A win against their Tobacco Road foe would give them short-term local bragging rights. More importantly, they would write another remarkable chapter in their unusual season.
Early on, UNC posted thrilling victories over Louisville, Michigan State and Kentucky. However, the unpredictable Heels also lost infuriating games to UAB, Miami and Wake Forest.
Recently, head coach Roy Williams' squad has won six of their last seven games. They have moved, in a matter of weeks, from dead last in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings to their current fifth place spot, one game behind Coach K's crew in the loss column.
Three months into the season, the Blue Devils are No. 8 in the AP Top 25 and the Tar Heels are currently unranked.
What does Carolina have to do to get a W this week? What are the keys for them to pull off an upset against their archrivals?
Stay in Attack Mode
This Carolina team is at its best when they are attacking the basket and intentional about pounding the ball inside.
The Heels play more confidently when they take it to the hole, draw fouls and go to the line.
In their big win against Kentucky back in mid-December, Carolina shot an amazing 45 free throws (80.3 free throw rate).
Even though UNC struggles at the line (62.3 percent as a team; No. 343 in the nation), they are far better off when they get there often.
The opposite is also true.
When the Heels lost to UAB and Wake Forest, they only shot 11 free throws in each of those games. When they were throttled by Syracuse at the Carrier Dome, UNC only attempted nine freebies.
Marcus Paige needs to be relentless in getting into the lane. He is both a great facilitator and he can knock down free throws (90.5 percent; No. 15 in the nation) with the best of them.
Against Duke, Carolina should take advantage of their length and size inside. This would be a good game to get James Michael McAdoo, Kennedy Meeks and Brice Johnson a ton of touches.
A big showing by this trio will make it a long night for the Blue Devils at the Smith Center.
Smother the Arc
Duke is one of the most deadly teams (42 percent; No. 2 in the nation) in college hoops at scoring from beyond the arc. They are not only accurate, they also make a lot of shots (9.7 three-point shots per game; No. 5) from downtown.
They don't just have one sniper: They have four players in their main rotation that each shoot at least 45 percent from deep.
Because they have so many long-distance shooters, it is absolutely essential for Carolina to be super-active on getting out and challenging every shot.
When Duke lost to Arizona, the Blue Devils only connected on 4-of-14 (28.6 percent) threes. When they went down at Clemson, they only made 8-of-25 shots (32 shots) from beyond the arc.
If UNC can effectively contain Duke's three-point scoring, they will take away one of Coach K's most potent weapons.
Control the Glass
North Carolina is a very good rebounding team. Duke is an average rebounding team.
The Tar Heels are Better on the Glass
ORebs/Game (Rank) DRebs/Game (Rank) OReb% DReb%
UNC 12.8 ORPG (No. 8) 25.4 DRPG (No. 17) 36.7% (No. 18) 71.4% (No. 141)
Duke 10 ORPG (No. 119) 22.1 DRPG (No. 177) (No. 105) 71.3% (No. 142)
TeamRankings.com
On paper, the Tar Heels should be able to out-muscle the Blue Devils on both ends.
They not only have more size on the court, with McAdoo and Meeks, to start the game, they can also bring one big man after another off their bench. Johnson, Desmond Hubert and Joel James are all more than capable of dominating the boards for short spurts.
If Carolina can consistently limit Duke to one shot (or less) per possession, they will be able to slow down one of the most potent offensive teams in college basketball.
Looking Ahead
This rivalry game is must-see action every time these legendary programs play. This week's game means a lot to both teams, but it would be huge for UNC if they pull off the upset.
Carolina has proven that they can compete with the elite teams in the nation. If the Heels take care of business at the line, on the boards and beyond the arc, they will win the biggest game of their season.
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