UNC-Duke – Round One

Written by >> Sharon Thorsland

It’s that time of the year – time for the greatest rivalry in college basketball, and arguably the greatest rivalry in all of sports. All eyes will be on Chapel Hill on Saturday night, when North Carolina welcomes that team from just nine miles down Highway 54, the Duke Blue Devils. The Tar Heels (18-4, 6-3 ACC) have won four straight after blowing out Syracuse, while the Blue Devils have lost just once all season. An easy win over Boston College moved them to 21-1 on the year, 10-0 in league play. Tip-off is set for 6:30 on WBT.

As usual, this Duke team is loaded, but everything revolves around star big man Cameron Boozer. The freshman leads the Blue Devils in every category except blocks, averaging 23 points, 10 rebounds and four assists per game. His counterpart in Carolina blue is Caleb Wilson, who puts up similar numbers (20 points and 10 rebounds a contest). Both are contenders for Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year in the ACC and the country. Boozer teams with 6’11 Patrick Ngongba and his twin brother, Cayden Boozer.

The Blue Devils feature some excellent guard play with Isaiah Evans and Caleb Foster, who combine to average nearly 23 points a game. Their experience could pose problems for the Tar Heels, as point guard Derrick Dixon is a freshman and just moved into a starting role a few weeks ago. But senior guard Seth Trimble should help steady the Heels, and big man Henri Veesaar gives them a 1-2 punch inside that is tough to defend. Slowing down Boozer won’t be easy, but UNC has excellent 2-point defense. The Heels haven’t been so good when it comes to perimeter defense, but the Blue Devils don’t shoot particularly well from behind the arc, shooting just 33% from three.

The Tar Heels want to run and push the pace. They’re very good in transition, and will give the Blue Devils problems if they can get down the court before Duke’s bigs get set. Another thing to keep an eye on – the Blue Devils average over eight steals per game and force over 13 turnovers a contest, but the Tar Heels don’t turn it over much. Last year Duke ran the table against UNC, dominating the Tar Heels inside. Things should be different this time around, as the Heels have a frontcourt that can go head-to-head with the Blue Devils.

This game never fails to deliver, and this one looks to be a particularly good one. Duke and UNC will meet as ranked teams for the 88th time on Saturday, that’s 47 more than any other matchup. The teams are tied at 57-57 in games since 1977. As Trimble told his teammates who have never played Duke, “it’s the biggest game in your life.” UNC has a slight edge in the Dean Dome and is undefeated at home this season. Look for the Heels to extend that streak and come away with a hard-fought victory. Go Tar Heels