Blue Devil Country

Duke Basketball Treasure Tre Jones Trolls Tar Heels

Former Duke basketball rivalry hero Tre Jones is fond of a quiet Dean Dome.

Matt Giles

Duke Basketball Treasure Tre Jones Trolls Tar Heels
Duke Basketball Treasure Tre Jones Trolls Tar Heels /
In this story:

Tre Jones, entering his fourth season with the San Antonio Spurs after becoming a starter last go-round, was a beloved Duke basketball point guard well before Feb. 8, 2020. But that night, his late-game magic against archrival UNC in Chapel Hill forever cemented his place in program lore.

RELATED: List of Every Blue Devil Currently in the NBA

After climbing back from 10 down with 2:18 to play, Jones and the Blue Devils stunned the Dean E. Smith Center crowd by forcing overtime via the Duke captain's intentionally missed free throw with four seconds remaining, loose-ball rebound a few ticks later, and prayer-turned-swish from near the top of the key at the buzzer.

That gave him nine points across the final 50 seconds of regulation alone. However, some would argue his heroics in the closing moments of overtime, culminating in an airball that some might call an assist to Wendell Moore Jr. at the rim to give the Blue Devils a 98-96 victory, were even more spectacular.

It silenced the UNC patrons. Completely.

And late Thursday night, the 23-year-old Tre Jones came across as good of a reason as any to randomly conjure that memory, responding to a tweeted poll from College Basketball Report asking whether UNC's Dean Dome or Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium is the better venue.

Rather devilishly, he offered two possible answers: "Cameron easily...or walking out of dean dome when it's quiet."

At the time of this article's publishing, Cameron Indoor Stadium was on pace to win the poll with roughly 60 percent of the votes.

Jones, who went on to become ACC Player of the Year and ACC Defensive Player of the Year, led the Blue Devils to a season-sweeping 89-76 win over the Tar Heels in Durham a month later, tallying 21 points and 11 assists while limiting Cole Anthony to only nine points on 4-for-14 shooting.

He finished 3-2 against UNC across his two-year Duke basketball career.

Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country for daily Duke basketball news.

Published
Matt Giles
MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of Duke Blue Devils on SI, North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining SI in 2022, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.

Home/NBA Blue Devils