K\’s Curtain Call

March 4, 2022

By: Carlos Alvarez

Happy Friday

We\’ve got a big weekend ahead, and one college basketball game that\’s selling tickets for more than the Super Bowl. NFL Combine results and NBA highlights dominated Thursday. It\’s the last weekend before brackets. Save your sanity…

Letter Rip!

NCAA

Coach K\’s Cameron Curtain Call

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The Last Home Game for Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski

One last time at Cameron Indoor… When Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski takes the court on Saturday against North Carolina, it’ll be his final home game. Arguably the greatest college basketball coach of all time, and undoubtedly the greatest of a generation, will hang it up following the season. As we enter Coach K’s last March, his Blue Devils are currently ranked 4th in the nation, and a sixth title is within reach.

The Finale: Saturday’s final home game welcomes (who else?) North Carolina in the Tobacco Road rivalry, and the emotional sendoff is sure to be a spectacle. ESPN is planning a megacast unlike any regular-season college basketball game has ever seen. The average ticket price for Saturday’s game is $5,307 — that’s more than the average Super Bowl LVI ticket.

The Legacy of Coach K

After 46 seasons, including 42 at Duke, Coach K is about to hang it up with more Division I wins (1,170) than any coach in history. He also boasts 12 Final Fours — tied for the most all-time with John Wooden — and his five national championships is second only to Wooden’s 10.

Coach K’s Resume

46 Seasons

1,170-361 Record (.764)

12 Final Fours

5 National Championships

It’s the end of an era at Cameron, but Coach K’s Blue Devils are just heating up in what’s sure to be a special March swan song.

Coach K’s Last Game

#4 Duke vs. North Carolina (Sat. 6:00 pm ET, ESPN)

Additional Storylines

ESPN Cover Story: The Final March of Coach K

FOX: After Year of Deflection, Coach K’s Cameron Farewell at Hand

Forbes: Ticket Prices Soaring for Mike Krzyzewski’s Final Home Game

CBS Sports: Coach K’s Farewell Tour: The Top 42 Duke Players in 42 Years

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NFL

Receivers Run Wild

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Day 1: QBs, WRs & TEs Who Shined; 9 Wide Receivers Run Sub-4.4 40-Yard Dash

The first day of field drills at the NFL Combine brought speed, speed and more speed. Nine wide receivers clocked in a 40-yard dash time at 4.4 seconds or under — the most since 2006. Among them was Baylor WR Tyquan Thornton, who ran the fastest time of the day (4.28). Plenty of those receivers saw their draft stock rise with blazing speed. Here are the top standouts from Thursday.

Players Who Shined on Day 1

WR Alec Pierce (Cincinnati): Pierce’s 4.33 40-yard time was impressive, but his overall athleticism drew praise with a 40.5-inch vertical and a 10-foot-9 broad jump.

QB Malik Willis (Liberty): Projected to go in the 1st round, Willis showcased his superior arm strength and looked good in the QB drills.

QB Desmond Ridder (Cincinnati): Two Bearcats on the list. Ridder’s passing game was average, but he ran a 4.52 40 time to boost his stock as a dual-threat QB.

Fun Fact: Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett’s hands measured at 8.5 inches — smaller than any active QB in the NFL. He still excelled in passing drills and he’s expected to be a 1st-round pick regardless.

NFL Combine Schedule

Friday: Running Backs, Offensive Linemen

Saturday: Defensive Linemen, Linebackers

Sunday: Defensive Backs, Kickers

NFL Combine Tracker (Full Results)

Additional Storylines

NFL: 2022 NFL Scouting Combine Day 1 Winners & Losers

Sporting News: NFL Combine Results: Highlights, Top Performers from Workouts

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NBA

Durant Returns, But Can He Save the Nets?

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Kevin Durant Scores 31 in Return to Brooklyn, But Nets Lose to Heat (113-107)

The Brooklyn Nets are now just .500 (32-32) after entering the season with NBA title hopes. There’s a silver lining though, and that’s the return of Kevin Durant. KD dropped 31 in his return to the court after a 21-game injury absence, but the Nets fell to the Heat (113-107). And after the trade of James Harden to Philadelphia for Ben Simmons, Andre Drummond and Seth Curry, Durant has the weight of revitalizing the season for Brooklyn down the stretch. The Nets are currently 8th in the East despite being the preseason favorites to win it all. Now, they’re destined for the play-in unless Durant can resurrect things. Brooklyn is 5-17 since Durant’s injury. Can they pull it together for the playoffs?

Watch: Durant Scores 31 in Return But Nets Lose to Heat

Other NBA Highlights

Luka Has Mavs Rolling: Luka Doncic (41-10-9) flirted with a 40-point triple double in Thursday’s win over the Warriors (122-113), and the Mavericks have won eight of their last ten.

The Tatum-Morant Show: Jayson Tatum (38) and Ja Morant (37) put on a scoring clinic in Boston as the Celtics held down the Grizzlies (120-107).

Clippers Take Over LA: The Clippers embarrassed their inner-city rivals last night in L.A. (132-111), handing the Lakers their fourth straight loss. The Lakers (27-35) have fallen to ninth in the West after losing 11 of their last 14.

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$\"🎥\"$ OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

$\"🏒\"$ NHL: Craig Smith’s Hatty Leads Bruins

Among a packed NHL slate on Thursday was Craig Smith’s third career hat trick in the Bruins’ win over the Golden Knights (5-2). David Pastrnak scored Boston’s other two goals, and the Bs (70 points) are 7-2-1 in their last ten.

$\"⛳️\"$ PGA: Rory Leads API After Round 1

Rory McIlroy (-7) was red-hot on Thursday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He carded three birdies and an eagle in his final seven holes to take a two-stroke lead over the field.

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THE STORYLINES

$\"🏈\"$ The End of COVID Protocols

It’s back to football as usual for the NFL. You won\’t see a single NFL player or coach placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list in 2022, something that has become a weekly event in professional football over the past two seasons. (CBS Sports)

$\"🏀\"$ 1 Question for Every NBA Team Down the Stretch

With about six weeks to go in the regular season, the NBA\’s teams are beginning to separate themselves out into groups: contenders, playoff also-rans, play-in hopefuls and the bottom-feeders. But they all have questions that need answers. (Bleacher Report)

$\"🏒\"$ The Impact of Hockey’s Russian Backlash

For some Russian players, online harassment and public disparagement has become overwhelming since the war began. The NHL has offered security resources to its teams, and the teams have beefed up their own security to protect these players. (ESPN)

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$\"📰\"$ THE HEADLINES

UFC Legend Conor McGregor Expresses Interest in Buying Chelsea From Russian Owner

(Sports Illustrated)

MLB & MLBPA Resume Informal Discussions on Thursday

(ESPN)

Ja Morant’s Buzzer-Beater From Tuesday Breaks NBA’s Most-Watched Instagram Record

(Yahoo! Sports)

IOC Bans Russia & Belarus Athletes From Paralympics After Threats

(NBC Sports)

Iowa Governor Bans Transgender Girls From Female Sports

(USA Today)

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$\"🗓️\"$ WEEKEND SCHEDULE

The Must-Watch List

It\’s the weekend before the official madness. Conference tournaments tip off in the women\’s game while men\’s hoops round out the regular season. Here\’s what we\’re watching this weekend…

NCAA Men’s Basketball

#14 Arkansas at #13 Tennessee (Sat. Noon)

#7 Kentucky at Florida (Sat. 2:00 pm)

Indiana at #8 Purdue (Sat. 2:00 pm)

#21 Texas at #6 Kansas (Sat. 4:00 pm)

North Carolina at #4 Duke (Sat. 6:00 pm)

#16 USC at #17 UCLA (Sat. 10:00 pm)

Michigan at #23 Ohio State (Sun. 12:30 pm)

#24 Iowa at #20 Illinois (Sun. 7:30 pm)

NCAA Women’s Basketball

Conference Tournaments Begin

NFL Combine