The 256th installment of the Duke-North Carolina men's basketball rivalry will take place on Saturday, when the Tar Heels host the ninth-ranked Blue Devils. North Carolina, which is 15-6 overall and 7-3 in the ACC prior to Tuesday night's game against Louisville, is amid the transition of replacing a legendary head coach, Roy Williams, which is something Duke will have to do next season after Mike Krzyzewski's retirement.
Under first-year coach Hubert Davis, the Tar Heels rank third in both offensive and defensive efficiency in ACC play, while playing at the fastest tempo in the conference, per kenpom.com. North Carolina no longer plays with two traditional big men, as Oklahoma transfer Brady Manek, 6-9, leads the team in 3-point attempts (116) and he ranks second in makes (45), but junior Armando Bacot has enjoyed a breakout season in which he's averaging 16.3 points and 12.1 rebounds per game. Bacot is the primary reason why North Carolina ranks third nationally in defensive rebounding percentage, 80 percent, per kenpom.com.
The Tar Heels are shooting the program's best 3-point percentage since their 2009 national championship team at 38.1 percent, thanks to their backcourt of RJ Davis (41.9 percent) and Caleb Love (43.2 percent), plus Manek (38.8 percent). They'll have their hands full with a top-10 Duke team that leads the ACC in defensive efficiency in conference play, per kenpom.com, and which boasts a potential All-American in freshman forward Paolo Banchero, who's averaging 17.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.
The Blue Devils will arrive in Chapel Hill on a four-game winning streak, the last two games having come on the road, including a dominant defensive performance in South Bend, Ind., where Notre Dame managed just 43 points. Sophomore Mark Williams, who's 7-feet tall and averages 10 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game, projects to be a competitive foil to Bacot.
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February 02, 2022 at 12:08AM
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Duke vs. North Carolina: Men's college basketball date, tip time, preview, TV channel - NCAA.com
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