Community Picks: Louisville 0% vs Notre Dame 0%

As Grayson Allen missed a 3-pointer late in the second half on Monday night, the most winnable game of Duke's toughest stretch of the season was in jeopardy of slipping away.  The Blue Devils had squandered the entirety of a 15-point second-half lead and were tied with Louisville with just over three minutes remaining. It was then that Marshall Plumlee outfought several Louisville players for an offensive rebound, drew a foul and sank two free throws to put Duke back in front. The Blue Devils fed off Plumlee's aggressiveness for the rest of the game and pulled away for a crucial 72-65 victory over the 13th-ranked Cardinals. Duke's victory was vital because wins should be hard to come by during a two-week stretch in which the Blue Devils (18-6, 7-4) face nothing but the ACC's top three teams. They host No. 7 Virginia on Saturday before visiting No. 9 North Carolina and this same Louisville team next week. Brandon Ingram's rapid development was the biggest reason Duke won the opening leg of its four-game gauntlet. The highly touted freshman had 18 points and 10 rebounds, aggressively attacking the rim at one end and attacking the defensive glass with a vengeance at the other.  Allen struggled with Louisville's length when he attacked the rim, but he compensated by sinking four threes. Plumlee scored 10 points, protected the rim effectively and teamed with Ingram to keep Louisville off the offensive glass. Credit Louisville for continuing to play hard in spite of its administration's cynical decision to rob it of the chance of playing in the postseason this year. Damion Lee shot only 3-for-15 from the field against a Duke defense determined not to let him beat them, but freshman Donovan Mitchell scored 17 points and reserve point guard Quentin Snider had a couple huge forays to the rim. It had to be bitterly disappointing for Louisville to go cold in the final minutes and waste such an impressive comeback. The Cardinals fell a half game behind North Carolina in the ACC standings and the Blue Devils got a win they desperately needed given the upcoming schedule. - - - - - - - Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @JeffEisenberg Continue to Article

February 08, 2016 10:00:pm EST

Pitino wasn't done ripping the decision to ban his team this postseason. He even offered up an alternative punishment. Continue to Article

February 06, 2016 4:22:pm EST

Louisville will be on the outside looking in at March Madness this spring, a view that neither the Cardinals players nor coach Rick Pitino expected. University President James Ramsey announced a one-year postseason ban Friday for the Cardinals men's basketball team amid ongoing investigations into a sex scandal, meaning this year's squad will pay for misdeeds committed by others. Ramsey said at a news conference that an investigation revealed violations occurred when the school reviewed allegations by an escort that a former Louisville staffer paid escort Katina Powell and other dancers to strip and have sex with recruits and players from 2010-14. Continue to Article

February 06, 2016 2:47:am EST

Damion Lee and Trey Lewis transferred to Louisville to play in the NCAA tournament. Now they're collateral damage in the university's attempt at damage control. Continue to Article

February 05, 2016 4:37:pm EST

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) -- - Beating second-ranked North Carolina on Saturday night doesn't look quite as formidable as it once might have for Notre Dame, not after defeating the Tar Heels twice last year. ''I don't think there's any intimidation factor in this program anymore,'' coach Mike Brey said. ''To have won two in a row in the state of North Carolina is a little bit mind-blowing. Continue to Article

February 05, 2016 4:13:pm EST