Written by Clark Gerber, a contributing sports writer for WRAL.

The online world is vast and constantly changing. Unless you are constantly connected (which is not advised), there will inevitably be things that you miss.

We can complete that task. Even if you are a well-adjusted individual, you can still stay up-to-date with all the top sports moments of the week by doing a quick review.

The first round goes to the Tar Heels.

On Saturday night, the intense competition between North Carolina and Duke was reignited in a college basketball game. North Carolina emerged victorious over Duke with a score of 93-84 in Chapel Hill.

Honestly, the game did not appear to be as competitive as the final score suggests. UNC maintained control for most of the game, only trailing behind Duke for a mere 16 seconds.

First-year player Harrison Ingram and fifth-year player Armando Bacot were the standout performers, with each achieving a double-double of 20 points while shooting a combined 18 out of 25 attempts from the field.

That’s superb.

which helped UNC hold Duke to just 36% shooting

It appears that the Tar Heel fans are leaning towards Ingram as the standout player of the game. His impressive three-point shooting played a crucial role in gaining momentum, along with his strong defensive performance of 4 steals and a block, which limited Duke to a 36% shooting percentage.

After the game ended, a small group of Carolina players, including senior guard Cormac Ryan, headed to Franklin Street to party.

The Notre Dame transfer is in his final year of eligibility, so this year will be his only crack at the rivalry. Kudos to him for soaking in the moment after a great win.

The second match between Duke and North Carolina will take place in less than five weeks. On March 9, Duke will host North Carolina for their final game of the regular season.

Derrick Brown contributes to the success of NFC in the Pro Bowl Games.

Derrick Brown, a defensive tackle for the Panthers, had a significant presence at his inaugural Pro Bowl game on Sunday.

Unfortunately, the large individual did not partake in receiving passes during the flag football segment of the event. However, he did exhibit his impressive physical power, ultimately contributing to the NFC’s victory in the “Gridiron Gauntlet.”

Brown was the anchor leg in the team obstacle course, teaming up with Vikings long snapper Andrew DePaola on the blocking sled, and pushing the NFC over the finish line.

Afterwards, the tug of war was completely dominated by the NFC. Dexter Lawrence, a native of North Carolina, and Brown were strong in the back, leading the NFC to a comfortable victory.

I am aware that the Pro Bowl is not a mandatory event to watch (I do not know anyone who watches the entire event live), but I personally enjoy the new format.

It’s enjoyable and highly convenient to locate specific clips of your preferred player and highlights (which, let’s face it, is what really matters to most people).

Congratulations to DB and the NFC!

The NHL All-Star Game put an end to the Canes’ winning streak.

Sebastian Aho did not have a successful performance at the NHL All-Star Game this past weekend.

The center for the Hurricanes did not bring shame upon himself in any way. In fact, he was one of the standout players at the Red Carpet event and looked quite stylish in his turtleneck.

However, the reality on the ice was harsh as two separate All-Star streaks were brought to an end.

The initial incident was not caused by Aho. The NHL did not choose him as one of the 12 contenders for the skills competition, breaking the Hurricanes’ three-year streak of having a winner in the event.

In 2020, Jaccob Slavin emerged as the winner of Accuracy Shooting, while Aho claimed victory in the same event in 2022. Additionally, Andrei Svechnikov took home the title of Fastest Skater last year. The absence of an All-Star Game in 2021 meant that no winner was determined for that year.

The NHL should receive criticism for this. It is important to acknowledge a streak like this and give a Hurricanes player the opportunity to continue it.

Although Connor McDavid was performing exceptionally well on Saturday, the absence of Aho may have been a mistake that ultimately did not affect the outcome. It was a clear and straightforward error to not have Aho on the ice.

Aho’s individual winning streak in the game also came to an end. In his last two attempts, Aho’s team had a flawless record of 4-0 in the three-on-three single-elimination main event.

During this year’s semifinal round, Aho, a member of Team MacKinnon, came up short in a shootout. However, it should be noted that this outcome was not entirely his fault. It seems he was cursed during an interview the night before.

Fortunately for Aho, he will have an opportunity to achieve more victories as the Hurricanes aim to complete the regular season.

Carolina has been performing well with a record of 7 wins, 2 losses, and 1 tie in their last ten games. Hopefully, they can continue this momentum and have a strong start after the break.

The women’s basketball team at NC State has secured victories against two more ranked opponents.

Can we consider this to be Wes Moore’s strongest team yet? It would be a bold statement, but this Wolfpack squad is exceptional.

This week, NC State defeated two more teams ranked by AP, making their season total five victories. This puts them on par with UConn and South Carolina, who also have five wins against ranked teams. Impressive company.

The team has the ability to win a tough defensive battle, as they demonstrated on Thursday with a 63-59 victory against North Carolina. Conversely, they can also dominate and pull ahead quickly, as seen in their 77-67 triumph over Louisville on Monday.

The victories were particularly significant.

UNC is obviously a rival, but Wolfpack Nation seems to bring a little extra juice against coach Courtney Banghart’s squad ever since she called Reynolds Coliseum a “small gym” in 2022.

On Monday, the tradition of Play4Kay Night was observed, in memory of the esteemed coach Kay Yow from Wolfpack and in recognition of cancer fighters. This is considered one of the top customs in collegiate basketball.

Following a highly charged rivalry match, it would have been reasonable for a weaker team to struggle in their next game just days later. However, this is not the case for the NC State team.

The Packers dominated the Cardinals in the first half, building a lead of 17 points. This set the stage for a motivational celebration during halftime.

It was anticipated that this would be a year of rebuilding for NC State, as they were not initially ranked at the start of the season. However, after observing the team’s performance this week and throughout the season (with the exception of a stumble at Miami), I am confident that this is the team that will end the 26-year dry spell and make it to the Final Four.

After achieving it, anything is possible. They might even emerge as the ultimate winners.

Keatts reaches career milestone thanks to top play.

The Wolfpack men’s team had a successful week as they aim to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament. (Buckle up, the ACC may have a particularly weak season.)

NC State achieved two victories at home against Miami and Georgia Tech, while also reaching significant milestones during the game against Georgia Tech.

On Saturday, head coach Kevin Keatts achieved his 200th career win with a 82-76 victory against the Yellow Jackets. He has won 128 games in Raleigh and is currently on track for his fifth 20-win season in seven attempts.

The team known as the Wolfpack also secured the top spot on Sportscenter’s list of best plays of the evening, thanks to the impressive performance of junior guard Jayden Taylor.

At the beginning, Taylor was a bit reckless, throwing up an airball on an uncontrolled shot, but then followed it with graceful and fluid movements.

While lying on his back, Taylor extended his arm over the boundary line to prevent the ball from going out of play. Despite being on the ground, he quickly passed to Michael O’Connell for a three-point shot.

Da-na-nuh! Da-na-nuh!

Basketball barber shop

University students will go to great lengths to try and make the other team miss their free throws.

The “Curtain of Distraction” at Arizona State is well-known for being the most renowned student section in the nation for this particular skill. However, the lesser-known Oakland University in Michigan has also joined in on the action.

During the Saturday game against Cleveland State, some individuals in the Oakland student section opted to shave each other’s heads while the Vikings were shooting free throws.

Completely hairless.

Unfortunately, the clip ends prematurely and the outcome cannot be seen (improve your performance, @OaklandMBB). During this specific trip to the line, only 1 out of 2 shots were made. Throughout the game, Cleveland State had a 61% success rate (8 out of 13) on free throws but ultimately lost by 12 points, showing that the tactic of shaving proved to be quite successful.

The only issue I can foresee is that you may have to wait a minimum of one month to attempt this trick again and achieve the same outcome. Alternatively, you could gather more individuals who are willing to take a turn in the barber’s chair.

Great job on showing creativity, everyone! Keep it up!

TAYLOR SWIFT WATCH

Undoubtedly, this is the most significant week so far for our friends Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.

On Sunday night, Taylor received her 13th Grammy award, specifically for the Best Pop Vocal Album. During her acceptance speech, she caused a frenzy on the internet.

Instead of releasing a new version of her 6th studio album Reputation (which had been highly speculated prior to the event), Swift revealed a completely new album titled The Tortured Poets Department.

The news came as a surprise to fans.

Currently, this event is occurring while Travis prepares to participate in the upcoming Super Bowl within a few days.

Taylor is anticipated to catch the flight from Tokyo (where she has a performance the evening prior) to attend her significant other’s important event. The lingering question is… will Travis pop the question???

Currently, it is possible to place a bet on this in Canada. The chances of a positive outcome are +1120, indicating that a bet of $100 would result in a win of $1,120. Although it may be a unlikely possibility, Americans can still hope.

Let’s envision this scenario: Travis catches the ball 10 times for 102 yards and scores 2 touchdowns, earning the title of Super Bowl MVP. On top of that, he gets engaged to the most popular pop star in the world on the field.

Can you come up with a more well-known love story?

Naturally, there will be a considerable number of people who will persist in showing animosity towards our monarchs. For those individuals, I have some wise advice from Charles Barkley and Colin Cowherd (yes, really, those two gentlemen).

I will see you in the upcoming week!

Source: wralsportsfan.com