The rivalry continues. The #7 North Carolina Tar Heels (24-6, 16-3 ACC) vs #9 Duke Blue Devils (24-6, 15-4 ACC) on Saturday night in Durham. The Tar Heels look to clinch the outright ACC regular-season championship with a season sweep of their arch-rivals. The Blue Devils are more than willing to share the title with a win.
Tar Heels Look to Cap Off Dominant Season
North Carolina has secured at least a share of the ACC title They are led by soon-to-be ACC Player of the Year, RJ Davis. Davis averages 21.5 ppg, tops in the ACC. Armando Bacot is solid with 14 ppg and leads the conference in rebounds, with 10.2 rpg. Bacot is the only player in the ACC to average a double-double. The offense is well-balanced. In their first meeting against Duke, the Tar Heels lit up the scoreboard, 93-84. Bacot dropped 25 points and had 10 rebounds to lead the way. Davis had a disappointing shooting day, going 5-14, but still finished with 17.
Blue Devils Aim to Grab a Share
The Blue Devils are on a three-game winning streak and 8-1 in their last nine. A balanced attack has all five starters averaging 10 points or better. Kyle Filipowski averages 16.5 ppg, 8.1 RPG, and has been consistent. He will look to repeat his impressive 22-point performance from their first matchup. Jeremy Roach adds 14.3 ppg and freshman sensation, Jared McCain, who averages 13.4 ppg crushed it, too. The three combined for 65 out of the 84 total points Duke put up on the road game and will be looking to repeat that performance in front of the Cameron crowd.
Matchup Intangibles
This matchup is for all or half of the ACC title. Not to mention a season sweep between these two rivals is nearly impossible. Throw in the pressure that it may also be the difference of a two-seed or a three-seed come next Sunday, when selections for March Madness are made.
Home-Court Advantage
Duke is 15-2 at home.
Can North Carolina Contain Roach?
Jeremy Roach dropped 20 on them in Chapel Hill. What will the senior do on his home court?
Will Bacot Dominate Again?
Bacot was nearly perfect, going 10-13 with 10 rebounds in their early February meeting.
Stellar Shooting
Both teams shot 50% or better in their first matchup. Will they repeat?
Prediction
It’s another chapter in a historic rivalry. Duke will strive to prove they can compete with the Tar Heels even without Coach K on the sidelines. Their home-court advantage and revenge factor should not be underestimated. Both teams have had somewhat easy schedules as of late coming into this banger. Heels grab a tough win on the road and the full ACC prize.
Final Score: Duke 86, North Carolina 81
Thank you for reading my NCAA ACC Title article. Our website is your premier destination for all things related to college basketball and more. Head to my Belly Up Sports Page and follow me on Twitter/X. For NCAA and all other sports articles go to Belly Up Sports. Featured image credit Grant Halverson/Getty Images.
