UNC Basketball: 11 Historical Games and Moments against Duke
Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Jan. 14th, 1978: Duke 92, #2 UNC 84: Duke’s slip to the bottom of the ACC and N.C. State rise meant UNC/State had become the top rivalry in the conference but that changed with the 1977-78 Duke team with All-Ameicans Mike Gminski, Jim Spanarkel and a Duke’s first great African-American player Gene Banks out of Philly.
After finishing last or next to the last in the ACC for four straight years Coach Bill Foster had his best team that would eventually go on and play for the national championship that season. The Blue Devils enter the game on a 8-game losing streak against the Tar Heels and had lost 16 of the last 17. Behind 29 points and 10 rebounds from Gminski the Devils would shoot 66% for the game.
This game also featured the first issue between Coach Smith and the student section that would come to be known as the Cameron Crazies who made fun of Mike O’Koren which Coach Smith felt stepped over the line. The win put Duke back in the national rankings for the first time since March of 1971.