Some games just mean more, the whole world watches every time the Tar Heels and Blue Devils face off. People compare it to Ohio State and Michigan in football. It could be the greatest rivalry in all of sports, and the 263rd Duke and North Carolina matchup on Saturday promises to be a good one. The teams hate each other and have everything to play for every single season. Duke is a championship contender, and North Carolina is a bubble team. The records never matter: Duke and North Carolina will play a tight, heated game regardless of how each team’s season has gone. Duke leads over the last 100 meetings by a tally of 51-49. What will happen on Saturday?
263rd Duke and North Carolina Matchup: Key Stories
Flagg’s Rivalry Debut
Cooper Flagg has impressed from the start, but he will be thrown to the wolves on Saturday. Flagg has that killer mentality, but nothing can prepare a team for this kind of rivalry. RJ Davis will have the entire team ready, while most of Duke’s players have never played a game before. Flagg may be the player of the year, but he will have to bring his full arsenal on both sides of the floor. The question will be whether Flagg can match the physicality that North Carolina promises to bring. The Tar Heels love to play with four guards, so Flagg will have a smaller player on him virtually the whole game. While one game won’t affect draft stock very much, he has the opportunity to show NBA teams that he has what it takes to dominate competition in huge games.
Duke has a legitimate chance to finish 20-0 in ACC play. They’ve already won their first 10 games, but North Carolina provides the biggest test for them. As always, Flagg can star, but they will need their role players to provide. Flagg has willed this team to win even without consistent production from Kon Knueppel. North Carolina has struggled with defending guards this season, with Pitt’s guards recently gashing them in the Tar Heel’s loss. Combine that with Duke’s incredible defense (third in KenPom‘s defensive efficiency as of 1/31), and Duke will be the favorite.
North Carolina Needs a Win
The 263rd Duke and North Carolina matchup gives UNC the opportunity for a statement win. It has been a grind for Hubert Davis, and his struggles have been apparent. They even barely escaped against lowly Boston College one week ago. However, North Carolina likes their odds against anybody, but they have struggled to conquer any high-quality opponents. The Tar Heels know Duke better than any other team in the country, so the huge gulf between these teams’ success will not be an issue.
A win would give the Tar Heels the best win in the country: no other bubble team would be able to boast a road win over a top-three team in the NET rankings. It would be their second Quad One(Q1) win on the season in 10 attempts. The game in Durham is the hardest left on their schedule, but a win would be a welcome sign. A loss would already give North Carolina 10 losses on the season and put their Q1 record at an abysmal 1-9. They’re running out of opportunities for the marque win. The 263rd Duke and North Carolina matchup is exactly what the Tar Heels need.
Predicting the 263rd Duke and North Carolina Matchup
North Carolina will play like they have nothing to lose, but they will struggle to score against the size of Duke. Duke has looked very shaky recently on offense in games against Wake Forest and North Carolina State. Look for a close, defensive battle on Saturday in Durham, which plays directly into the Blue Devils’ hands. The best player in the game will take over, and the frontcourt will decide this game. North Carolina barely has one at times, and Duke has one of the best in the country. It will be closer than it appears on paper, but North Carolina certainly has their work cut out for them.
Duke wins 68-62.
Photo credit: © Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images
The post 263rd Duke and North Carolina Matchup: Key Stories appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.