CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WNCN) — The rivalry has many names — the Battle of the Blues, the Battle for Tobacco Road — but for many, it is simply Duke-Carolina.
On Saturday night, the No. 2 Blue Devils (27-3 overall, 18-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) and Tar Heels (20-11, 13-6) meet on the hardwood for the 264th time. Tipoff at the Smith Center in Chapel Hill is set for 6:30 p.m.
Cooper Flagg — who earlier Saturday was named a John R. Wooden Award finalist, which recognizes the top player in the country — and Duke have all but wrapped-up a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils enter the game on a seven-game winning streak, with their last win a 93-60 rout of Wake Forest on Monday night. Flagg filled the stat sheet in that game with 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
But the Tar Heels have also been on a roll as of late, riding a late-season surge to attempt to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament. UNC has won six games in a row, including a 91-59 victory at Virginia Tech on Tuesday night. Ian Jackson and Seth Trimble both came off the bench and scored 19 points and 17 points, respectively, to lead the Tar Heels balanced offense.
Up next for both teams is the ACC Tournament next week in Charlotte. UNC will start its tournament on Wednesday, while Duke will have a double-bye and will play its first game in the quarterfinal round on Thursday.