School basketball’s most historic rivalry begins a brand new period Saturday as Duke performs host to North Carolina within the first assembly since 1979 between the groups with out Mike Krzyzewski teaching for the Blue Devils since his retirement after final season. As an alternative, its first-year coach Jon Scheyer who’s main Duke in what quantities to a pivotal ACC battle because the squads play for the 259th time in collection historical past.
Duke (14-5, 5-4 ACC) enters as a projected No. 6 seeds for the NCAA Event in Jerry Palm’s Bracketology and but to lose at Cameron Indoor Stadium this season. North Carolina (15-6, 7-3) entered as a projected No. 9 seeds for the Massive Dance after a 65-64 house loss to Pitt on Wednesday. However the Tar Heels should not be in the slightest degree flustered by what figures to be a rowdy highway surroundings.
In coach Hubert Davis’ first season as UNC’s coach a 12 months in the past, the Tar Heels walloped Duke 94-81 at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Krzyzewski’s last house sport as coach. North Carolina famously went on to beat Duke once more almost a month later in some of the memorable Last 4 video games of NCAA Event historical past to finish Coach Okay’s profession.
However historical past is historical past and the truth is that each groups are nonetheless discovering their method within the 2022-23 season even after Last 4 runs a season in the past. Duke is closely reliant on freshmen and is led by the versatile seven-footer Kyle Filipowski. Due to their youth and Scheyer’s inexperience, the have navigated ups and downs, however this sport marks an opportunity for Duke to win three consecutive video games for the primary time since early December.
In distinction, North Carolina is likely one of the oldest energy convention groups within the nation with a number of key contributors again from final season. However the Tar Heels have handled loads of struggles anyway after starting the season ranked No. 1 within the AP ballot.
The best way to watch Duke vs. North Carolinalive
date: Saturday, Feb. 4 | time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Location: Cameron Indoor Stadium — Durham, North Carolina
TV: ESPN | Dwell streams: fuboTV (Attempt at no cost)
duke vs. North Carolina predictions, picks
Featured Video games | Duke Blue Devils vs. North Carolina Tar Heels
North Carolina middle Armando Bacot is troublesome for everybody to defend, however he could show to be significantly difficult for the Blue Devils to cowl as it will likely be freshmen Kyle Filipowski and Dereck Vigorous tasked with bruising towards him on the block. A lot of UNC’s roster is aware of firsthand what it is wish to win inside Cameron Indoor Stadium and shall be significantly motivated Saturday due to a poor displaying towards Pitt on Wednesday. This would be the first style of school basketball’s finest rivalry for lots of the Duke gamers, and it might be too large of a second for a squad that has operated outdoors the nationwide highlight since a few large November video games. Prediction: North Carolina +3
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