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Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
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Wednesday / December 18.
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    • Breaking News, Duke, Kentucky

    By ADAM ZAGORIA

    The last time John Calipari coached against a team featuring R.J. Barrett, it didn’t go so well for Calipari’s team.

    Playing for Canada on July 8, 2017, the 6-foot-7 Barrett went off for 38 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists in Canada’s 99-87 win over Calipari and the USA in the World Cup semifinals in Cairo, Egypt. Canada went on to win the gold medal over Italy, its first ever at that level.

    Now more than a year later, Barrett and his Duke teammates will take on Kentucky in the Champions Classic on Tuesday night in Indianapolis. The game between No. 2 Kentucky and No. 4 Duke is the second half of a doubleheader also featuring No. 1 Kansas against No. 10 Michigan State (ESPN).

    Tennis

    PARIS (AP) — Novak Djokovic’s latest victory over Roger Federer was among the toughest and best in their epic rivalry, a 7-6 (6), 5-7, 7-6 (3) feast of attacking tennis which had the roaring crowd on their feet and remained in doubt until the very end.

    It finally ended, after three hours, when Djokovic moved 6-1 up in the tiebreaker. Federer saved two match points but cracked in a long rally and chopped a backhand into the net.

    “We had epic matches throughout our rivalry but this one definitely ranks as one of the best,” Djokovic said.

    Djokovic’s fourth straight win over Federer and 25th in 47 contests sends him into the final against unseeded Russian Karen Khachanov, who has never played in a Masters final.

    “This is my best match of the year, that’s for sure,” Djokovic said, addressing the crowd in French. “Big respect to Roger.”

    N.C. State, NBA Draft

    By ADAM ZAGORIA

    Jalen Lecque , the 6-foot-4, 185-pound combo guard from Brewster Academy (N.H.), may head straight to the NBA Draft in 2019 instead of enrolling at North Carolina State, according to a report from ESPN.com.

    “I could be a freshman on a college campus right now,” Lecque, who grew up in New York City and Teaneck, N.J., told ESPN at an event in the Bahamas. “I am eligible for the [2019] draft. I’m a fifth-year senior, but I’m also eligible for the draft because of my grades.”

    Lecque, who chose the Wolfpack over Louisville, Oregon, TCU, Tennessee, Texas Tech, and UCLA, would have to petition the NBA by submitting paperwork before the April 21 deadline, per ESPN.

    “I am interested in everything because the NBA is my goal at the end of the day,” he told ESPN. “I want to be a great college player, but my end goal is to help my family. I want to be a concrete Round 1 player if I do make that decision. If I’m guaranteed a Round 1 position, then you never know. I could see myself doing it if I am in a good position at the end of the year. A college education is so important and making that jump is really hard, so I really gotta think about that, but if I’m Round 1, then that’s different.”

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