ACC Tournament: UNC vs Duke game preview, info, prediction and more
North Carolina to face Duke in ACC semifinal
The third time’s the charm.
At least, it could be for one of these Tobacco Road rivals that hope to snag a 1-seed in next week’s NCAA Tournament.
Both Duke and North Carolina are coming off of impressive victories in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals.
North Carolina, who overcame a 14-0 deficit against Miami, put together a 50-point second half and beat the Hurricanes by a comfortable 17-point margin. Duke, on the other hand, ended Notre Dame’s ACC Tourney run, and quite possibly, its season.
The Tar Heels’ case for a top seed on Selection Sunday is strong, what with their No. 1-rated strength of schedule, BPI, RPI and “quality” wins. An early, and surprising, loss to Wofford will make it difficult for the Tar Heels to get onto the top line, but a 2-seed appears to be worst-case-scenario for Roy Williams’ squad.
The Blue Devils, if they were to win the ACC Tournament, would almost definitely reach the top line in the NCAA Tournament. Their argument for a 1-seed over hopefuls Kansas and Xavier would become quite compelling.
One Duke player to watch…
Grayson Allen. UNC fans are still not done with this guy. At least one more time they’ll get to see his amiable behavior and lovable antics out on the court against the Tar Heels.
Duke has multiple weapons, but when Allen is firing away from outside it makes the Blue Devils that much more difficult to beat. His three consecutive made three-pointers against Notre Dame on Thursday night were devastating for the Irish in their attempt to knock off the 2nd-seeded Blue Devils.
If Pinson, Berry, Kenny Williams and company can lock Allen down, and force younger, less experienced guards to take those outside shots, it’ll likely bode well for North Carolina.
One UNC player to watch…
Theo Pinson is playing on another level right now, but Luke Maye can’t perform the way he did against Miami on Thursday night if the Tar Heels hope to beat the Blue Devils in the ACC semifinals.
The All-American forward scored just two points on 1-of-15 shooting, including 0-for-5 from three-point range. He did grab 13 rebounds in 30 minutes of play against the Hurricanes, but the Tar Heels simply cannot withstand another shooting night like that from him against a much more talented squad in Duke.
If Maye can knock down some early outside shots, it will help the Tar Heels stretch the Duke defense, creating passing angles and driving lanes for Pinson and Berry. Maye’s ability to play inside-out helps him combat an obvious size disadvantage inside the paint against Duke’s talented front court.
Last time they met…
North Carolina shot just 37 percent at Cameron Indoor Stadium in a 74-64 loss to the Blue Devils on March 3rd.
The Tar Heels were led by Cam Johnson’s 16 points, though he hit just 5-of-17 shots and 4-of-12 from the three-point line. Joel Berry also struggled from long-distance against the Blue Devils, missing all seven of his attempts from three and scoring just six total points on three made baskets.
Despite holding a 10-point halftime lead, North Carolina relinquished 49 points to the Blue Devils in the second half, led by the revitalized Marvin Bagley III. Bagley scored 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting and pulled down 15 rebounds.
It was one of the few times this season that the Tar Heels were outrebounded, and it, among other factors, cost them the game. The loss can also be attributed to the obvious shooting woes, 14 turnovers and disparity in fouls called (19-12).
Next: Tar Heels down Miami in Brooklyn
What you need to know…
What? UNC 24-9 (2-0 ACC Tournament) vs. Duke 26-6 (1-0 in ACC Tournament)
When? Friday, March 9th at 9 p.m. ET
Where? Barclay’s Center – Brooklyn, New York
TV? ESPN
Radio? Tar Heel Sports Network
All-Time series? UNC leads 136-111
Prediction? UNC 88, Duke 81