The next chapter of the greatest rivalry in college sports is set to begin on Saturday night in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Hubert Davis and the Tar Heels will host rival Duke for the first of two regular season meetings between the historic programs. As Jay Bilas has said time and time again, "It always delivers," as we all expect this year's version of the rivalry series to live up to the expectations.
Duke has yet to be challenged in ACC play, holding a perfect 10-0 record against conference foes. What better way for them to suffer their first ACC defeat than by the hands of the Tar Heels in the Smith Center, adding an overdue blemish to their conference record.
For North Carolina, the Tar Heels are in a much better position than they were a season ago, and have the talent to keep up with Duke, who comes in as a top-five ranked team. All eyes will be on the star freshmen from both programs: Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson, the former AAU teammates who will compete against each other on college basketball's biggest stage.
This is one of the games everyone circles on their calendar at the beginning of the season, and now we're closing in on yet another duel between the programs that share Tobacco Road.
2025-2026 Season
No. 14 North Carolina Tar Heels
Overall record: 18-4
Conference Record: 6-3
Home Record: 13-0
Away Record: 3-3
Neutral Site Record: 2-1
Top-25 Wins: 3
No. 4 Duke Blue Devils
Overall record: 21-1
Conference Record: 10-0
Home Record: 11-0
Away Record: 7-0
Neutral Site Record: 3-1
Key Players
North Carolina
Caleb Wilson (Fr. Forward)- 20.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists
Henri Veesaar (Jr. Center)- 16.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists
Seth Trimble (Sr. Guard)- 14.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists
Duke
Cameron Boozer (Fr. Forward)-23.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists
Isaiah Evans (So. Guard)- 14.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists
Patrick Ngongba (So. Center)- 11.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists
Keys to Victory for North Carolina
There are quite a few things that North Carolina must do to secure a victory over Duke on Saturday night, but I'm going to let the Keeping It Heel staff give you that information!
Read: 3 things that North Carolina must do to defeat No. 4-ranked Duke on Saturday night
Read: The game plan UNC should take into Saturday night to defend Cameron Boozer
Read: 3 matchups that will decide this upcoming Duke vs. UNC matchup
Something to Watch For
The matchup between Boozer and Wilson is simply must-see TV, but there are other key components to keep an eye on in this one.
Can Seth Trimble slow down Isaiah Evans? Will Henri Veesaar and Patrick Ngongba essentially cancel each other out?
Most importantly, which team can avoid foul trouble (or at least keep its main players out of foul trouble)?
This game will come down to the supporting casts. Whichever team produces best around their star player will capture the win, as North Carolina will need its entire rotation to play at an elite level for 40 minutes of action.
Projected Starters
No. 3- Derek Dixon
No. 4- Jaydon Young
No. 7- Seth Trimble
No. 8- Caleb Wilson
No. 13- Henri Veesaar