Moore Jr. to maintain the lead at eight and keep momentum.

“It was a giant second, truly an enormous second this week,” Moore stated. “I felt like we sort of obtained misplaced in every thing.”

90-plus former gamers in attendance

Krzyzewski had tried all season to deflect questions on his looming retirement — even eschewing the usage of the phrase “final” — and making an attempt to keep away from being a distraction or creating further stress on his group. That started to vary extra in current days because the second drew close to for a coach who has lengthy taken a live-in-the-moment method.

Surrounded by former gamers, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski applauds whereas being acknowledged previous to the group’s NCAA school basketball recreation in opposition to North Carolina in Durham, N.C., Saturday, March 5, 2022. The matchup is Krzyzewski’s remaining recreation at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
(Related Press)

Greater than 90 former gamers had been in attendance, together with a number of the program’s greatest names like Grant Hill, Shane Battier, J.J. Redick, Jay Williams, Danny Ferry and Christian Laettner. They gathered to create two strains on the courtroom — a number of motioning to the coed part for extra noise or capturing video with their cellphones — to make an aisle for Krzyzewski to stroll to midcourt to affix them for a gaggle picture captured from the rafters.

After returning for the ultimate pregame minutes, Krzyzewski gave the impression to be combating again tears throughout the nationwide anthem and dabbing his eyes with a tissue throughout the remaining huddle earlier than tipoff.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski directs the group throughout the second half of an NCAA school basketball recreation in opposition to North Carolina in Durham, N.C., Saturday, March 5, 2022. 
(Related Press)

Affiliate head coach Jon Scheyer, who’s designated as Krzyzewski’s successor subsequent season, took a second to pat his mentor on the proper shin earlier than the opening tip.

Huge image

UNC: Davis stated he wasn’t targeted on the “pageantry” of Saturday’s farewell, however was as an alternative nervous about making ready his group to compete. He definitely did that, with the Tar Heels attacking the rim and exhibiting a aggressive hearth that wasn’t obvious in final month’s 87-67 loss. By far, it’s UNC’s finest win this season, and represented an enormous enchancment for an NCAA Event resume that was gentle on high-quality wins.

North Carolina guard Caleb Love (2) shoots in opposition to Duke ahead Paolo Banchero (5) and ahead AJ Griffin (21) throughout the first half of an NCAA school basketball recreation Saturday, March 5, 2022, in Durham, N.C. (Related Press)

Duke: The Blue Devils had already secured this system’s first outright ACC regular-season title since 2006 and had misplaced simply as soon as since mid-January, falling at residence on a last-second 3-pointer to Virginia. However this time, they couldn’t corral UNC’s backcourt of Love and Davis — who struggled mightily in opposition to Duke’s stress protection within the first assembly — and couldn’t handle a response because the Tar Heels made their transfer within the remaining 6 minutes.

Jerry Seinfeld, others noticed

The previous Blue Devils gamers weren’t the one notable names within the cramped confines of the 82-year-old enviornment the place Krzyzewski has received 88% of his video games over 42 seasons.

In line with the college, the visitor checklist for Krzyzewski’s going-away occasion included comic Jerry Seinfeld, actor/comic Ken Jeong, NBA commissioner Adam Silver and quarterback Kyler Murray of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals.

There was additionally a sighting of retired NBA nice Dirk Nowitzki, who took a walkthrough of the Duke follow facility earlier Saturday and bumped into Moore. Moore shortly requested for a photograph with the previous world champion.

Up subsequent

UNC: The Tar Heels personal the No. 3 seed for the ACC Event in New York and open play in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Duke: The Blue Devils maintain the No. 1 seed for the ACC Event and in addition open play Thursday.