DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) — This weekend, one of the biggest rivalries in college basketball resumes.
No. 2 Duke, fresh off a tense win against NC State, will host another Tobacco Road rival on Saturday when North Carolina makes the short trip to Durham.
Tip-off: 6:30 p.m.
Where to watch: ESPN
In some ways, this matchup doesn’t quite have the luster of many years. But as is often the case in this most heated of rivalries, you can sometimes throw the records out the window.
Bottom Line
No. 2 Duke hosts North Carolina after Cooper Flagg scored 28 points in Duke’s 74-64 win over the NC State Wolfpack.
The Blue Devils are 12-0 on their home court. Duke averages 80.0 points while outscoring opponents by 20.4 points per game.
The Tar Heels are 6-4 in conference games. North Carolina scores 81.7 points while outscoring opponents by 5.5 points per game.
Duke averages 80.0 points per game, 3.8 more points than the 76.2 North Carolina allows. North Carolina averages 7.3 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.5 more makes than Duke gives up.
There were 130 tents housing more than 1,500 students set up at Duke as Cameron Crazies ramp it up for Saturday’s game against the Tar Heels.
The Blue Devils and Tar Heels meet Saturday for the first time in ACC play this season.
Top Performers
Flagg is averaging 19.9 points, eight rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.5 steals for the Blue Devils. Kon Knueppel is averaging 14 points over the past 10 games.
RJ Davis is shooting 39.7% and averaging 17.6 points for the Tar Heels. Ian Jackson is averaging 2.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
Last 10 Games
Blue Devils: 10-0, averaging 80.3 points, 36.2 rebounds, 17.3 assists, 4.7 steals and 3.7 blocks per game while shooting 48.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 59.2 points per game.
Tar Heels: 6-4, averaging 76.9 points, 33.0 rebounds, 15.1 assists, 4.9 steals and 3.9 blocks per game while shooting 47.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 72.6 points.
Previous Matchup
The last time these teams met was in March last year in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Tar Heels secured the win 84-79 helping the program finish atop the ACC regular-season standings.
Cormac Ryan led North Carolina with 31 points, a career-high. He also closed out the game with two clinching free throws with 4.7 seconds left.
“We knew what it meant. We knew what was at stake,” Ryan said. “And to walk out of this building is always nice.”
Kyle Filipowski scored 23 points to lead the Blue Devils.
“We didn’t play our best basketball overall,” Filipowski said. “We’re still one of the best teams in the country. Our season’s not defined by UNC.”
Krzyzewskiville
ABC11 stopped by Krzyzewskiville on Tuesday night, where hundreds of students were out camping ahead of the big game. In total, there are roughly 130 tents in K-Ville this year, housing about 1,500 students.
“One hundred percent worth it. I would do it again and again. If I could do this for the rest of my life, I’d be here every year doing this,” said Erika Pietrzak, a Duke senior camping for the fourth time.
The decked-out tents have become a fixture on Duke’s campus this time of year since the tradition started in the 1980s.
“It’s been a great experience. I get to hang out with my buddies in the tent. You know, sometimes it gets cold, but it’s a really fun time,” said Kiran Pathy, a sophomore camping for the first time.
While some students brave the elements for their tickets, others like Head Line Monitor Oliver Hess oversee the craziness in Krzyzewskiville.
“It’s a whole meritocracy-based system. We want the craziest of the Cameron crazies to be in the front row, to be the loudest, to show their enthusiasm the most,” Hess said.
That includes surprise checks at all hours of the night – and during the day – to make sure each tent has residents present.
ABC11’s Sean Coffey, Kate Rogerson, Tom George, and ESPN contributed to this report.
