Clear and shoken news: the head coach of Carolina tar heels have finally announced the……
The stage is set. On Saturday at 6:30 PM Eastern, No. 7 North Carolina (24-6, 16-3 ACC) ends its season against a top-10 opponent — and storied rival — the Duke Blue Devils (24-6,
North Carolina has won their last five match-ups and are ranked No. 1 in total offense (81.5 points per game) in the ACC. Duke sits right behind them on the offensive end, averaging 80.2 points per game. Also, the Blue Devils are just as red-hot as the Tar Heels, winning three straight games. This lays the foundation of another iconic battle in this historic rivalry.
Along with bragging rights, there’s a lot at stake for both teams this Saturday. If Duke were to win, then the Blue Devils could end the season with their share of the ACC regular season title while the Tar Heels could leave Durham as the outright champions. Although both teams understand the regular season gravity of this game, the there’s even more at stake for the Tar Heels because this contest could have major Mad Madness implications for them.
Saturday’s game against Duke could give North Carolina its seventh Quad 1 victory of the year. Currently, the Tar Heels are projected to be a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament. But, 7 Quad 1 wins and a strong showing in the ACC tournament could lift them to a No. 1 seed come Selection Sunday.
Securing a No. 1 seed in the tournament would undoubtedly increase North Carolina’s chances of winning a national championship. But as 247Sports National College Basketball Writer Isaac Trotter explains, North Carolina’s No. 1 seed aspirations hinge largely on sweeping its longstanding rival on Saturday.
A massive, needle-moving road win over Duke is just what UNC needs to vault past Tennessee for the fourth and final No. 1 seed,” Trotter said. “23 of the 38 national champions since 1985 have been a No. 1 seed. So, historically, the path is far less treacherous from the 1-line. Tennessee and UNC have eerily similar resumes, but the Vols have two more Quad 1 wins than UNC. If Carolina can knock off Duke (and maybe get some help with Kentucky knocking off Tennessee in Knoxville), then UNC’s head-to-head win over Tennessee could be the determining factor in that chase for that last No. 1 seed, too. The resumes have to be super close for that to tip the scales, so a road win over Duke is vital
