Duke vs UNC: Reasons to Watch Classic Hoops Rivalry

For the first time this season, Duke and North Carolina are set to go head-to-head on Wednesday night. If you're not already, get excited.

Now.

Okay, maybe you don't know how to get excited for this matchup. Or maybe you're not sure why you should get excited. You could watch the Blue Devils take on the Tar Heels tonight, but why should you?

If I wanted to get really in-depth, I could list a million reasons why you should watch Wednesday night's ACC showdown. But I don't need to list that many reasons. Five will do.

And here they are.

5. Atmosphere

There's just something different about college basketball. The arenas are smaller, there are fewer fans in the stands, but there are times when you feel like you're watching a game that is taking place in front of a 100,000 or so people. College basketball fans bring the noise.

If you take the usual amount of noise in a college basketball arena and multiply it by 1,000, you'll have a pretty good idea of what Duke versus North Carolina games are like.

Wednesday's game is going to be played at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, and you can rest assured that the place is going to be buzzing before, during and after the game. You'll be able to feel the energy coming out of your TV screen.

A couple weeks down the road, we're going to get the same thing when the game shifts to Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 3rd. Make sure you tune in for that one too.

4. Legendary Coaches

It's very rare that I recommend watching a sporting event because of the coaches who are going to be on the sidelines, but an exception has to be made in the case of Duke vs. North Carolina.

We all know who's in charge of the Blue Devils. Mike Krzyzewski has been the head coach at Duke since 1980, and in his time, he has racked up a grand total of 846 wins. All told, he has 919 victories in his career. If he's not already the best college basketball coach of all time, he soon will be.

Roy Williams doesn't have nearly as many career wins as Coach K, but he's no lightweight. His career winning percentage between Kansas and North Carolina is pushing .800. Before he finally earned a head coaching job, he served under Dean Smith and famously helped bring Michael Jordan to Chapel Hill.

Neither of these guys are going to be around forever, so any time you get to see either of them playing a chess match against one another is an opportunity that should not be wasted.

3. Stars Galore

Okay, let's talk about the guys out on the court. Between these two teams, there are a lot of stars to talk about.

Duke has arguably the best freshman in the country in Austin Rivers, who happens to be the son of Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers. He's been inconsistent in his freshman campaign, but he can do things on a basketball court that few other players can do.

In addition to Rivers, it's always fun to watch the Plumlee brothers, Miles and Mason, in action. Seth Curry, younger brother of Stephen, can be fun to watch if he gets on a shooting roll.

Duke doesn't have quite as many stars as North Carolina, though. One through five, the Tar Heels may have the best lineup in the country. Harrison Barnes, John Henson and Tyler Zeller make for an excellent frontcourt, Kendall Marshall is an elite distributor and the Tar Heels have gotten some good production out of Reggie Bullock and P.J. Hairston after losing Dexter Strickland to an injury.

So, if you're looking for stars, this game's got 'em.

2. This is as Good as Regular Season College B-Ball Gets

Diehard college basketball junkies can watch whatever regular season game is on TV without complaining.

Most of us can't do that. College basketball's regular season is very long, and it's relatively light on drama. Thrilling games are not as common as they should be. And in the end, they don't mean much anyway. College basketball is all about what happens after the regular season, and there is no shortage of tournaments once the page is turned.

But in case you're not getting the drift, Duke versus North Carolina is different. These games are always competitive, and they have a tendency to be a prelude to things to come. There is plenty of incentive to watch, which makes it decidedly different from most other regular season games.

1. It's the Best Rivalry in College Sports

It's close, but Duke vs. North Carolina is the best rivalry in college sports. Hands down.

Some will even make the argument that Duke-North Carolina is the best rivalry in all of sports. I won't go that far, but we are talking about a rivalry that is very rarely one-sided. The Blue Devils and Tar Heels always have great teams. Because of that, the games are always great.

It's been this way for a long time now. This is college basketball at its finest. The fact that this is a regional rivalry almost feels like a bonus.

If you want one reason to watch tonight's matchup and every other matchup, this is it.