North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Duke Blue Devils Pick & Prediction FEBRUARY 1st 2025

Preview and Prediction

Cooper Flagg, a player for Duke University, will experience his first encounter with the intense rivalry between two of North Carolina's top basketball teams this Saturday evening. The No. 2 Blue Devils will host the University of North Carolina at Durham, N.C.

In their past two games, Duke (18-2, 10-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) has managed to secure victories against in-state rivals Wake Forest and North Carolina State with margins of seven and ten points, respectively. This upcoming game against the Tar Heels (13-9, 6-4), who swept last year's series, will be the final match-up against an in-state opponent for the Blue Devils.

Both teams have remained composed in the days leading up to the game. After defeating North Carolina State 74-64 on Monday, Duke players and coach Jon Scheyer refrained from commenting on their next opponent. North Carolina coach Hubert Davis, an alumnus of the school, also maintained a calm demeanor.

Davis stated, "We will prepare, practice, and play with the same level of competitive enthusiasm that we displayed against Pitt on Tuesday. Every game is like the Super Bowl. Whether it is a preseason game or any time we step out on the court, we must be ready to perform."

Davis made this statement after the Tar Heels suffered a 73-65 loss on the road against Pitt. They committed 14 turnovers and were outscored 16-6 in free throws, which negated their 10-point advantage in rebounds.

North Carolina needs to secure more quality wins to strengthen their case for the NCAA Tournament. A convincing victory against Duke would count as their second Quadrant 1 win.

Meanwhile, Duke has a strong argument for being the best team in the nation. On December 4th, the Blue Devils defeated the only team ranked above them in the AP Top 25 poll, Auburn, by six points at home.

Duke is currently on a 14-game winning streak, the longest active streak in the nation. One of the key players contributing to their success is Cooper Flagg, a talented freshman and potential No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft. Flagg has been averaging 19.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. In his last five games, he has averaged an impressive 27.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 5.2 assists.

However, Flagg is not without flaws. After the game against North Carolina State, he revealed that Coach Scheyer had criticized him for being "too soft" in the first half. Flagg acknowledged that his lack of aggression had contributed to their struggles in the first half and that he needed to be more assertive with the ball.

In the second half of the game against North Carolina State, Flagg scored 23 of his 28 points and made 10 out of 11 free throws. His teammate Kon Knueppel also had a strong performance with 19 points, and Sion James contributed 13 points. Duke's defense also played a crucial role in their victory, holding North Carolina State to only 27 points in the second half.

According to Division I rankings, Duke currently ranks fifth in scoring defense (59.6 points per game), fifth in field-goal percentage defense (37.2), and first in 2-point percentage allowed (41.0). This could pose a challenge for North Carolina, a team that primarily relies on scoring inside the arc. Although guards RJ Davis (17.6 ppg), Ian Jackson (14.7), Seth Trimble (12.3), and Elliot Cadeau (10.7) all average double-digit points, only Jackson (38.1 percent) has a shooting percentage above 30.3 from the three-point line.

In the previous season, North Carolina won both games against Duke with scores of 93-84 and 84-79, respectively. However, Duke had swept the series the year before, resulting in a 2-2 record between Coach Scheyer and Hubert Davis. Overall, North Carolina leads the all-time series with 145 wins compared to Duke's 117.

PREDICTION

North Carolina Tar Heels

68

81

Duke Blue Devils

North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Duke Blue Devils Recap FEB 6TH 2021