Two blue blood programs from the ACC clash for the chance to play in the NCAA National Championship. The Duke Blue Devils take on the North Carolina Tar Heels tomorrow night at 8:49 in a rematch of Coach K’s final home game. Can the sport’s most-winningest head coach get one more shot at a title, or will UNC play spoiler once again? Here’s everything you need to know before tip-off:
A Storied Rivalry
Both of these teams have some of the richest history in college basketball (to the eternal dismay of this particular Syracuse fan). Yet, this is the first time the two will EVER meet in the NCAA Tournament. The Tar Heels hold a 101-87 lead in the all-time series, with their most recent win coming just a few weeks ago. Whether he’ll ever say it publicly or not, I’m sure Coach Mike Krzyzewski envisioned his last time on the sideline of Cameron Indoor Stadium being a little less deflating. That’s all the more reason for him to try and get the last laugh on his neighbors – and potentially match their program by picking up a sixth national title.
So what does each team have to add to a history that includes “The Brawl,” a Benchwarmer-turned-Hero named Fred Lind, and a blown-out shoe?
North Carolina
Officially the “underdog” in this matchup, don’t say that word anywhere around these guys. UNC has been rolling since that aforementioned win in Durham. They knocked off the defending champion Baylor Bears in a fierce overtime battle and are loaded with quality scorers that can take control of the offense on any given night. Don’t believe me? Each of the Tar Heels’ four Tournament wins had a different leader in points: Brady Manek vs Marquette, R.J. Davis against Baylor, Caleb Love vs UCLA, and Armando Bacot against St. Peter’s. A golden opportunity awaits North Carolina: forcing their greatest foe into retirement and preserving their lead in championships.
Duke
The Devils will do anything to go dancing one last time with Coach K. Their lineup is just as scary – five different guys average double-digit points: Paolo Banchero, Wendell Moore Jr., Mark Williams, Trevor Keels, and A.J. Griffin. Did I mention two of them are also shooting over 40% from deep? Because… yeah, few teams I’ve seen have had this level of accuracy from beyond the arc. Convincing wins over CSU Fullerton and Michigan State, a fight to the finish with Texas Tech, and a shutdown of a potential Arkansas upset got them to this point. And if they do win this game too, I don’t know how anyone can stop them in the final.
Prediction:
The ESPN oddsmakers have Duke at over a 2-1 chance of winning, but odds don’t mean all that much in March. You know both sides will put everything on this, not the least of which is their pride. For many, this may as well be the championship game. Which is why it’s going down to the wire, so much so that I think the last shot is going to determine this game one way or the other. For that reason, I’m taking DUKE -4 on the spread – and I’ll begrudgingly double down and pick Coach K and his crew to stick to the script for once.
Somebody has to avenge the Year of the Peacocks, ok?