Unusual circumstances surround the next installment of this storied rivalry. This will be the first time Duke and UNC meet as unranked teams since Feb 27th, 1960. The typical buzz from neutral fans around the country surrounding this game is severely diminished, but fans and players alike on both sides still desperately want to walk away with the win over their heated rival.
Duke is coming off their worst performance of the season. Facing a Miami team that had previously lost four straight and was just 6-10 on the season, Duke completely underperformed in every aspect and earned every bit of their loss against the Hurricanes. Duke will look to get back on track with a win on Saturday. If Duke is going to make a miraculous late season run to earn an NCAA Tournament bid, it almost certainly has to start with a win over UNC.
After starting the season 5-4, UNC put together a stretch of good basketball. The Tar Heels won six out of their next seven games to move to 11-5. They are coming off a 63-50 loss against Clemson, a game in which the Tar Heels looked sluggish out of the gate. Perhaps there was a bit of a looking ahead to Duke element that caused UNC to play so poorly. UNC would love nothing more than to rebound with a win over Duke.
What to watch for
Which Duke, UNC teams show up?
It is no secret that neither of these programs are playing up to their usual standard this season. Historically, this matchup brings out the best in both teams regardless of how the season is going. It has been few and far between, but there have been moments this season where Duke has looked the part of a tournament team. UNC has had stretches where they look better than their record indicates as well. Will each team continue to struggle, or will the rivalry bring out the best version of these teams?
Mark Williams vs. UNC’s front court
Mark Williams has emerged for Duke as of late. Duke’s front court as a whole will be worth monitoring in this game, but particularly Mark Williams. He will be encountering by far his biggest test of the season against the front court of UNC. The Tar Heels front court trio of Armando Bacot, Garrison Brooks, and Day’Ron Sharpe is nasty. They are quite the physical group and will present a major challenge for Duke. This will be a key game in the development of Mark Williams. It will be a great test for Williams and the rest of Duke’s front court.
Can Duke keep UNC off the offensive glass?
UNC is among the best offensive rebounding teams in the country. Their 15.2 offensive rebounds per game rank #2 in the nation. They are relentless crashing the glass. It is going to take a complete team effort from Duke to keep UNC from repeatedly getting second chance opportunities. Guys like Wendell Moore and DJ Steward, who is a very good rebounder for his size, will need to provide a boost for Duke in the rebounding department.
Bench production
After Duke’s bench scored 31 points against Clemson, Duke got just four points out of their bench on Monday. That figure will likely need to be much higher to pull of the victory over UNC.