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🏀 Good morning to all, however particularly to …

THE NO. 9 DUKE BLUE DEVILS …

No. 9 Duke has confronted loads of top-tier opponents, and it handed arguably its hardest take a look at but with flying colours. Behind a robust, composed effort on each ends, the Blue Devils topped No. 2 Auburn, 82-78, handing the Tigers their first lack of the season.

• Cooper Flagg posted 22 factors (16 within the second half) and 11 rebounds, and Isaiah Evans had 18 first-half factors on six 3-pointers. Tyrese Proctor added 12 factors, together with a pair of essential buckets late.
• Early participant of the 12 months frontrunner Johni Broome had 20 factors (however wanted 18 photographs to get there) and 12 rebounds earlier than fouling out, and Tahaad Pettiford had 20 as effectively for Auburn.
• The distinction was the errors — or lack thereof. The Blue Devils had simply 4 turnovers, outscored Auburn 13-1 on factors off turnovers and dedicated simply 14 fouls to Auburn’s 20.

These Blue Devils have skilled a few late meltdowns, however they by no means trailed after taking a 34-33 lead on the 3:10 mark of the primary half, a formidable and resilient effort towards Bruce Pearl‘s hard-charging staff. Flagg and the remainder of his celebrated freshman class simply is perhaps rising up. That is precisely why you play video games like these.

Duke was certainly one of simply two ACC groups to win within the SEC/ACC Males’s Problem. Clemson, which upset No. 4 Kentucky on Tuesday, was the opposite. The SEC gained 14 of the 16 video games. Wow.

… AND THE CREIGHTON BLUEJAYS

As if No. 2 taking place wasn’t sufficient, No. 1 is undefeated no extra, too. Creighton toppled top-ranked Kansas, 76-63, a large win for the Bluejays after a bumpy begin to the season. It is Creighton’s first win over Kansas since 1949 and simply the second win over a No. 1 staff in program historical past.

Pop Isaacs popped off for 27 factors — together with six 3-pointers — and Steven Ashworth and Ryan Kalkbrenner added 17 factors apiece. Once you get that kind of manufacturing from a wing, a guard and an enormous, you are gonna be exhausting to beat. Once you additionally enable simply 36% taking pictures, you are gonna be almost not possible to beat. Kyle Boone says this win may springboard the Bluejays.

Wednesday was the primary time each of the highest two groups misplaced regular-season non-conference video games since Dec. 11, 2010.

👍 Honorable mentions

And never such a superb morning for …

THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS

The Lakers misplaced to the Warmth, 134-93, the 41-point margin representing the Eleventh-worst loss in franchise historical past. LeBron James referred to as it “embarrassing.” That might be fairly dangerous by itself, however the issues run deeper than only one sport.

• That is the Lakers’ sixth loss of their final eight video games.
• 4 of these losses have been by 25 factors or extra.
• This sport got here on the heels of Los Angeles scoring 80 factors in a blowout loss to the Timberwolves. It is the primary time since 2021 that the Lakers have been held beneath 100 factors in consecutive video games. The protection hasn’t been a lot better.
• The 12-10 season document belies a staff that ranks twenty third in internet score, behind groups such because the Raptors, Nets and Bulls.

San Quinn has written on James’ decline, however James was removed from the difficulty Wednesday. As a substitute, the team-wide faults are wanting worse and worse, Sam writes.

👎 Not so honorable mentions

🏈 Nationwide Signing Day winners and losers: Oregon will get two large flips

Irrespective of when it occurs, Nationwide Signing Day at all times packs a punch, and the earliest version ever had loads of drama.

Oregon was the most important beneficiary. The Geese flipped Na’eem Offord — the No. 2 cornerback and No. 12 total participant within the class — from Ohio State. That offers Dan Lanning‘s squad three of the highest eight corners within the class. However the excellent news wasn’t simply on protection: 4-star quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele flipped his dedication from Cal to Oregon, and five-star huge receiver Dallas Wilson remained dedicated to the Geese.

Oregon alumnus and Nike cofounder Phil Knight stepped up on the NIL facet, John Talty studies.

• Talty: “‘He performed an enormous position, like an enormous, large position’ Offord advised CBS Sports activities of Phil Knight. ‘He is really ready on me to rise up there, he is obtained a variety of stuff deliberate for me. He is gonna assist me make my shoe.’ … It is not possible to low cost the worth Knight has had for what Lanning and his workers are constructing in Eugene. {That a} five-star recruit like Offord can have a relationship with one of many biggest sports activities entrepreneurs to ever stroll the face of the Earth is an incredible benefit for the Geese.”

Oregon jumped to No. 4 within the 2025 staff rankings and was an apparent winner from the day’s proceedings, Andrew Ivins writes. So, too was the staff that jumped to No. 1 within the rankings.

• Ivins: “Texas — Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns are monitoring to signal this system’s highest-ranked recruiting class since 2012 after taking pictures as much as No. 1 within the rankings on Wednesday. Texas busted out the spatula on Tuesday and obtained four-star cornerback Kade Phillips again within the fold earlier than locking up utilityman Michael Terry III lower than 24 hours later. Terry – who reminds us of former UT star Ja’Tavion Sanders – turned the third five-star prospect from the Lone Star State to affix the category.”

Here is extra:

🏀 NBA Jap Convention first-quarter grades

We’re 1 / 4 of a approach by way of the NBA season, and which means time for assessments.

The reigning-champion Celtics, unsurprisingly, earned an “A” in our first-quarter Jap Convention grades, however they weren’t alone getting prime marks writes Jasmyn Wimbish. Additionally incomes an “A” are …

• Wimbish: “Cavaliers — Kenny Atkinson has reworked this staff in only a quarter of a season. … Evan Mobley particularly has been extra featured on offense, as he is been given the ball to run the offense extra incessantly. He is averaging 3.1 extra drives per sport this season and has seen a bump in effectivity in that regard, making these photographs at a 52.4% clip. … A giant purpose why the Cavaliers are profitable so many video games is 3-point taking pictures. They lead the league in that class at 40.5%.

There was one “F,” and it belongs to a staff we anticipated to contend: the 76ers, who’re 5-15. Solely the Wizards are worse within the East. Sure, accidents to Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey have been brutal. However, as Jack Maloney writes, “Why ought to we consider this staff will ever be wholesome?”

📺 What we’re watching Thursday

🏀 No. 14 Kentucky at No. 16 North Carolina (W), 5 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 No. 8 Purdue at Penn State (M), 6:30 p.m. on FS1
🏀 No. 4 Texas at No. 10 Notre Dame (W), 7 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 No. 18 Ole Miss at NC State (W), 7 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 Nuggets at Cavaliers, 7 p.m. on NBA TV
🏈 Packers at Lions, 8:15 p.m. on Prime Video
🏀 No. 8 Duke at No. 3 South Carolina (W), 9 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Stanford at No. 5 LSU (W), 9 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 No. 19 Alabama at Cal (W), 9 p.m. on ESPNU
🏀 Rockets at Warriors, 10 p.m. on NBA TV