UNC needs a big-time performance from this player in order to defeat rival Duke

UNC plays at home against a top-five Duke team this weekend, and in order to send the Blue Devils home with a loss, it's going to take everybody putting their best foot forward.

While all players will need to step it up in order to beat Duke, some will be keys to victory more than others. Stars Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar are essential to a North Carolina win, but the expectations surrounding them are so high that Tar Heel fans aren't worried about their projected performance.

What Carolina will need is for other members of the team to step up and play lights out if they want to win this game.

Two players who immediately stand out are Kyan Evans and Jonathan Powell.

Evans's minutes per game have decreased significantly throughout the season, but if he plays to the best of his ability, he can be an integral part of the team down the stretch. The numbers back this up—this season, when Evans scores in double digits, the team is 4-0. Evans usually shoots multiple threes per game, and if he can convert even just 50% of those attempts, the Tar Heels will be in good shape. When multiple players make multiple threes, North Carolina is 10-1. Hitting shots from behind the arc is crucial in this one, and if Evans can make the most out of the minutes he's given, he can be a difference maker. 

The same can be said for Powell for similar reasons. On the contrary, Powell's minutes have increased throughout the season as he has risen to the occasion and become a reliable three-point shooter in recent games. If Powell can knock down his threes, this team will be hard to beat.

Finally, the last member of the team, and most importantly, who will need to step up is none other than freshman Derek Dixon. The Blue Devils are certainly aware of the Tar Heels' frontcourt and will try their best to limit the damage Wilson and Veesaar can do. This will leave the game's fate in Carolina's guard play. If Dixon can get hot (and stay hot) I feel confident in the claim that Duke would be headed home with a loss. If Dixon fails to step up, it will fall on another guard to do some heavy lifting.

Dixon has proved he can perform under the big lights, but asking a true freshman to carry a heavy load against your biggest rival in the biggest game of the year is a tall task.

Still, I have no doubts that Dixon can rise to the occasion. Guard play is what the Tar Heels will live and die by in this game, and the backcourt must pull its weight in this one. If Dixon can deliver when his number is called, North Carolina has a real shot at reclaiming bragging rights in this rivalry.