They’re Still Friends, but It’s Different

Duke guard William Avery acknowledges it will be “kind of different” the next time he encounters Ricky Moore.

That’s because Avery will oppose his longtime friend Monday night when Duke plays Connecticut in the NCAA title game at Tropicana Field.

Avery and Moore were teammates for two years at Westside High in Augusta, Ga., winning a state title. Now, one of them will add another championship to his resume.

“This is something we both thought about, and now it’s happening,” Avery said after scoring 14 points in Duke’s semifinal victory over Michigan State. “I was real happy for him that he was able to make it here in his last year, with his family all here and cheering for him.

“Now, we get to go against each other for the national title. It’s going to be kind of different, but I think it’s also going to be great. He’s a great competitor and I’m a great competitor, so we’re just going to go out and see what happens.”

Moore is two classes ahead of Avery, and Avery said Moore would usually win when they played one-on-one.

“He would beat my because he’s older than me,” Avery said, smiling. “Sometimes, I would beat him, but he usually won. He killed everybody.”