CHAPEL HILL — As thousands of fans and students waited outside the Dean E. Smith Center Saturday afternoon, there was a sense that this rivalry, the Duke vs. Duke game, was happening. . north carolina — was only slightly more important than other players in college basketball.
The rivalry is 261st time On Saturday, Duke and Carolina will meet for the 49th time as top-10 opponents.
Armando Bacot (age 5) and RJ Davis of the North Carolina Tar Heels during a game against the Charleston Southern Buccaneers at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina on December 29, 2023. (4 years old), Harrison Ingram (55 years old) (Ryan Hunt/Getty Images)
For Armando Bacot and RJ Davis, two University of North Carolina seniors, the rivalry is familiar.
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Both players were part of the 2021-22 North Carolina team that took over from Duke’s legendary coach. Mike Krzyzewski He lost his last match before retiring. Duke’s loss in the Final Four in New Orleans came a month after the Tar Heels defeated Duke in Krzyzewski’s final home game at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Bacot and Davis appeared on ESPN’s “College GameDay” on Saturday and revealed which of the two wins they cherish most.
“For me, this has to be Coach K’s last game at Duke,” Davis said when asked which of the two wins was the most satisfying. “We went into that game not expecting anyone to win, but we came out on top so we went into that game with a lot of confidence.”
North Carolina guard RJ Davis, 4, shoots a free throw during a game against the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets at Hank McAmish Pavilion in Atlanta on January 30, 2024. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire, Getty Images)
Bacot, who called the matchup “the greatest rivalry in all of sports,” agreed with Davis ahead of the team’s final home game on the road. blue devils.
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“For me, it’s definitely a Duke University thing,” Bacot said. “To see guys like Jay Williams and JJ Redick come back and see them wearing the ‘K’ shirts. And just to see the look on their faces after the game… it’s awesome. It’s one of those feelings. They knew it was going to happen.” Spend the day relaxing in Durham. So that’s it. ”
The rekindled rivalry will have a big impact on the ACC race, as North Carolina looks to avoid a second straight loss and Duke looks to even the losing Tar Heels.
“I think this is the last time I’m going to play here at Duke,” Bacot said. “So you have to make sure you get the W.”
Armando Bacot of the North Carolina Tar Heels during a game against the Charleston Southern Buccaneers at the Dean E. Smith Center on December 29, 2023 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Ryan Hunt/Getty Images)
To end a two-game losing streak at home to Duke, the Tar Heels need to lock down the Blue Devils’ sophomore. Kyle Filipowskiseventh in the ACC with 17.5 points per game.
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“He can handle the basketball, so just his ability to be a No. 5 on offense is very difficult,” University of North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis said Thursday of Filipovski. “He’s pretty much…he’s a point guard. His ability to pass and rebound.” [and] Advance the ball to the floor and make plays. For anyone his size, he’s aggressive. He can draw fouls. He can shoot from three. He can post. He can put the ball on the floor.
“So it’s hard to get the ball out of his hands. [It’s] It’s hard to double him. Because he can catch the ball and attack in different areas. ”
Duke and North Carolina will play in a close game Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET.
