Duke Head Coach Issues Another Apology Following UNC Basketball Incident

UNC basketball clinched a regular-season sweep of their archrival Duke with an 84-79 victory in Cameron Indoor Stadium, fueled by graduate sharpshooter Cormac Ryan’s career-high 31 points. This win secured UNC’s first outright regular-season conference title since 2017.

Following the game, as Ryan and the No. 7 Tar Heels mockingly waved goodbye to the Cameron Crazies amidst a flurry of thrown items, including water bottles and reportedly even gumballs, Duke’s second-year head coach Jon Scheyer approached the student section to offer an apology. Holding one of the fans’ hands, Scheyer expressed deep regret for Duke’s loss and pledged to improve the team’s performance.

Scheyer acknowledged the disappointment felt by both the fans and the team, especially on Senior Night, recognizing the unique atmosphere of Cameron Indoor Stadium as one of college basketball’s best.

Although Scheyer’s apology may not have echoed the memorable scene from UNC’s 2022 victory in Duke legend Mike Krzyzewski’s final home game, characterized by Coach K’s repeated use of the word “unacceptable” in his postgame address to the crowd, Scheyer’s sincerity was evident both on the court and in his subsequent press conference.

The presence of Coach K at the game, his first Duke-UNC clash since his retirement, added further weight to the occasion, as did the attendance of numerous former players, albeit fewer than witnessed in UNC’s triumph in Durham two years prior.

With this significant victory under third-year head coach Hubert Davis, who now boasts a 4-3 record against Duke (including 2-2 against Scheyer), UNC is positioned favorably for a potential No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, riding a six-game winning streak into the ACC Tournament.

Looking ahead, UNC aims to add another conference banner in the Dean E. Smith Center and will face the winner of the Virginia Tech vs. Florida State matchup in the ACC Tournament on Thursday at noon ET in Washington, D.C.