Former NBA player and coach Doug Moe has died at the age of 87, former NBA player Bill Hanzlik shared via X on Tuesday. Hanzlik played under Moe for eight seasons with the Denver Nuggets.
The Nuggets later confirmed the news with a post in memoriam:
Moe is credited with revolutionizing the “passing game offense” in the NBA, emphasizing constant movement and a notorious “two-second rule” — pushing players to either pass the ball or shoot as quickly as the rule’s name would imply.
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Moe spent four years as an assistant coach before earning his first job as a head coach with the San Antonio Spurs, leading the team to a 117-135 record over four seasons before heading to Denver as an assistant coach. He was then promoted to interim head coach and spent 10 seasons with the team.
Moe led the Nuggets to a 432-357 record over 10 seasons; those 432 wins made him the winningest coach in franchise history, prior to Michael Malone earning his 433rd win with the team in 2024. The Nuggets made the playoffs in each of Moe’s nine seasons as a full-time head coach, though the Nuggets failed to ever make it past the conference finals.
Moe earned NBA Coach of the Year honors in the 1987-88 season. That year, the Nuggets finished first in the NBA Midwest with a 54-28 record, leading the league with 116.7 points per game. After defeating the Seattle SuperSonics in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, they fell in the semifinals to the Dallas Mavericks.
Despite leading the team to two Midwest Division titles in his tenure, Moe was fired by the Nuggets after the 1989-1990 season as the team looked toward its future under new leadership. Bernie Bickerstaff — the first African American president and GM in franchise history — was hired in the summer of 1990 and fired Moe not long after.
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Moe was a two-time All-American out of UNC, selected first by the Detroit Pistons in the 1960 draft, followed by the former Chicago Packers (now Washington Wizards) in the second round of the 1961 draft. Despite having been drafted, his connection to a point-shaving scandal in college followed him, and he was eventually blackballed by the league for his connection to the alleged scheme, despite later being cleared of any wrongdoing.
MILAN — They’ve trained together almost every day for years, sometimes sacrificing their own individual ambitions in speed skating for the good of the team. They’ve learned to glide around the ice almost perfectly in sync, skates lifting off the ground at the same time on every stride, bodies tilted at the same angle as they scream into the curves.
It was worth the grind for Casey Dawson, Emery Lehman and Ethan Cepuran — even if the Olympic medal earned by the American trio isn’t the one they coveted most.
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Dawson, Lehman and Cepuran settled for silver medals on Tuesday afternoon after advancing to the final of the men’s team pursuit competition but fading in the second half of the race against host Italy. The Italians clocked a winning time of 3:39.20, coming from behind to win the eight-lap final by more than four seconds.
“We came out here to win,” Dawson said. “The last four years, the dream was to get gold at these Games. But today we tried our best. We put it all out there on the ice. I’m just proud of these boys.”
The margin was wide enough that Italy’s Andrea Giovannini had time to hit Steph Curry’s signature “night, night” celebration as he crossed the finish line. That didn’t faze the Americans, who experienced a Russian speedskater giving the double bird to the pro-American crowd after beating the U.S. in the semifinals at the 2022 Beijing Games.
Italy’s Michele Malfatti (L) and Italy’s Andrea Giovannini celebrate after crossing the finish line to win gold in the speed skating men’s team pursuit final. (Photo by Daniel MUNOZ / AFP via Getty Images)
(DANIEL MUNOZ via Getty Images)
“It’s better than getting two middle fingers from the Russians four years ago,” Lehman said.
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“They’re celebrating, they put in the work, good for them,” Dawson added.
The outcome was bittersweet for a U.S. team that entered the Olympics ranked No. 1 in the world and that had recently dominated the team pursuit discipline. The Americans had skated to three world records, five straight World Cup season-long titles, world championship gold and Olympic bronze over the past five seasons.
“You can’t just be the best going in,” Lehman said. “You have to be the best on the day you compete and Italy was the best today. In every round they had the fastest time. So you could say we lost gold, but I just think they were more prepared at the Olympics.”
The U.S. also advanced to the medal round in women’s team pursuit but came away empty-handed Tuesday evening. Giorgia Birkeland, Brittany Bowe and Mia Manganello fell more than four seconds short against Canada in the semifinals and lost by more than three seconds to Japan in the bronze-medal round.
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For the U.S. men, the path to Olympic silver began in an aerodynamics science lab nearly eight years ago. Ingmar Jungnickel, the chair of U.S. Speedskating’s sports science commission, developed a revolutionary new approach to team pursuit that allowed the Americans to shave precious seconds off their fastest times.
Traditionally in team pursuit, the lead skater would peel off the front of the train every lap or two and reattach at the back, eager to have a teammate share the burden of fighting through wind resistance. Through aerodynamic modeling, Jungnickel showed that teams could go faster by leaving one skater at the front for the entire eight-lap race with his two teammates pushing him from behind with their outstretched hands to maintain his momentum.
The U.S. men debuted this new technique at the 2020 World Championships and finished an encouraging fifth, less than four seconds behind the first-place Dutch. The Americans’ time was 12 seconds faster than two years earlier at the Pyeongchang Winter Games when they posted the slowest quarterfinal time and did not reach the medal round.
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By the 2022 Olympics, the rest of the world had caught on. All three medaling teams used the technique pioneered by the Americans. Dawson, Lehman, Cepura and Joey Mantia took bronze, the second Olympic medal that the U.S. men have ever won in the event.
“It was a crazy idea that was brought to us,” Lehman said. “We were the guinea pigs. It will be cool in 50 years when they’re breaking 3:30 or maybe 3:20 in the team pursuit and they’re still doing that same technique.”
Over the next four years, the U.S. men blossomed into the top team in the world by prioritizing team chemistry on and off the ice. Dawson, Lehman and Cepuran see each other as much as they see their families. They even compete in the same fantasy football league, as evidenced by the unusual items that Dawson has been hauling around this World Cup season.
“I lost fantasy football back in the States,” he explained sheepishly soon after he arrived in Milan. “We have a league with all our skaters, and I got last place.”
Thankfully for Dawson, he’s a little better at skating than he is at fantasy drafts and waiver-wire pickups, so much so that he now has another attention-grabbing accessory to show off.
He’ll return home with an Olympic silver medal around his neck.
The college football landscape never stops moving, shifting and changing. The latest change is yet another drastic move of conference realignment. Sacramento State is leaving the FCS to join the FBS as they will now become a part of the MAC. Yes, the team in California is joining the Mid-American Conference. Ross Dellenger explains why Sac State is making this move and what other avenues they pursued. Andy Staples and Steven Godfrey join the conversation and react to this decision. The conversation evolves to the broader landscape of conference realignment. The guys discuss why so many of these drastic shifts are being made and what type of changes to the college football landscape they see coming in the future.
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Then, the guys dive into a couple of notable eligibility court cases. Trinidad Chambliss will be a Rebel for one more season after a judge in the Mississippi state court granted an injunction to give Chambliss one more season of eligibility. The guys compare s the Chambliss situation to other court cases of the past and they contrast it with the Joey Aguilar case in Tennessee. At the time of this recording, we have yet to get a ruling on Aguilar. Plus, the crew shares some of the very unique events that happened at the courthouse during the Chambliss ruling.
Later, Andy, Ross and Godfrey revisit a topic from the previous episode. Recently, a fan of Mr. Beast proposed the idea of Mr. Beast donating $100 million to East Carolina University to try to win them a National Championship. Andy was convinced that wouldn’t do much, but Godfrey said he does not feel the same way. The crew discusses the feasibility of this, how small schools could make a big jump with a large cash infusion and what additional power ECU would have by having Mr. Beast behind them.
All of this and more on today’s College Football Enquirer.
Sac State goes to the MAC in the latest conference realignment move. Photo by Joseph Weiser/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
(Photo by Joseph Weiser/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
0:00:00 – Sac State to the MAC
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14:31 – Where does conference realignment go from here?
And on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press, Heraskevych, 27, received a gift of at least $200,000 to help him continue his skeleton career and keep advocating for his home country.
“Vlad Heraskevych was denied the opportunity to compete for victory at the Olympic Games, yet he returns to Ukraine a true winner,” said Akhmetov in a statement, per the AP. “The respect and pride he has earned among Ukrainians through his actions are the highest reward.”
Vladyslav Heraskevych refused to wear another helmet during this year’s Games. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Akhmetov, the owner of the Shakhtar Donetsk soccer club — which consistently plays in the Champions League — and the Azovstal steel works in Mariupol, added: “At the same time, I want him to have enough energy and resources to continue his sporting career, as well as to fight for truth, freedom and the remembrance of those who gave their lives for Ukraine.”
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The money will be paid to Heraskevych’s charity foundation, according to the AP.
While Heraskevych filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport over his disqualification last week, arguing that his ban was “disproportionate” and not one driven by a technical or safety violation, his Olympics came to a premature end.
“The Sole Arbitrator, whilst fully sympathetic to Mr. Heraskevych’s commemoration, is bound by rules in the IOC Athlete Expression Guidelines,” CAS wrote in a statement.
“The Sole Arbitrator considers these Guidelines provide a reasonable balance between athletes’ interests to express their views, and athletes’ interests to receive undivided attention for their sporting performance on the field of play.”
Heraskevych made headlines by wearing the helmet during a training run last Monday. The IOC informed his coach and Ukrainian officials that the helmet violates article 50.2 of the Olympic Charter, which states that “no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”
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The IOC provided Heraskevych the option to wear a black armband or black ribbon instead, and IOC president Kirsty Coventry met with him in-person in attempt to find a solution. Coventry later emphasized to reporters that Heraskevych was disqualified for competing with the helmet, not for his message in general.
“The IOC was very keen for Mr. Heraskevych to compete,” it said this past Thursday in a statement. “This is why the IOC sat down with him to look for the most respectful way to address his desire to remember his fellow athletes who have lost their lives following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”
In 48 games this season, Jackson averaged 19.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.4 blocks per game. The Grizzlies are in 11th place in the Western Conference at 20-33, while the Jazz are in 13th place at 18-38 as one of the worst teams in the NBA.
Jackson was drafted No. 4 overall by Memphis in 2018. During his time with the Grizzlies, Jackson developed into one of the league’s best defenders and took home Defensive Player of the Year honors for the 2022-23 campaign.
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With the Grizzlies, Jackson was a three-time All-Defensive selection, two-time All-Star, two-time league leader in blocks and finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting in 2019. He also finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting last season.
The short program and the slightly longer free skate are the two performances that determine which figure skaters will go home with gold, silver or bronze at the Olympics. This year, Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu and Isabeau Levito, known collectively as the “Blade Angels,” are representing Team USA in those events at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. Though they also performed at the team event earlier in the competition (earning the gold medal), they’re taking part in the women’s singles competition, which starts Tuesday, Feb. 17, with the short program. You can watch it on Peacock, USA and NBC starting at 12:30 p.m. ET. The free skate is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 19, and will determine the medalists.
For a complete schedule of every figure skating event at this year’s games, a rundown of who is on Team USA, and how to watch, keep scrolling. And if you want to learn even more about every event at this year’s Winter Games, here’s a guide to everything you need to know about the Milan Cortina Games.
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How to watch the women’s figure skating short program at the 2026 Winter Olympics
Where to stream the women’s figure skating short program at the 2026 Winter Olympics
The entire women’s short program will be available to stream on Peacock. You can also tune in at 10:20 a.m. to watch the women’s short program warm-ups.
For $17/month, you can upgrade to an ad-free subscription that includes live access to your local NBC affiliate (not just during designated sports and events) and the ability to download select titles to watch offline.
Where to watch the women’s figure skating short program on TV
The women’s short program figure skating competition will begin with a broadcast on USA at 12:30 p.m., then switch to NBC at 2:40 p.m. The short program will re-air on USA at 1:30 a.m. ET. You can stream both on DirecTV, Hulu + Live TV and more.
How to watch Olympic Figure Skating without cable:
Who is on the Team USA Figure Skating team?
These are the sixteen skaters on Team USA’s figure skating team:
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Amber Glenn (Women’s Singles)
Isabeau Levito (Women’s Singles)
Alysa Liu (Women’s Singles)
Ilia Malinin (Men’s Singles)
Maxim Naumov (Men’s Singles)
Andrew Torgashev (Men’s Singles)
Madison Chock and Evan Bates (Ice Dance)
Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko (Ice Dance)
As a busy offseason looms, many AFC teams enter with questions left unanswered. With changes coming in free agency, on draft day and throughout the summer, Yahoo analyst Joel Smyth goes over five key questions that can shape the 2026 fantasy football season from the AFC. Smyth also covered the NFC this week.
Who becomes the Jaguars top WR?
Entering 2025, the fantasy draft decision was between Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter. Many assumed the Jacksonville offense could be a force in fantasy football, but very few guessed both Jaguars WRs would bust, especially as the offense blossomed. The only Jaguar to hit a mere 17%+ target share was mid-season trade addition Jakobi Meyers.
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So, between Meyers, Thomas, Hunter and Parker Washington, who will be the top dog in 2026?
Over the final four games of the season, including Week 18 and the Wild Card matchup versus Buffalo, Washington was actually the (clear) No. 1 weapon in Jacksonville; four straight games of 9+ targets resulting in 19 fantasy PPG. The final two games, although immensely important, will likely be forgotten in the fantasy space, with fantasy points no longer counting at that point of the season. Washington played by far the most snaps in the slot when Hunter was off the field, making his potential intriguing with Hunter being rumored to play defense primarily once he returns from injury in 2026.
Thomas could be interesting as a case where injuries were more of a factor than first meets the eye, but if nothing changes, then nothing changes.
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Watch for Jacksonville’s potential additions at the cornerback position, as well as rumors surrounding Hunter’s playing time when it comes to Washington’s upside. Based on the Jaguars’ WRs projected fantasy draft position, I believe Washington is the top value entering the offseason.
Will J.K. Dobbins return to Denver?
J.K. Dobbins has averaged 12.5 fantasy PPG over the last two seasons; he just hasn’t stayed healthy. Even with the injury, Dobbins was well worth the price tag for Denver, signing him to a cheap one-year deal last offseason. He handled 73% of the RB carries before his season-ending injury as the Broncos sparingly added in others, mainly as receiving threats. Although rookie RJ Harvey averaged 15.3 fantasy points after the injury, the ninth-highest among RBs, he struggled near the end of the season. When adding in Week 18 and Denver’s two playoff games, that dipped down to an average of 13.7, as Harvey failed to have over 50 rushing yards in each of his final five games.
The efficiency between the two backs was drastic. Dobbins’ average yards per carry sat at 5.0, the seventh-best in the NFL. Harvey, behind the same offensive line, had 3.7, good for 42nd out of 49 qualified backs. If Denver re-signs Dobbins, I wouldn’t be banking on the Harvey breakout to be automatic.
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Will the Chiefs draft an RB or sign a free agent?
The top landing spot in the RB market will get the first major answer in a few weeks. Does Kansas City choose to sign a free agent or wait and select an RB in the 2026 NFL Draft? In a forgettable year, the Chiefs ranked 29th in RB fantasy points as Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt failed to live up to expectations in an Andy Reid offense. In all other seasons with Patrick Mahomes starting, K.C. running backs are 10th in fantasy points (2018-2024). Whoever lands in Kansas City has immediate RB1 upside.
Does Aaron Rodgers return to Pittsburgh?
Pittsburgh decided to move on from head coach Mike Tomlin for the 2026 season, but will they move on from Aaron Rodgers? It’s looking more likely that the 42-year-old QB will return and play for the Steelers after the team hired his former HC in Green Bay, Mike McCarthy. For fantasy purposes, I don’t believe that is ideal. Although the Steelers were middle of the pack in scoring offense, the production did not mean equal fantasy production. The running backs benefited, albeit in a committee, but the receivers were held back.
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After leaving Seattle last offseason, DK Metcalf had a career low in receiving yards in Year 1 with Pittsburgh. Rodgers wants to line up and sling it. There is not much versatility or easy completions available, rather a West Coast 7-on-7 style of play. It results in a top WR like Metcalf being pressed at the highest rate among WRs. Rodgers is no longer in his prime and wants a style of offense that results in a far more difficult path to get a top WR the ball. It forces more difficult passes, as shown in Rodgers’ 50% catchable target rate on throws of 15+ air yards, the second-lowest in the NFL. Metcalf has not finished as a top-20 fantasy WR since 2020.
How does Buffalo fix its WR problems?
No team with Josh Allen should be 21st in receiving yards per game, but when isolating only the WRs, Buffalo was just that. It’s the most obvious flaw in the NFL: the lack of playmakers in the receiver room for the Bills. Much like Kansas City with RBs, a true No. 1 WR in Buffalo would bring immediate WR1 fantasy upside. Stefon Diggs played four seasons at the end of his prime in Buffalo. In those four seasons, he ranked as the overall WR3, WR8, WR5 and WR13. Consistently dominant.
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Allen ranked fourth in catchable target rate and helped players like TE Dalton Kincaid lead his position in fantasy points per route run. With the potential of elite volume available, paired with the efficiency of Allen, Buffalo’s answer at receiver this offseason will make an impact in fantasy from the get-go.
Amid an offseason of retirement chatter, Mike Evans is running it back. He’s just not sure where he’ll play in 2026. Evans’ agents, Deryk Gilmore and Darren Jones, confirmed multiple reports Tuesday that Evans intends to play in 2026. The longtime Tampa Bay wide receiver is a free agent and may not play his 13th NFL season with the Buccaneers.
Mike Evans plans to play in 2026, just maybe not with the Buccaneers.
(Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Evans, 32, is coming off an injury-riddled 12th NFL season that limited him to eight games, prompting speculation he would consider retiring. But Evans, who previously posted 11 consecutive 1,000-plus yard receiving seasons, remained productive when healthy and is ready to run it back for another season.
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Is Evans’ time with the Bucs done?
Evans has played his entire career with the Buccaneers as arguably the most reliably productive receiver in football. His 11 consecutive seasons with 1,000 receiving yards are tied with Jerry Rice for the most in NFL history.
He’s been a stalwart of the franchise while catching passes through the Jameis Winston/Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tom Brady and Baker Mayfield eras as the team’s top target. He’s a six-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro and helped lead the Bucs to a Super Bowl title with Brady after the 2020 season.
Evans is free to sign wherever he can work out a deal as an unrestricted free agent. Whether he returns to the Bucs will come down to how much the two sides desire a reunion. He’ll surely be targeted by contenders in need of veteran receiving help.
Paris Saint Germain had to work for it, but the reigning Champions League winners earned their 3-2 win over Monaco in Tuesday’s first playoff leg.
USMNT striker Folarin Balogun got Monaco off to a quick start, scoring 55 seconds into the match. He added to the host’s lead with another goal in the 18th minute to pass Christian Pulisic for goals (5) by an American in a single Champions League season.
Those good times wouldn’t last very long. After being subbed in for an injured Ousmane Dembélé in the 27th minute, PSG’s Désiré Doué scored two minutes later and Achraf Hakimi equalized in the 41st minute.
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Three minutes into the second half, Aleksandr Golovin put Monaco into a hole after getting a straight red card following a challenge on Vitinha. Doué, who hadn’t scored in the Champions League since October before Tuesday, recorded his brace with the go-ahead goal in the 67th minute.
Fellow title contenders Real Madrid topped Benfica 1-0 thanks to a beautiful Vinícius Júnior goal in the 50th minute.
There was a delay following the goal after Benfica players took exception to Vini Jr.’s goal celebration. During the skirmish, the Real Madrid forward notified referee François Letexier that an alleged racist remark was directed his way by Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni. The game resumed 10 minutes later.
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Benfica manager and former Real Madrid boss José Mourinho was sent off late in the match and will miss the second leg at the Bernabéu.
Elsewhere, Borussia Dortmund dispatched Atalanta 2-0 as Serhou Guirassy scored in the third minute and Maximilian Beier doubled the lead just before halftime. Galatasaray scored four times in the second half, including two from Noa Lang, during a 5-2 win over Juventus.
Despite the losing effort, USMNT’s Weston McKennie picked up his third assist in four days on Teun Koopmeiners’ second goal of the match.
Galatasaray has not reached the Champions League Round of 16 since 2014.
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Wednesday’s Champions League fixtures 12:45 p.m. ET: Qarabağ vs. Newcastle 3 p.m. ET: Bodø/Glimt vs. Inter Milan 3 p.m. ET: Club Brugge vs. Atlético Madrid 3 p.m. ET: Olympiacos vs. Bayer Leverkusen
Here’s how Tuesday’s knockout phase playoff action played out live:
12:45 p.m. ET: Qarabağ vs. Newcastle 3 p.m. ET: Bodø/Glimt vs. Inter Milan 3 p.m. ET: Club Brugge vs. Atlético Madrid 3 p.m. ET: Olympiacos vs. Bayer Leverkusen
Sean Leahy
Sean Leahy
The referee had a conversation with Gianluca Prestianni of Benfica and play will now resume in the 60th minute following a 10-minute delay.
Sean Leahy
Vinícius Júnior appears to have told the match official that a racist remark was directed his way. He immediately ran to the referee and that has brought players and both benches on to the field as things are sorted out.
Vini Jr. remains seated on the Real Madrid bench as everyone tries to get the game in order.
Sean Leahy
Vini cut in from the left side and curled a beautiful shot around Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin to break the deadlock.
The Real Madrid star would pick up a yellow card for excessive celebration following the goal.
Sean Leahy
A VAR review determined that Aleksandr Golovin was worthy of a straight red card after catching Vitinha up high with his cleat.
Sean Leahy
Sean Leahy
Sean Leahy
Sean Leahy
Down 2-0 after 18 minutes, PSG is now level with Monaco after goals from Désiré Doué and Achraf Hakimi.
Sean Leahy
Ousmane Dembélé left the match after picking up an injury. Doué wasted no time making an impact on the match.
Sean Leahy
PSG had a chance to get on the board, but it wasn’t meant to be in the 22nd minute.
Sean Leahy
The black and yellow needed only three minutes to grab the league against the Italian side thanks to Serhou Guirassy
Sean Leahy
It’s been all Monaco in the first half against PSG, and that’s thanks to Folarin Balogun.
The USMNT striker opened the scoring 55 seconds into the match. He has added to that in the 18th minute to put the reigning champions against the ropes in the first leg.
Sean Leahy
Sean Leahy
The USMNT striker netted his fourth Champions League goal this season 55 seconds in against the Ligue 1 side.
Balogun now has three goals in his last five games against PSG.
Borussia Dortmund-Atalanta has been delayed 15 minutes after Dortmund arrived late to the stadium.
Sean Leahy
The Turkish side is control and has one foot in the Round of 16 following a 5-2 win in Tuesday’s first leg. Noa Lang recorded a brace as Galatasary scored four times in the second half.
The two sides will meet again next Wednesday at Allianz Stadium in Torino, Italy.
Sean Leahy
Sean Leahy
Minutes after Juan Cabal was shown a second yellow card, Noa Lang added his second goal of the match to put Galatasaray up 4-2 over Juventus.
The Duke court-storming incident has reached a local district attorney, and Jon Scheyer isn’t happy about it.
Scheyer hit back hard at the Orange County district attorney after the Blue Devils’ blowout win over Syracuse on Monday night, just hours after the DA said there was “zero evidence” to support Scheyer’s claim that a Duke staffer was punched in the face after North Carolina fans stormed the court earlier this month.
“I would like to focus on Syracuse, but I’ll tell you that I know what I saw and I know what happened with our staff after the game — and that’s the bottom line,” Scheyer said, via ESPN. “I’m not going to circle back or get into — I don’t know what was said or wasn’t said or what people want to claim.
“But I know what happened, and I’m always going to support our staff in those situations and, again, I could have even said more, but I’m not going to do that.”
North Carolina rallied out of a double-digit hole earlier this month to knock off Duke in the latest edition of their rivalry at the Dean Smith Center. Tar Heels fans rushed their home court to celebrate twice, once prematurely. That led to a $50,000 fine from the ACC.
But after that game, Scheyer revealed a Duke staff member was punched in the face during the scene on the court. He said he got to the locker room and saw the staff member with a bloody lip and disheveled, and that he “got trampled on the floor.” It’s unclear who the staff member is, but Scheyer said days later that he was doing fine.
“It was not a good situation,” Scheyer said last week. “But he’s doing better, he’s fine. Ready to move on. I don’t have anything more to say other than that was a very unsafe situation for him, our staff, our families, our players.”
But on Monday, a local politician got involved.
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The district attorney for Orange County, which includes Chapel Hill, spoke out on social media. Jeff Nieman, who is a North Carolina graduate, said there was “zero evidence” anyone was hit in the face and actually blamed Scheyer’s comments for making the situation worse.
“A week has passed, and what seemed likely is now patently obvious. There is zero evidence that anyone from Duke’s basketball program was ‘punched in the face’ at the Smith Center last week,” Nieman wrote. “Nor is there any evidence that a staffer was ‘trampled on the floor’ or ‘in a complete brawl,’ for that matter. Some have asked why I’m talking about this. It’s certainly not because of a sports rivalry. That’s no business of the DA’s Office.
“But I’ve seen firsthand how reckless accusations of violence incite more violence, and that is my business. Someone with the power and influence of a major men’s basketball coach should exercise more discretion before just saying things that can have real-world consequences.”
Duke has won three straight since that loss, and now sits at 24-2. The Blue Devils will take on top-ranked Michigan on Saturday. They’ll host North Carolina again in the final game of the regular season next month, too.
As for the incident, Scheyer is again insisting that he just wants to get it behind them.
“We’re moving on, and I’m really grateful for tonight’s win,” he said Monday.
