Men’s Basketball: Duke’s ACC opponents for 2024 are set

The ACC released its conference opponent schedule for 2024-25 on Thursday evening. See who Duke will host and travel to here.

The Duke Blue Devils have officially entered the month of March, which means things will get serious for them on the basketball court. The Blue Devils have just three regular-season games remaining before they play in the ACC Tournament and, after that, the NCAA Tournament for a chance to win the program’s sixth national title.

Even while that takes place, there’s an eye on next year’s team as the Blue Devils discover who their conference opponents will be for the 2024-25 season.

Next year is a big year for the ACC as it welcomes three new teams to the conference: SMU, Stanford, and California.

The expansion means some tweaks to the normal ACC schedule, however, and the conference revealed each team’s ACC foes for the 2024-25 season on Thursday.

Duke’s 20-game schedule for 2024-25 features two two-game series (home and away) versus its two current partners, North Carolina and Wake Forest. The Blue Devils are 1-2 currently this year against both teams. They also have a home-and-away series with the Miami Hurricanes for next season.

Duke will host California at Cameron Indoor for the first time. The last time the schools played was in 2019 when Duke blew Cal out by 35 points in an 87-52 win in the 2K Empire Classic.

Florida State, NC State, Notre Dame, Pitt, Stanford, and Virginia Tech will all come to Cameron next year. Duke will travel for road games at Boston College, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Louisville, SMU, Syracuse, and Virginia next season.

Duke is 3-1 all-time against SMU in basketball. The Blue Devils’ road trip to SMU is only their second all-time, having played in Dallas on Dec. 8, 1977 – a game which Duke won by 24 points 91-67.

The ACC recently announced that, with the conference expanding to 18 members, only the top 15 teams in the conference will participate in the ACC Tournament next year, which is set to be played March 11-15 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The full schedule will be announced early this fall, equipped with specific game dates, times, and networks.

ACC Men’s Basketball Power Rankings: Duke finally sits at the top

The Duke Blue Devils finally sit atop of the power rankings after four straight wins with a surprise team sneaking into second. Check out how the rest of the conference shakes out.

After weeks in the No. 2 or No. 3 spot, the Duke Blue Devils have finally emerged atop our ACC power rankings after North Carolina and Virginia both suffered upsets earlier in the week.

Duke has won four straight games since its road loss to the Tar Heels, now just half a game back from first place in the ACC standings.

Another team rocketing up the standings is the Pittsburgh Panthers. Pitt holds the longest active winning streak in the conference, having won its last five games and handed Virginia its first loss in a month.

Pitt is still 3.5 games back from first place in the ACC, but they’re climbing their way back into NCAA Tournament contention.

Here’s what our full power rankings look like as of February 19.

 

A look at the current path through the ACC tournament for Duke women’s basketball

The ACC released a projected ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament bracket on Friday, here’s what Duke’s path through the tournament could include.

The ACC shared what its current conference tournament would look like in women’s basketball on Friday, breaking down who all 15 teams would play if the season hypothetically ended on February 15.

The Blue Devils, who are 16-8 on the season and 8-5 against conference opponents, slotted in as the sixth seed in the current standings. Their placement earned them a first-round bye in the 15-team bracket, and they would await the winner of Clemson vs. Pittsburgh in the second round.

If Duke defeated the Tigers or the Panthers in the second round, they’d face No. 7 North Carolina State, the third-ranked team in the conference, in the quarterfinals.

One of the highlights of Duke’s 2022-23 season came in the conference tournament a year ago when the Blue Devils defeated rival North Carolina 44-40 in the conference quarterfinals.

The Tar Heels, whom Duke beat at home last weekend, are currently the No. 7 seed in the conference, so a potential rematch wouldn’t happen until the ACC semifinals.

No. 13 Virginia Tech, who won the ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament a year ago, is currently the top seed in the bracket with a 12-2 record in conference play.

Duke is latest school to offer four-star quarterback prospect Matt Zollers

Duke extends an offer to four-star QB Matt Zollers.

Maalik Murphy is firmly entrenched as Duke’s starting quarterback for this season and likely the next, barring some unforeseen circumstances.

The depth behind Murphy is also solid, with Henry Belin and Grayson Loftis both having earned playing time during the 2023-2024 season due to unfortunate injuries to the guys in front of them.

Duke didn’t sign a single QB prospect for their 2024 class, so finding one for their 2025 class is most important. In an attempt to do that, Duke offered 2025 four-star QB Matt Zollers out of Spring-Ford High School in Pennsylvania.

Zollers stands just under 6-foot-4 and has athleticism in spades. He has played basketball and baseball for high school, and his footwork shows on his HUDL tape. He has the processing speed needed to be a Power Five quarterback.

Zollers’ recruitment has been going for a while, though, and he already has a top four of Georgia, Penn State, Pittsburgh, and Missouri. Duke will have a mountain to overcome, but they have to offer even to have a shot.

Matt Zollers’ Recruiting Profile

 

HUDL

Tigers softball records 4th-straight shutout to start season vs. Pittsburgh

The Tigers haven’t allowed a run in four games to start the year.

Four games into the season, the LSU softball team still hasn’t surrendered a run. The Tigers recorded another shutout win on Saturday in the first leg of a doubleheader, winning 7-0.

[autotag]Taylor Pleasants[/autotag] got the scoring started with a sac-fly in the first followed by an RBI single from [autotag]Ali Newland[/autotag]. After adding a run in the fourth, LSU added four in the sixth. After an RBI single, the Panthers walked in a pair of runs and allowed another on a sac-fly.

[autotag]Raelin Chaffin[/autotag] got the win on the mound, pitching all seven innings while allowing just three runs and striking out seven.

LSU has one more game on Saturday evening against Memphis as it looks to close out opening weekend with a 5-0 record.

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LSU softball completes Friday doubleheader with win over Pittsburgh

The Tigers are still yet to allow a run after three games in 2024.

Three games into the 2024 season, and the LSU softball team is still yet to give up a run.

After a run-rule win over Memphis on Friday, the Tigers completed the doubleheader with a 5-0 win over Pittsburgh to close out the day. [autotag]Kelly Lynch[/autotag] got the win, pitching all seven innings as she allowed just two hits while striking out six.

LSU got things going in the bottom of the first with a two-run homer from [autotag]Taylor Pleasants[/autotag]. The Tigers added runs on throwing errors in the third and fifth innings, while [autotag]Karli Petty[/autotag] hit an RBI single in the fourth. The Panthers had four total errors in the loss.

Coach Beth Torina’s team will return to the field for another doubleheader against Pittsburgh and Memphis on Saturday, with those games set for 1:30 and 4 p.m. CT.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

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Jalon Moore’s evolution is pivotal to remainder of Sooners season

Jalon Moore has morphed into Oklahoma’s most important and consistent player.

Last year was a disaster of a season for No. 23 Oklahoma. They were abysmal, inconsistent, flawed, and simply not a good basketball team. Porter Moser knew things had to change, and in college basketball, for better or worse, your team can change entirely over months due to the NCAA transfer portal.

As players from last year’s team departed for professional opportunities, sought fresh starts elsewhere, or committed themselves to the Crimson and Cream, Oklahoma had holes to fill.

The most pressing needs were for athleticism, shooting, and playmaking. And so, Porter Moser and his staff attacked the portal with the desperation of a team down five points with under a minute left.

They pressed the portal hard and landed many players who filled their needs.

Javian McCollum came in with plenty of buzz as a sleeper NBA draft selection should he have a big year in Norman after transferring from Siena. He’s on his way to doing just that.

Le’Tre Darthard was a valuable member of a Utah Valley team that played postseason basketball last year. John Hugley IV transferred from Pittsburgh looking to reclaim the form that landed him on an All-ACC team.

Rivaldo Soares was looking for a more prominent role than he had at Oregon State. Jalon Moore started 15 games for Georgia Tech last year, where he averaged 7.6 points and 4.7 rebounds a game. He was a part of their rotation, but it always felt like he had more to give.

College basketball media even believed it. The pressure was off of him, too. In Norman, he’d get a fresh start, an expanded role, and thus the opportunity to flourish.

Moore has done just that, and Tuesday night’s performance against Kansas State culminated in a season’s worth of growth for Moore.

Against the Wildcats, Moore had a career-high 23 points on 8 of 11 shooting with nine rebounds. He was pivotal in the first half and equally impactful in the second, especially when Kansas State pushed to tighten things up.

He plays hard every game, even when he shoots poorly, and his motor doesn’t stop. His length allows him to guard positions 1-4 without real trouble. His performance earned him KenPom Game MVP, highlighting his efficiency and positive contributions to his team’s win.

Oklahoma is far from out of the woods, though. A massive road game against UCF is on tap for Saturday. The Knights have already knocked off Texas and Kansas at home. The Sooners need this game, and for them to win, they’ll need more of Moore.

Moore has been the constant, while Otega Oweh, Milos Uzan, and Javian McCollum have been inconsistent from game to game. The steady stream of high energy and winning plays Moore makes nightly could be the essential piece Oklahoma needs to weather the slide they’ve been in and elevate their play as we inch closer to March.

He won’t end up on any All-Big 12 teams because his numbers won’t reflect that, but there’s been no player more valuable to Oklahoma’s success this season than Jalon Moore.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Former Alabama QB Eli Holstein commits to Pittsburgh

Eli Holstein makes his transfer decision

Former Alabama quarterback and four-star recruit Eli Holstein announced his commitment to the Pittsburgh Panthers on Sunday. Holstein entered the portal last week after spending just one season in Tuscaloosa and not seeing any game action as a true freshman.

Holstein will be heading to the ACC where Pitt’s quarterback position is basically up for grabs with no true experienced starter returning in 2024.

The 6-foot-4 240-pound quarterback hails from Louisiana and has tremendous upside with his mix of size and athleticism but with the Crimson Tide’s loaded QB room, playing time was highly unlikely for Holstein.

Holstein announced his transfer destination on his X account (formerly Twitter).

Holstein will have four years of eligibility remaining.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on X (Twitter) @Blackwood89.

Five takeaways from Florida basketball’s win over Pitt Panthers

Here’s what you need to know about Florida basketball’s big win on Wednesday night.

Florida took care of business Wednesday night against the Pittsburgh Panthers, 86-71.

The Gators ran away with the win in the second half after trailing for most of the first. Walter Clayton Jr. led all scorers with 28, and Tyrese Samuel also reached the 20-point as he led the frontcourt with Micah Handlogten injured early on.

Freshmen Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh filled in for Handlogten, playing career-high minutes to varied levels of success. Zyon Pullin also saw increased minutes with Riley Kugel continuing to struggle.

It was a late start with a 9:30 p.m. ET tip-off, but Florida looked anything but tired on the court. Here’s what we learned about the Gators on Wednesday.

Game Preview: Florida gears up for NIT Season Tip-Off against Pittsburgh

The Florida Gators are traveling to Brooklyn, New York to challenge the Pittsburgh Panthers in the NIT Season Tip-off

The Florida Gators are hitting the road again to play in neutral territory on Wednesday night, as they prepare to play the Pittsburgh Panthers at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Florida and Pittsburgh face off for the first time since the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament, where the Gators struck down the Panthers, 61-45 on the way to a Final Four appearance.

Florida is riding a two-game win streak after taking down in-state nemesis Florida State, 89-68, last Friday night. Gators head coach Todd Golden told the media that he’s looking forward to the matchup with Pittsburgh.

“We’re coming up in the next couple days against a really good team that has blasted every team they’ve played,” Golden said. “I feel like we’re going to have a tough matchup Wednesday in Brooklyn. We’ll try to use that, for sure, as momentum, a little proof in concept that what we’re doing is working, but with that being said we’re going to have to have two really good days of practice before we go into Brooklyn on Wednesday.”

The Panthers annihilated Jacksonville on Friday night by a 51-point margin, 107-56, and will look to move to 5-0 on Wednesday night. Here’s how both teams will line up by tipoff.