Duke basketball is one of the most polarizing programs in sports, this we already know. From their perennial success, to the line-crossing Cameron Crazies, to their reputation as a haven for silver spooners, there are plenty of reasons to have Jalen Rose-levels of hate for the Blue Devils. Read More »

Most nights when the home team gets run out of the gym, the arena is unusually quiet. Not last night in Philly. While the Clippers were busy laying a 17-point beatdown on the Sixers, the crowd was halfway in-between incensed and amazed. It really began in the third quarter, where the Clippers went on a run that put them up by 26. DeAndre Jordan had two dunks – one was off a Blake Griffin free throw miss where he puts his nuts in Arnett Moultrie‘s mug. Read More »

Long and surprising NCAA Tournament runs can make you a legend. Miles Simon‘s play in 1997 definitely helped cement his legacy in Arizona. While leading his No. 4-seeded Wildcats to an NCAA Championship, doing it by becoming the only team to ever beat three top seeds in the same tournament, Simon was named the Most Outstanding Player. The one-man performance still resonates 15 years later. Read More »

Watching Jay Williams address the completely enrapt New Hampton Prep basketball team late Sunday night at the Hoophall Classic, it was clear he was firmly in his element. Basketball has obviously always been a big part of Williams’ life, but you could make a case he’s never been quite as immersed as he is now.

As an ESPN college basketball analyst, Williams splits his time between calling games and working on studio shows, while also commentating for the network’s rapidly expanding interest in high school ball. The latter assignment gives him the opportunity to take part in one of his favorite pastimes: mentoring young athletes. There isn’t a player on any level that doesn’t have the utmost respect for the former No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft, and he commonly takes time to pull players aside and offer a few words of wisdom. Read More »

While all the NBA exhibition and charity games during the lockout have been great, there’s been one element missing: school pride. So if guys can put on for their city or their team, the next logical step for them was clearly to put on for their alma mater. And it only makes sense that one of the most heated and storied rivalries in sports kick things off. Read More »

Maybe it’s just me, but I could watch Austin Rivers play basketball all day. So now that he’s in Durham for the summer, he’s been joining his new Duke teammates at the Greater NC Pro-Am… and putting on a show. Check out some highlights of Rivers, Seth Curry and Andre Dawkins from last night that include cameos from former Blue Devils Kyrie Irving and Jay Williams at the end.

Her name’s Amy and she’s just one year old. But yet the NBA’s Empire State Building says if he ever comes back, ever overcomes the foot/ankle problems that have crumbled his foundation, it’ll be his tiny daughter that’ll be the reason. Yao Ming wants his baby girl to see him play. He wants her to see more than YouTube videos and more of him in the flesh, playing like he did from 2003-09. She’s his motivation, his Shooter. Read More »

Coach K‘s four national championship teams at Duke University have been defined by threes. Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley and Grant Hill ran the show in the ’90s; Shane Battier, Jay Williams and Mike Dunleavy Jr. won it in ’01; and in 2010 it was Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith.

With Scheyer gone to graduation and a few younger players taking aim at that vacant spot in the Big Three, this season’s leadership responsibilities for the Blue Devils (11-0) have fallen on seniors Smith (17.1 ppg, 5.4 apg) and Singler (17.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg) to lead a talented group aiming for a repeat. Going into tonight’s game against UNC-Greensboro (7 p.m., ESPNU), Smith talks about how experience wins championships: Read More »

If Kemba Walker hadn’t decided to turn into Tiny Archibald in Maui, tonight’s Duke vs. Michigan State matchup (ESPN, 9:30 p.m. EST) would be a meeting of the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the nation.

Despite their blemished record, No. 6 Michigan State is still considered a Final Four favorite and regarded as the toughest challenge the defending national champion Blue Devils will face in the regular season. Currently, these are the top two teams in college basketball. How do they match up historically? Read More »

In the history of professional sports, few athletes have had the kind of up-and-down season that Washington Nationals pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg is having right now.

When Strasburg, the No. 1 pick in the ’09 MLB Draft, made his big-league debut in June, he exceeded the hype surrounding his arrival by striking out 14 batters in seven innings while picking up a win. Strasburg was the talk of baseball throughout summer, but earlier today, the Nationals announced he needs Tommy John surgery on his right elbow and will likely miss the next year. Read More »