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Myron Medcalf
Jon Scheyer said he «could have said even more» in response to a local district attorney’s claims that there was «zero evidence» to support the Duke coach’s initial claim that Blue Devils staffers were punched in a recent court storming at rival North Carolina.
Jeff Nieman, the district attorney for Orange County — which includes Chapel Hill, North Carolina — disputed Scheyer’s account of the Feb. 7 court-storming incident and added that Scheyer «should exercise more discretion» in his public comments.
Scheyer fired back at Nieman after the third-ranked Blue Devils’ 101-64 victory Monday over Syracuse.
Seth Trimble’s game-winning 3-pointer in the final seconds led to a pair of court-storming incidents for North Carolina, which defeated its archrival for the first time since the 2023-24 season.
After the loss, Scheyer claimed that some of his staff members had been «punched in the face» as UNC fans swarmed the court. A Duke spokesperson later said that one staff member had been hurt in the court storming without additional details.
Video of the aftermath appeared to show a person launching a bottle toward Duke players and staffers after the game.
Scheyer clarified that one staff member had been hurt when they were «trampled,» adding that the staffer «looked like he had been in a complete brawl» after the game.
Nieman, a UNC graduate, originally sought video evidence of Scheyer’s claims. On Monday, he wrote on social media platform X that there was «zero evidence» of Scheyer’s original account. Furthermore, he said Scheyer’s comments could have created more issues.
«A week has passed, and what seemed likely is now patently obvious. There is zero evidence that anyone from Duke’s basketball program was ‘punched in the face’ at the Smith Center last week,» Nieman wrote. «Nor is there any evidence that a staffer was ‘trampled on the floor’ or ‘in a complete brawl,’ for that matter. Some have asked why I’m talking about this. It’s certainly not because of a sports rivalry. That’s no business of the DA’s Office. But I’ve seen firsthand how reckless accusations of violence incite more violence, and that is my business. Someone with the power and influence of a major men’s basketball coach should exercise more discretion before just saying things that can have real-world consequences.»
A week has passed, and what seemed likely is now patently obvious. There is zero evidence that anyone from Duke’s basketball program was «punched in the face» at the Smith Center last week. Nor is there any evidence that a staffer was «trampled on the floor» or «in a complete…
— DA Jeff Nieman (@JeffNiemanNC) February 16, 2026
After the game, North Carolina was fined $50,000 as part of new regulations and penalties for court storming.
«We accept the ACC’s fine for having unauthorized people on the court before Duke and the officials could completely clear the floor on Saturday,» UNC said in a statement after the fine was issued. «The video we have reviewed confirms we followed our protocols to get Duke’s players and bench personnel and the game officials off the floor safely. We will continue to review our protocols to provide the highest measures of safety in the event fans rush the court. We consider this matter closed and look forward to the rest of the season.»
After Monday’s game, Scheyer said the Blue Devils have put the UNC loss behind them.
«We’re moving on, and I’m really grateful for tonight’s win,» he said.
