Keeping It Heel
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UNC Basketball: Roy Williams appears on Coach K’s radio show

By Zack Pearson

Mar 7, 2015; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams with Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski before the game at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 7, 2015; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams with Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski before the game at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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UNC head coach Roy Williams appeared on Mike Krzyzewski’s radio show

Both the North Carolina Tar Heels and Duke Blue Devils are seeking their sixth NCAA titles this season. They are ranked in the AP Top 10 as we enter the final few non-conference games of the year.

The two are some of the most historic programs in all of college basketball as they are in the top five in wins, titles, Final Fours and ACC championships.

Both are also coached by legends.

On Thursday, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski brought Roy Williams onto his radio show that airs on Sirius XM radio. The two discussed the current college basketball season and the big rivalry that is UNC-Duke.

While the two may disagree in their preferred choice of blue, they both share a love for the rivalry they participate in.

"“I’m very flattered to be involved in it, and hope we do a good enough job to make it still be a really good rivalry,” Williams said on the show. “Because you’re pretty daggone good. The rivalry is something that I love.”"

Williams is just 11-16 against Duke in his tenure with UNC but has produced two national championships for the program and 4 Final Fours. The Tar Heels beat Duke in the regular season finale last season to earn the ACC regular season title outright.

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While the two teams play twice a year, the ACC schedule has changed a bit over the years.

We don’t get the classic home-and-away matchups with all teams due to the conference expanding. Last season UNC played Virginia, Notre Dame and Louisville just one time each in the regular season. All of four of those teams finished in the top 5 in the ACC.

But with the launch of the new ACC Network coming in 2019, the conference will expand to a 20-game schedule.

That means two less non-conference games a year for both teams.

"“Both of our programs go out of our footprint,” Krzyzewski said.  “And that’s been really good for our conference, not just for us. And I worry about us, as a conference, saying, ‘It’s just going to be us.’”"

UNC has played Indiana and Wisconsin early in the season and will take on Kentucky in Las Vegas later in December. Duke has already played Kansas, Michigan State and Florida before gearing up for conference play.

"“When we go to 20 conference games, now we’re going to start in December,” Williams said. “We might start playing conference games before Christmas. We’re going to be consumed by that a little bit. I really do love going and playing at a UCLA, or at a Texas, or at an Arizona, or at a Connecticut. Something like that. Indiana this year. I think that’s great for college basketball."

Williams isn’t a big fan of playing the 20-game schedule due to losing the two non conference games. But he has mentioned in the past that he will still try and schedule tough opponents.

"“When I was a high school kid, very seldom did you see somebody, a Duke or North Carolina, go all the way to play at a UCLA or Gonzaga, or anything like that,” Williams said. “I think we’ll get so engrossed in ourselves, we won’t see what’s going on around the country.”"

That’s some pretty interesting stuff for two Hall of Fame coaches.

North Carolina will be in action on Sunday as they host the Tennessee Volunteers before heading to Las Vegas to play Kentucky.

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