Location: Chapel Hill, NC. Dean E. Smith Center
Date & Time: March, 9th. 6 PM EST. ESPN
All-Time Series: North Carolina Leads, 137-111.
Background Information:
It will game number 4 for Duke without Zion and is the most important game of the year for the Blue Devil. North Carolina is tied for first with Virginia and Duke is just one game behind both teams. A lot of people had Duke as national championship contenders and the heavy favorite to win the conference. Even without Zion, Duke fans will tell you it’s been an underwhelming last month for the Blue Devil.
For Duke, this is a revenge game and the same team they played just a little under 3 weeks ago is the same team they play tonight. That was also the last game Zion played in for a good 40 seconds. North Carolina would dominate in the paint as they got 60+ of those and won by 16 in Cameron Indoor.
Duke is coming off a scare at home as they faced 11-18 Wake Forest and got pushed around for 40 minutes and barely survived. RJ has been a much consistent scorer and Cam Reddish has been among the best rebounder in the conference even though he had just 2 against Wake. But the rest of the team has been lacking at scoring and one player could help that out.
For North Carolina, they’ve been on a roll over the past 6 games and has gotten right into the ACC title race. They got a big win over #16 Florida State and has taken care of business over Syracuse, @ Clemson, and @ Boston College.
Luke Maye is a defensive nightmare and a problem and he showed that in not only the Duke game, but their most recent contest. Maye went for 17 Points and 20 Rebounds on 7-15 shooting. If UNC can do use Maye just like they did in the first meeting against Duke, this game might not be as close as some people are thinking.
Keys to a win for Duke:
Jack White and RJ carrying the team. Jack White was on a ridiculious streak of missed 3’s until that was broke against Wake Forest when he hit a couple. His confidence needs to be high in shooting 3’s as they are going to need him.
RJ didn’t shoot well from 3 at all as he missed all 6 attempts. He shot well from the field, but he’s going to have to be big time in this game. Shooting from the field, being a defensive presence, and getting other players involved offensively.
Keys to a win for North Carolina:
Dominating the glass and Cam Johnson. With the absence of Zion, Duke was outrebounded by Wake Forest. Kenny Williams, Johnson, and Maye should have a field day down low for those guys. Duke has a serious height disadvantage and UNC should take advantage of it.
It’s senior night in Dean Smith and the seniors would want nothing more (outside of a national title) then to sweep Duke and finish their season with a home win. The seniors will be motivated and fired up with a big time matchup with huge implications towards a conference title.
Final Verdict:
A lot of momentum and leverage is in favor of the Tar Heels. Luke Maye gets another double-double and Coby White takes over during parts of the game as North Carolina finishes with a tie at the top, while Duke drops their 4th conference game and 5th overall on the season. North Carolina 82, Duke 69.
Image Credit: http://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-basketball/news/unc-coby-white-continues-development-key-player-win-over-gonzaga/5ggfmr7vcsml11bgt77ddi8k6
