Gabe DeVoe was tired of losing to Shelton Mitchell. Finally, he convinced his high school rival to join him.
The two veteran guards, who are leading Clemson in scoring in the NCAA Tournament, started playing basketball on the same court during their high school days in North Carolina.
DeVoe’s sophomore and junior seasons at Shelby High ended with seven-point losses in the playoffs. Both years Shelby was defeated by Cuthbertson High and Mitchell.
“It was frustrating,” DeVoe said Thursday in Omaha, ahead of a Sweet 16 matchup with Kansas. “In AAU, I beat him every time, but in high school he knocked me out of the final four in the state playoffs two years in a row.