Duke, UNC Set to Showdown at Cameron, Here is What you Need to Know by Jake Martino, Jared McCabe, K
We are ready for one of the greatest rivalries in college basketball. From the MJ days to Christian Laettner, Tyler Hansbrough, JJ. Reddick, Marcus Paige and so on, you know this game is going to be good. There are some key points to pull from this game, especially with UNC being the higher seed. Here is the breakdown.
Jake’s Take: UNC
Jared and Kaleb’s Take: Duke
Jake’s Take (UNC): The time is now for North Carolina before March. This rivalry is the one that is going to make this college basketball season better than it already is. With tremendous leadership on both sides it should be fun to watch. A key point to take away from this game is that it is going to be played in Cameron Indoor Stadium. A place where UNC has had some trouble. Duke statistics wise has the advantage coming into this game winning 11 of the last 15 meetings between the two teams. This season though, UNC is clearly playing the better basketball. Currently sitting at 21-4 and first in the ACC they are in the hunt for an ACC championship. Also the history of the matchup should be great. Both teams against each other are tied in wins at 48 games a piece, along with they are tied in points at 7437. Coach K returns as well for Duke in a must win scenario. Another reason to tune in is that Grayson Allen could trip someone, again. Already 3+ trips in the last 2 seasons, it should be interesting to see if Grayson Allen blows a fuse. My key matchup for me tonight is a classic guard matchup between Grayson Allen vs. Joel Berry III. They both played on the same AAU team in their high school summers. This is the fifth time these two have played against each other in their college basetball careers. They both average 14PPG so it should be a back and forth game. Another key player for the Tar Heels is freshman forward Tony Bradley. He hasn’t played as much due to a concussion, but we he plays for the Heels he has a big presence on the floor. I think it will be close in the first half, but as everyone already knows UNC is a second half team, and they will blow Duke out by 10 and get humiliated in front of their home fans. I have UNC winning 86-76.
Jared’s Take (Duke): This is a big game for Duke. They will need to prove to the nation that they are back and ready to become a national championship contender and prove that they can beat a proven North Carolina team. Keep an eye out for how Grayson Allen, Amile Jefferson, and Matt Jones will play. They are the leaders on the team and they’ve played in many of the UNC Duke rivalry games before and they can dictate how to play. If Duke can get an early lead and play consistently, they have a great chance of winning.Players that Duke need to contain is Justin Jackson and Joel Berry III on the perimeter. They like to drive and kick, kick it out to the open man on the perimeter. If Duke can guard the open man on the perimeter, they have a shot at winning. Freshman Jayson Tatum and Sophomore Luke Kennard will need to play well and get them going early. Defense will be key for both teams, and who plays the best will have a great chance at winning. My prediction is Duke will win 82-76 to take game one of the rivalry.
Kaleb’s Take (Duke): This is the biggest and also the toughest game of the year for the Blue Devils. Playing UNC is always a big game, especially when it is a must win game for Duke, and a game Duke can and should win. One thing Duke needs to do is avoid turning the ball over. In three of the teams five losses, they have turned the ball over 15 times or more. They are going to need to control the pace and keep the momentum on their side. They are also going to need Jayson Tatum to avoid foul trouble. Tatum, who has fouled out of two of Duke’s last five games, averages three fouls a game. They are going to need him to stay out of foul trouble early. The big thing they need to do is rebound. Kennedy Meeks is a freak on the boards, averaging 9.4 rebounds per game. Duke is going to need to find some way to out-rebound the Tar Heels if they want to escape with the win. Regardless of score, I still expect a nail biter of a game, with the finish coming in the final minutes of the game. My prediction is Duke will defeat the Tar Heels, with a final score of 79-73.
