The Tar Heels and Blue Devils Write Another Chapter in College Basketball’s Best Rivalry
This Saturday, the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Duke Blue Devils will meet once again in one of college basketball’s anticipated matchups. The rivalry has been known for its unpredictable and dramatic moments. It simply does not matter what the records of the two teams are because this rivalry always delivers. However, with the Tar Heels' recent struggles this year, most fans believe that this is the year the Blue Devils will dominate the rivalry.
Carolina comes into the game with a record of 13-9 with a 6-4 record in conference play. The Heels have lost three out of their last four games, and according to ESPN’s Bracketologist Joe Lunardi, the Tar Heels are holding on to one of the last four spots in the NCAA Tournament. Meanwhile, Duke is on a 14-game winning streak, is currently ranked second in the nation, and is solidly in the tournament. UNC needs a big win to add to their tournament resume and they have a chance to do something that they have never done in the history of this rivalry– win at Duke for the first time as an underdog while having nine or more losses heading into the first matchup. In order for the Heels to win, they are going to have to shoot the ball extremely well and penetrate the new zone defense that Duke is now using. Look for players such as RJ Davis and Ian Jackson to be the main scorers for the Tar Heels.
The Blue Devils are the tallest team in the country. Every player in the starting lineup is 6’6 or above so they impose their length on the offense and defensive end. Star freshman Cooper Flagg will get his first introduction to the rivalry. Flagg is averaging 19 points and shooting 48 percent this season and all eyes will be on him and how the Tar Heels defend him. Other scorers for the Blue Devils are Kon Knueppel, who is shooting 37 percent from three this season and Khaman Maluach who stands at 7 '2 and will be a major problem if the Tar Heels don’t pull him away from the paint.
The odds are definitely not in UNC’s favor and some people are predicting that this game could be a blowout. UNC when they are unranked are 4-15 against top-five Duke teams. However, the Tar Heels have won seven out of the last 12 matchups against Duke. This rivalry has featured plenty of moments and remains a “must-see” event when these two teams play each other so anything can happen. Can the Tar Heels pull off the upset or will Duke continue on their dominant run this season? No matter what happens this will be a fun and interesting game to watch.
