Sports
Cooper Flagg, No. 2 Duke take aim at North Carolina
Jan 25, 2025; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Cooper Flagg (2) drives to the basket against Wake Forest Demon Deacons forward Tre’Von Spillers (25) during the second half at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Duke’s Cooper Flagg will get his first taste of the Tobacco Road rivalry Saturday evening when the No. 2 Blue Devils welcome North Carolina to Durham, N.C.
Duke (18-2, 10-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) has pulled out seven- and 10-point wins, respectively, over Wake Forest and North Carolina State in its past two games. The run against in-state opponents will conclude when the Tar Heels (13-9, 6-4), who swept last year’s series, make the short trip to Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Both teams are playing it cool in the lead-up to game day. Duke players and coach Jon Scheyer didn’t comment on their next opponent after beating the Wolfpack 74-64 on Monday. As for North Carolina coach Hubert Davis, an alum of the school, he stayed even-keeled.
“We’ll prepare, we’ll practice, and we’ll play with the same type of competitive enthusiasm that we played with (Tuesday against Pitt),” Davis said. “I think every game is the Super Bowl. Whether it’s a preseason game or just any time you get a chance to step out there on the floor, you should be ready to go.”
Davis was speaking after the Tar Heels dropped a 73-65 decision on the road to Pitt. They committed 14 turnovers and were outscored 16-6 on free throws, neutering North Carolina’s plus-10 advantage on the boards.
North Carolina needs more quality wins to bolster its NCAA Tournament case, and beating Duke easily would qualify as the Tar Heels’ second Quadrant 1 victory.
It’s a different story in Durham, where Duke has an argument as the best team in the nation. The Blue Devils beat the only team ahead of them in the AP Top 25 poll, Auburn, by six points at home on Dec. 4.
Duke has won 14 straight games, the longest active streak in the nation, and Flagg is just one reason why. The star freshman and presumptive No. 1 pick in this summer’s NBA draft is averaging 19.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game — including 27.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists over his past five.
Flagg is hardly perfect. He revealed after the North Carolina State game that Scheyer told him he was being “very soft” in the first half.
“I felt like that led to most of our first-half troubles, just me being soft,” Flagg said. “It’s hard to initiate the offense if I’m not being strong with the ball. It’s not really a choice anymore. I have to be aggressive. What Coach has told me is that that’s going to create for everyone else.”
Flagg scored 23 of his 28 points vs. North Carolina State in the second half. He got to the foul line more after intermission and shot 10 of 11 there.
Kon Knueppel added 19 points and Sion James had 13 on Monday as Duke’s defense kicked in and held the Wolfpack to 27 points after halftime.
Duke ranks fifth in Division I in scoring defense (59.6 points per game), fifth in field-goal percentage defense (37.2) and, per KenPom.com, first in 2-point percentage allowed (41.0).
That could spell trouble for a North Carolina team that gets the majority of its offense inside the arc. Guards RJ Davis (17.6 ppg), Ian Jackson (14.7), Seth Trimble (12.3) and Elliot Cadeau (10.7) average double figures in scoring, but of the quartet, only Jackson (38.1 percent) shoots better than 30.3 percent from deep.
North Carolina won 93-84 at home and 84-79 at Duke last season. Duke swept the series the year before that, meaning Scheyer and Hubert Davis are 2-2 against one another.
The Tar Heels lead the all-time series 145-117.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cards extend manager Oliver Marmol through '28 season
Feb 22, 2026; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol (37) looks on from inside the dugout against the Houston Astros during the fifth inning at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol received a two-year contract extension through the 2028 season, the team announced Sunday.
Financial terms were not disclosed by the team, which holds an option for the 2029 season.
“As I’ve gotten to know Oli, I’ve seen someone who cares about this organization and knows what has made the Cardinals special over time — and who understands that for us to get where we need to go, we must compete relentlessly to set new standards in everything that we do,” president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said.
“He is invested in the progress of our young core and is unafraid to challenge himself and to help those around him grow. I am energized to continue working with him towards the on-field success that we expect and that our fans deserve.”
Marmol, 39, has guided the Cardinals to a 325-323 record during his four seasons as the skipper. He led St. Louis to the National League Central title in 2022 before the team fell in the wild-card series to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Last season, the Cardinals posted a 78-84 record to finish in fourth place in the NL Central.
Marmol was a coach with St. Louis from 2017-21 under previous managers Mike Shildt and Mike Matheny.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tyler Reif treated for heat exhaustion after Trucks race
Oct 31, 2025; Avondale, Arizona, USA; NASCAR Truck Series driver Tyler Reif (41) during the NASCAR Truck Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series rookie Tyler Reif was treated for heat exhaustion after Saturday night’s street race in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Reif, 18, was transported to an area medical facility after finishing 16th in the race in the No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet. He was later released.
“Tyler and his family would like to express their gratitude to the NASCAR officials, track medical workers and the local medical facility staff for their care,” Niece Motorsports said in a release.
Reif made his debut in the NASCAR Craftsman Trucks Series in 2025. Saturday’s race was just his third on the circuit, including a 17th-place finish at Atlanta on Feb. 21.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: RB David Montgomery 'wants out' of Detroit
Dec 25, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) looks on before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images Lions running back David Montgomery “wants out” of Detroit after three seasons, ESPN reported on Sunday.
Montgomery, however, immediately appeared to refute the report on X, posting: “Damn, Dmo told you that?”
The ESPN report claims the Lions would want “a decent Day 3 pick (possibly a fifth-rounder)” in the 2026 NFL Draft in return for Montgomery, who turns 29 in June and is owed $6 million next season.
The report follows general manager Brad Holmes’ remarks after the season about Montgomery being unhappy with his playing time in 2025. Sharing a backfield with Jahmyr Gibbs, Montgomery rushed for a career-low 716 yards and eight touchdowns in 17 games (no starts).
“Those are conversations that we’re going to have to have because I’ve got a lot of respect for that player,” Holmes said of Montgomery in January. “He deserves to be in a situation where his skillset can be utilized, and so yeah would love for it to be here, but if it can’t be here then you’d just love to see where could work out best for him.”
At the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Tuesday, Holmes said the situation with Montgomery is “fluid.” He signed a two-year extension during the 2024 season that runs through the end of the 2027 campaign.
“Yeah, I have been in touch with David’s agent, and his representation,” Holmes revealed. “Obviously, we love David, he’s a great player, we love to have him, you know, kind of want to put last year in the rear view, and just move forward. But, obviously, a player has to want to be at a certain place as well. The conversations are still fluid, but we’ll see how it goes.”
Montgomery has rushed for 2,506 yards and 33 touchdowns in 45 games (28 starts) in three seasons with Detroit (2023-25). He has 76 catches for 650 yards in that span.
He began his career with the NFC North rival Chicago Bears, who drafted him in the third round in 2019. Montgomery rushed for 3,609 yards and 26 scores in 60 games (51 starts) with the Bears (2019-22).
–Field Level Media
Cards extend manager Oliver Marmol through '28 season
Tyler Reif treated for heat exhaustion after Trucks race
