The 19-year-old Kon Knueppel did not remember what he said to soothe the nerves of fifth-year transfer Sion James.  "Ummm, I don't really remember, but he seemed a little jacked up, a little nervous," Knueppel said after No.

While the Nets tipped off Saturday night in Houston, the basketball world was looking elsewhere — at Tobacco Road, for Duke vs. North Carolina. They were watching the sport’s juiciest rivalry, a game that could produce five first-round picks — and the player most often mocked for the possibility that he will end up in Brooklyn.

Freshmen Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel made memorable debuts in the Tobacco Road rivalry as No. 2 Duke used a dominant first half to secure an 87-70 win over visiting North Carolina on Saturday night in Durham,

Duke basketball is led by freshmen this season, and head coach Jon Scheyer is fine with it. The Blue Devils got a pair of fabulous performances from diaper dandies Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, in a win over North Carolina Saturday.

Duke (19-2) is No. 2 in the Associated Press poll and 11-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Duke has won 15 consecutive games, the longest streak in Division 1.

At one point in the second half, Duke led North Carolina by 32 points and threatened to earn its biggest win in the Tobacco Road rivalry.