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Myron Medcalf
multiple authors
John Scheyer said he “could have said even more” in response to a local district attorney’s claims that there was “zero evidence” to support this. ruler Blue Devils staffer was punched in recent on-court attack on opponent, coach’s initial claim North Carolina.
Jeff Neiman, district attorney for Orange County – which includes Chapel Hill, North Carolina – disputed Scheyer’s statement about the February 7 assault incident in court and said Scheyer “should exercise more discretion” in his public comments.
Scheyer fired back at Neiman after the third-ranked Blue Devils’ 101-64 win on Monday. Syracuse.
“I would like to focus on Syracuse, but I will tell you I know what I saw and I know what happened with our staff after the game — and that’s the final thing,” Scheyer said. “I’m not going to turn around or engage – I don’t know what was said or wasn’t said or what people want to claim.
“But I know what happened, and I will always support my employees in those situations. And again, I could say even more, but I’m not going to do that.”
Seth TrimbleThe game-winning 3-pointer in the final seconds led to a pair of court-storming events for North Carolina, which defeated its opponent for the first time since the 2023-24 season.
After the loss, Scheyer claimed that some of his staff members were “punched in the face” as UNC fans gathered on the court. A Duke spokesperson later said, without providing additional details, that a staff member was injured in the attack on the court.
Video of the aftermath shows a man launching a bottle toward Duke players and staff after the game.
After two days, Sharer clarified A staff member was injured when he was “trampled”, adding that after the game the employee “looked like he was in a complete brawl”.
Neiman, 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 Sharer’s original account. Additionally, he said Scheyer’s comments could have created other issues.
“A week has passed, and what seemed obvious is now painfully clear. There is no evidence that anyone from Duke’s basketball program was ‘punched in the face’ at the Smith Center last week,” Neiman wrote. “Nor is there any evidence that any employee in this case was ‘squashed to the floor’ or ‘outright brawled.’ “There could be real-world consequences.”
A week has passed, and what seemed possible has now become painfully obvious. There is no 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 any employee was “crushed to the floor” or “completely…”
-DA Jeff Nieman (@JeffNiemanNC) 16 February 2026
After the game, North Carolina was fined $50,000 as punishment for breaking the new rules and court vandalism.
“We accept the ACC’s fine for having unauthorized persons on the court before Duke and officials completely cleared the court on Saturday,” UNC said in a statement after the fine was issued. “The video we have reviewed confirms that we followed our protocols to safely remove Duke’s players and bench personnel and game officials from the field. We will continue to review our protocols to provide the highest measures of safety in the event fans crowd the court. We consider this matter closed and look forward to the remainder of the season.”
After Monday’s game, Scheyer said the Blue Devils have put the UNC loss behind them.
“We’re moving forward and I’m really grateful for tonight’s win,” he said.
