Proctor, Flagg help No. 1 seed Duke roll past Baylor 89-66 to reach Sweet 16 of March Madness

Proctor, Flagg help No. 1 seed Duke roll past Baylor 89-66 to reach Sweet 16 of March Madness

By AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Tyrese Proctor couldn’t miss. And top-seeded Duke showed the toughness to push back when pushed.

Proctor had career highs of seven 3-pointers and 25 points to continue his recent tear, helping Duke beat Baylor 89-66 on Sunday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Freshman star Cooper Flagg had 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists for the Blue Devils (33-3), the East Region headliners who faced little drama in two home-state wins to secure a spot in the Sweet 16.

“For us to win by this margin, I think this speaks to the level of killer instinct that our guys have, the competitiveness and the connectivity,” coach Jon Scheyer said.

Duke will face either Oregon or Arizona in the Sweet 16 on Thursday in Newark, New Jersey.

Proctor, a junior, made 7 of 8 3-pointers — his third straight game with at least six 3s and an abrupt turnaround after going 0 for 10 in his first two Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament games. He made 9 of 10 shots overall Sunday.

“I think it’s just my preparation, just behind the scenes putting in the work and trusting myself,” Proctor said.

Duke shot 64.4% to set a program record for a tournament game, hit 12 3-pointers and turned it over just six times.

“You look at it and the analytics showed they didn’t have any weaknesses,” Baylor coach Scott Drew said, adding: “They’re blessed because they have size and length and skill.”

Freshman V.J. Edgecombe scored 16 points for the ninth-seeded Bears (20-15), who haven’t reached the tournament’s second weekend since Drew’s team won it all in the Indianapolis bubble in 2021.

Duke took over in the 7 1/2 minutes before halftime, outscoring Baylor 24-6 with clean offensive execution while also holding up better against the Bears’ relentless work on the offensive glass that upped the physicality of the game. That included Flagg getting poked in the right eye and teammate Mason Gillis picking up a red scratch stretching from the right side of his neck around toward his throat during a rebounding scrum.

Duke led 47-30 at the half, and Baylor got no closer than 13 points afterward. The Bears shot 36.8% and hung around by taking an 18-3 edge in offensive rebounding, which gave them 23 more shots than Duke.

“If you go into a game and you say you’re going to outrebound somebody 18-3 on the offensive glass and only going to have five turnovers, you’d probably feel pretty good about that,” Drew said.

Takeaways

Baylor: The Bears opened the tournament by holding off eighth-seeded Mississippi State on Friday, but they were ousted in the second round for the fourth straight year.

Duke: The Blue Devils were playing about a half-hour’s drive from their Durham campus, though the building had been the site of some unusual struggles. Duke had lost seven of 11 games at Lenovo Center entering the tournament, six coming in trips to Atlantic Coast Conference neighbor N.C. State and the other a first-round March Madness loss to 14-seed Mercer in 2014. But Duke cruised right along this time, starting with Friday’s win against 16-seed Mount St. Mary’s, as Flagg had a smooth return from an ankle injury.

Hello again

The game marked a reunion between guard Jeremy Roach and his former Duke program. Roach played four seasons at Duke, including the Final Four run in Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski’s farewell season and Scheyer’s first two years as Coach K’s successor.

Roach had seven points and three rebounds Sunday.

Jawing

The game included a testy moment when Baylor reserve big man Marino Dubravcic was called for a flagrant-1 foul after hooking the right arm of Duke defender Patrick Ngongba, then dragging him to the court in a tangled pile.

As the 6-foot-10 Dubravcic got to his feet, he traded words with the 6-9 Flagg as the two loomed over official Brian O’Connell, who stood between them.

A new museum in Texas tells the life stories of Medal of Honor recipients

A new museum in Texas tells the life stories of Medal of Honor recipients

By JAMIE STENGLE Associated Press

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — A new museum devoted to telling the stories of those who have received the nation’s highest military honor is opening this coming week in Texas.

The National Medal of Honor Museum is set to open Tuesday in Arlington, just west of Dallas. It highlights the lives and service of Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War to the global war on terrorism. Over 3,500 people have received the Medal of Honor, which is awarded by Congress for risking one’s life in combat beyond the call of duty.

Jack Jacobs, a retired U.S. Army colonel who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Vietnam War, said he wants museum visitors to realize the recipients aren’t “spectacular supermen,” but regular people who “embody the kinds of values that are really important.”

A new museum is opening in Texas that highlights the lives and service of Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War to the global war on terrorism. (AP Video: Kendria LaFleur)

“Really grand things, not just in combat, but in everyday life … are all accomplished by ordinary people who come to the conclusion that something has to be done and they are going to do it,” Jacobs said.

When his unit was ambushed by the Viet Cong on March 9, 1968, Jacobs took charge after his commander was seriously wounded. Despite being wounded in the head by shrapnel and bleeding heavily, Jacobs reorganized the company and repeatedly ran through enemy fire to rescue the wounded, saving the lives of a U.S. adviser and 13 soldiers.

Jacobs, now 79, said he lost a lot of friends in the battle.

“You really do wear the award for all of the people who can’t wear the award,” he said.

The museum’s focus is on telling the life stories of the recipients, said Alexandra Rhue, the museum’s senior vice president of engagement. “Here you met the people first and then you learn what they did,” Rhue said.

The recipients featured in the museum include those from various branches of the military, conflicts and geographic locations, as well as different ethnicities and races.

Chris Cassidy, the museum’s president and CEO, said he hopes the exhibits inspire visitors.

“Everybody needs courage in some form or fashion,” he said. “So that’s our aim: to inspire people through the stories of Medal of Honor actions, to bring a little courage into your own life.”

Several of the recipients, including Jacobs, appear in videos in an exhibit where their images answer visitors’ questions. There are over 60 recipients who are still living.

A celebration Saturday ahead of the opening will feature musical performances, fireworks and a drone show. The museum is nestled amongst Globe Life Field, where the Texas Rangers play, and AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys.

Education secretary says Columbia University’s changes put it on track to recover funding

Education secretary says Columbia University’s changes put it on track to recover funding

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon says Columbia University is “on the right track” to recover federal funding frozen by the Trump administration. McMahon’s comments on CNN’s “State of the Union” follow Columbia agreeing to a host of policy changes demanded by the administration. Earlier this month, the Trump administration pulled $400 million in federal funding over how the university handled protests against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Federal officials demanded the university make nine changes to its academic and security policies before the administration would consider restoring the money. The university said Friday it would agree to nearly all of the demands.

NC State officially announces hiring of McNeese’s Will Wade as new Wolfpack men’s basketball coach

NC State officially announces hiring of McNeese’s Will Wade as new Wolfpack men’s basketball coach

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — N.C. State has made it official: McNeese’s Will Wade is the Wolfpack’s new men’s basketball coach.

The school announced the hiring Sunday, coming a day after Wade’s McNeese team lost to Purdue in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

An introductory news conference for Wade is scheduled for Tuesday, capping a week in which Wade was unusually open about his conversations with N.C. State compared to coaches typically deflecting questions or playing word games when asked about other jobs.

In that regard, the eventual hiring — who has signed a six-year deal — has been an open secret for days. The contract is pending approval from the university trustees.

Now N.C. State and athletic director Boo Corrigan finally have their man.

“Will told me that he believes that he can win at NC State … and ‘win big,”‘” Corrigan said in a statement from the school. “It didn’t take me too many conversations with him to believe it too.”

Wade’s second NCAA Tournament run in as many seasons with the Cowboys ended Saturday with a second-round loss to Purdue, which came two days after a first-round upset of his alma mater, Clemson. Wade’s two-year tenure in Lake Charles, Louisiana, marked a successful climb back after being fired at LSU in 2022 because of allegations of recruiting violations. Those were rooted in a federal corruption investigation in college basketball that became public in 2017, with N.C. State among the multiple schools entangled in that probe.

The N.C. State job will present a new challenge. It comes in the Atlantic Coast Conference in a time of transition for the tradition-rich league, with numerous long-time coaches — North Carolina’s Roy Williams, Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim, Virginia’s Tony Bennett, Notre Dame’s Mike Brey, Miami’s Jim Larranaga and Florida State’s Leonard Hamilton — all exiting in the past four years amid a rapidly changing college landscape.

There’s also the tough-neighborhood dynamic of building a winning program in the Triangle region in North Carolina, where UNC, Duke and N.C. State — boasting a combined 13 NCAA championships — share the 919 area code and are all within a half-hour’s drive of one another.

But the 42-year-old Wade is clearly undeterred by that with a track record that includes eight 20-win seasons in his 11 years as a head coach.

“I am beyond excited and honored to be chosen to lead the Wolfpack basketball program,” Wade said in a statement. “N.C. State’s rich tradition, passionate fan base, and location in one of the best cities in the country make this a destination job and I can’t wait to get started.”

Wade replaces Kevin Keatts, who was fired after eight seasons on March 9. That came less than a year after Keatts guided N.C. State to its first Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament title since 1987 and its first Final Four trip since the late Jim Valvano’s “Cardiac Pack” did it in an improbable 1983 NCAA title run.

Keatts had guided N.C. State to three NCAA bids and had the program in position for another when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of March Madness in 2020. But the Wolfpack went 12-19 this season to kill any lingering buzz from last year’s remarkable run.

That ultimately led the school to move on from Keatts even though he was under contract until April 2030, putting N.C. State on the hook for roughly $6.9 million in base salary alone. And it marked a reset for the program, down to how it handles finances for roster construction with players able to profit from their athletic fame and revenue sharing set to start nationally next season.

Wade’s first head-coaching job was a two-year stint at Chattanooga from 2013-15, followed by two NCAA bids in as many seasons at VCU before leaving for LSU in 2017. The peak of his tenure with the Tigers came in his second season, with LSU winning the Southeastern Conference regular-season title and reaching the Sweet 16.

He returned to the sideline after his LSU exit at McNeese in 2023, with his tenure beginning with NCAA penalties that included a 10-game suspension to open his first season. But the Cowboys teams went on to win 58 games in two seasons, a rapid climb for a program that had won just 56 games combined in the five seasons before Wade’s arrival.

Wildfires prompt evacuations and an emergency declaration in the Carolinas

Wildfires prompt evacuations and an emergency declaration in the Carolinas

Wildfires forced a mandatory evacuation in one North Carolina county as emergency crews fought separate fires in an area of the state still recovering from Hurricane Helene, while South Carolina’s governor declared an emergency in response to a growing wildfire.

The North Carolina Department of Public Safety announced a mandatory evacuation starting at 8:20 p.m. Saturday for parts of Polk County in western North Carolina about 80 miles (129 kilometers) west of Charlotte.

“Visibility in area will be reduced and roads/evacuation routes can become blocked; if you do not leave now, you could be trapped, injured, or killed,” the agency said in a social media post.

The public safety department said a shelter had been established in Columbus, North Carolina.

The North Carolina Forest Service’s online wildfire public viewer indicated three active fires in Polk County, with the two largest spanning between 1.7 square miles (4.4 square kilometers) to 1.9 square miles (4.9 square kilometers). Two other fires were active in nearby Burke and Madison counties, with a third wildfire burning in Stokes County on the northern border with Virginia.

In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency Saturday as part of an effort to stop a blaze in Pickens County called the Table Rock Fire that started the previous day in an area within the Blue Ridge Mountains.

“As this wildfire continues to spread, the State of Emergency allows us to mobilize resources quickly and ensure our firefighters have the support they need to protect lives and property,” McMaster said in a statement that reinforced a statewide outdoor burning ban issued Friday by the South Carolina Forestry Commission.

Local fire officials called for voluntary evacuations Saturday of some residents near Table Rock Mountain, the forestry commission said in a social media post.

The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office posted an update late Saturday saying crews had ceased operations and would resume Sunday morning with ground personnel and machinery and assistance from helicopters and air tankers. The fire was about 110 acres (45 hectares) and the public was asked to avoid state Highway 11.

North Carolina’s western region already had been hit hard by Hurricane Helene in September. Among the extensive damage, flooding washed away more than a mile (1.6 kilometers) of eastbound lanes on Interstate 40 leading to eastern Tennessee and remained partially closed to traffic until March.

The hurricane damaged or impacted 5,000 miles (8,046 kilometers) of state-maintained roads and damaged 7,000 private roads, bridges and culverts in North Carolina.

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service, meanwhile, has been battling a wildfire that broke out in the Wharton State Forest on Saturday. The fire had consumed about 2.7 square miles (7 square kilometers) as of early Sunday morning. Firefighters had contained about half of the blaze according to an 8 a.m. update on the service’s Facebook page.

Emergency officials said they have evacuated two campgrounds in the park. Eighteen buildings were near the fire but the flames were moving away from them and no structures had been evacuated.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Melba Toast

Melba Toast

Melba Toast

Photo by Getty Images

Melba Toast Recipe from NeihborFood

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Serving size: 30 servings

Ingredients

  • 30 slices bread (sliced very thin)
  • 2 sticks high quality salted butter
Photo by Getty Images

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
  2. Spread a thin layer of butter on both sides of each slice of bread. If you’d like the toasts to be in smaller, uniform pieces, cut it into squares or triangles at this point. Otherwise, leave it whole.
  3. Line the slices up on a few baking sheets, and place in the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes then flip the slices the over. Continue to bake for another 15-25 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and very crisp.
  4. Allow the toast to cool, then either leave it whole and use for dips, avocado toast, or crostini OR crumble the bread to use as a topping for soups and salads.

Note:

  • Any flavor of bread can be used for this recipe, but I am partial to Pepperidge Farm’s Very Thin Sliced White Bread.
  • Feel free to experiment with other seasonings, like garlic powder, ranch, or cayenne.
March 23rd 2025

March 23rd 2025

Thought of the Day

Photo by Getty Images

Yes, give myself a good cry if you need it, but then concentrate on all good things still in your life.

Easy Taco Dip

Easy Taco Dip

Easy Taco Dip

Photo by Getty Images

Easy Taco Dip Recipe from Sugar Spun Run

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: N/A

Serving size: 10 servings

Ingredients

  • 16 oz (455 g) brick-style cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 2 cups (450 g) sour cream
  • 4 Tablespoons (30 g) taco seasoning (this is a 1 oz packet of premade taco seasoning or you can use your favorite homemade recipe)
  • 1 cup finely chopped lettuce
  • 4 Roma tomatoes seeds removed, chopped into small pieces
  • ½ cup (65 g) sliced olives
  • sliced jalapenos, pickled or fresh for topping, optional
  • 1 ¼ cup (145 g) finely shredded sharp cheddar or mexican cheese
  • Corn chips for serving
Photo by Getty Images

Directions

  1. Combine softened cream cheese and sour cream in a large bowl and stir together until creamed and well-combined (I like to use my electric mixer just to make sure there are no lumps).
  2. Add taco seasoning and stir well.
  3. Spread mixture evenly into a 9-10″ pie dish.
  4. Top mixture with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, olives, jalapenos (if using) and finally evenly sprinkle with shredded cheese.
  5. Taco dip can be served immediately or can be covered and stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Photo by Getty Images
March 22nd 2025

March 22nd 2025

Thought of the Day

Photo by Getty Images

An ounce of practice is worth a thousand words.

Ole Miss holds off frantic UNC comeback to beat Tar Heels 71-64 in NCAA Tournament

Ole Miss holds off frantic UNC comeback to beat Tar Heels 71-64 in NCAA Tournament

By STEVE MEGARGEE AP Sports Writer

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Sean Pedulla made a critical 3-pointer with 52.8 seconds left, and Mississippi topped North Carolina 71-64 in the NCAA Tournament on Friday after the Rebels squandered most of a 22-point lead in the second half.

Ole Miss (23-11), the No. 6 seed in the South Region, will chase its first Sweet 16 berth since 2001 when it faces No. 3 seed Iowa State (25-9) on Sunday. Iowa State defeated Lipscomb 82-55 in the other Friday afternoon game in Milwaukee.

The Rebels are making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019. They hadn’t won an NCAA tourney game since beating BYU 94-90 in the First Four in 2015, and they hadn’t advanced beyond the round of 64 since 2013.

North Carolina (23-14) made Ole Miss work for it.

RJ Davis drove to the basket, drew a foul and converted a three-point play to cut Ole Miss’ lead to 66-64 with 1:09 remaining. Pedulla responded by sinking Ole Miss’ only successful 3-pointer in seven second-half attempts from beyond the arc.

After North Carolina’s Drake Poell missed a 3 with 43 seconds left, Ole Miss went 4 of 5 on free-throw attempts the rest of the way.

Pedulla finished with 20 points. Dre Davis had 15 for Ole Miss, and Jaemyn Brakefield added 12 points.

RJ Davis scored 15 and Ven-Allen Lubin had 14 for North Carolina, which advanced to the round of 64 with a 95-68 victory over San Diego State in the First Four on Tuesday.

Ole Miss never trailed and seemed on the way to a blowout win for much of the day.

North Carolina trailed 50-30 with just over 16 minutes left when starting forward Jae’lyn Withers was helped off the floor after hurting his right leg on a drive to the basket. Ole Miss still led by 15 with 8:55 remaining.

Then the Tar Heels went on a tear.

A one-handed dunk by Jalen Wahington capped an 11-0 spurt that cut Ole Miss’ lead to 63-59 with 5:07 remaining. RJ Davis eventually made it a one-possession game before Pedulla hit his big shot.

RJ Davis’ UNC farewell

RJ Davis, a fifth-year senior, finishes with 2,725 points to rank second on North Carolina’s career list, trailing Tyler Hansbrough’s 2,872 points from 2005-09. The only other Atlantic Coast Conference player with more career points was JJ Redick, who had 2,769 for Duke from 2002-06.

ACC struggles

North Carolina’s loss continued a rough week for the ACC.

Although four ACC teams reached the NCAA Tournament, only Duke advanced to the round of 32. Louisville, a No. 8 seed in the South, lost 89-75 to Creighton. Clemson, a No. 5 seed in the East Region, fell 69-67 to McNeese.

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