Here’s a look at Saturday’s big matchup between No. 4 Duke and No. 14 North Carolina at the Smith Center.
Wilson grounded but excited for first UNC-Duke game, ready to be ‘villain’
CHAPEL HILL — Caleb Wilson has been waiting for this week for a long time, even if he didn’t always say it out loud. The first UNC–Duke game on your schedule isn’t just another matchup. It’s a moment you grow up hearing about, watching on TV, imagining yourself inside. And for Wilson, it was part of the dream before he wore Carolina blue.
UNC’s defense carries through slugfest for sixth straight win
CHAPEL HILL — Courtney Banghart has never dealt with a loss to Clemson, but the latest victory over the Tigers was anything but easy. No. 25 North Carolina leaned on another sterling defensive performance to overcome intermittent offensive sloppiness. The Tar Heels rode a third-quarter scoring surge and held on for a less-than-artistic 53–44 victory Thursday at Carmichael Arena to extend their win streak to six.
Scheyer says that UNC’s size, length present challenges
DURHAM — Jon Scheyer knows that it doesn’t matter that Duke is ranked No. 4 and is rolling on a 10-game win streak. The third-year Duke coach has been around the rivalry for enough years to know that the Blue Devils’ 21–1 record will be irrelevant when his team arrives at the Smith Center for Saturday night’s 6:30 game (ESPN) against No. 14 North Carolina (18–4, 5–3 ACC).
With ‘circus’ coming, Davis tries to keep UNC focused ahead of clash with Duke
CHAPEL HILL — Hubert Davis has spent the week trying to keep North Carolina’s preparation like any other game ahead of Saturday’s showdown with No. 4 Duke, even when everyone around the program knows “the circus” is coming. Davis, who has lived the rivalry from nearly every angle imaginable, acknowledged the unique spotlight that comes with the matchup and the challenges it creates.
UNC’s defensive adjustments have slowed perimeter production
North Carolina’s recent defensive growth hasn’t been about reinventing the Tar Heels’ approach but making adjustments. After some recurring struggles for much of the season, especially with giving up too many open shots from outside the arc, No. 14 UNC has made clear strides in how it defends ball screens.
Bulls deal Coby White to Hornets
Coby White is coming home to North Carolina. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Wednesday afternoon that the Chicago Bulls have traded White and Mike Conley Jr. to the Charlotte Hornets for Collin Sexton, Ousmane Dieng and three second-round draft picks.
UNC baseball portal winners again after losing stars, likely national contender again
CHAPEL HILL — After coming a win away from back-to-back trips to Omaha, North Carolina coach Scott Forbes has once again rebuilt a roster that looks capable of competing on the national stage, even after losing seven starters and the national pitcher of the year.
Davis says late collapse after building big lead ‘unacceptable’
CHAPEL HILL — It all seemed to be coming together for North Carolina before it nearly fell apart. With a 32-point lead, the No. 14 Tar Heels slipped into cruise control with 10 minutes left, lost focus and put the brakes on most of what they had done to build the lead.
Primed for the big moments, Heels win at State for first time under Banghart
RALEIGH — North Carolina had enough answers at convenient times and that gave the Tar Heels a memorable outcome Monday night.
Tar Heels rise again in AP Top 25 men’s poll
Carolina jumped two spots to No. 14 in the AP Top 25 men’s poll after rolling to a 91–75 victory at Georgia Tech on Saturday in its only game last week.
Tar Heels in pros; Love on a roll with Blazers; White subject of trade rumors ahead of Thursday deadline
Caleb Love keeps stacking good games in his rookie season in Portland, including one of his most efficient nights of the season on Sunday.
Transfer tracker: Cadeau huge in road win over Michigan State; solid games for Jackson, Lubin
Elliot Cadeau capped the biggest week of No. 3 Michigan’s amazing season with one of the best performances of his career. Meanwhile, Ian Jackson had a solid game, Ven-Allen Lubin remained consistent, and Teonni Key returned from injury.
Syracuse at No. 14 UNC: TV info, stats, scouting Orange, keys to game, comparisons and notes
Here’s a look at Monday night’s home game for Carolina against Syracuse.
Heels move up in NET rankings after blowout win, but one loss becomes Quad 2
Carolina’s NET ranking edged up to 25 after the No. 16 Tar Heels’ 91–75 victory at Georgia Tech on Saturday. UNC (17–4, 5–3 ACC) was at 23 after the big win at Virginia but had fallen to 26 during their week off. They now will have a quick turnaround before trying to avoid a damaging Quad 3 loss when they host Syracuse (13–9, 4–5; NET ranking of 73) at 7 p.m. Monday (ESPN).
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