UNC Basketball: Keys to Much-Needed Tar Heel Victory over Rival Duke

In what is sure to be one of the biggest regular-season matchups of the year, the No. 6 North Carolina Tar Heels and No. 3 Duke Blue Devils will do battle for the ACC crown on Saturday night. Both teams' records are identical at 13-2 in conference and 26-4 overall, making this a massive showdown.

While the true conference champion will be determined in the ACC tournament, both teams would love to nab the regular-season title, as well as the No. 1 seed in that tournament. The Tar Heels blew a huge lead in their first meeting and lost by a single point, so a win would be great for their psyche, as the loss to Duke is a black mark on their season.

Here are three things North Carolina must do on Saturday to exorcise its demons and get revenge on the hated Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium. 

Dominate the Paint

When these teams met earlier in the season, it was obvious that Duke could not hang with North Carolina's bigs. Tyler Zeller and Harrison Barnes were able to do pretty much anything they wanted when they got to the rim, and John Henson was a big contributor as well. It's well-known that the Plumlee brothers have issues with some of the nation's elite bigs inside, so the game plan on Saturday has to include continually hammering the ball into the paint.

The Tar Heels did that quite efficiently last time these teams met, and that is why they were able to build a 10-point lead with about three minutes remaining in the game. Things went awry late, but a lot of that was due to defensive shortcomings. Head coach Roy Williams needs to realize that if North Carolina runs the same offense in this game and runs it with an equal amount of success, then it will likely come away with a win this time around. 

Press Duke's Guards

There are quite a few teams in the nation that rely heavily on guard play, and Duke is the perfect example. While Ryan Kelly and the Plumlees contribute a bit on the offensive end, pretty much everything runs through guards Austin Rivers and Seth Curry. Rivers, in particular, was the main reason for the Blue Devils' furious comeback, as he poured in 29 points and killed the Tar Heels from three-point land.

Because of North Carolina's run-and-gun offense, it is often difficult for it to get back on defense. But a concerted effort must be made to do so on Saturday. Rivers and Curry were given free reign last game, and it ultimately cost the Tar Heels a win. North Carolina needs to try and force Rivers and Curry to get the ball to their bigs. While North Carolina won't be able to lock the paint down completely, getting the ball out of the guards' hands will serve them well. 

Force Duke Inside the Arc

One of the biggest deciding factors when Duke beat North Carolina about a month ago was three-point shooting. The Blue Devils attempted an incredible 36 threes, making 14, while the Tar Heels only converted on one of six. There needs to be less of a disparity in that statistic this time around. But that isn't to say that North Carolina needs to chuck up more threes. In fact, the offensive game plan worked just fine for the Tar Heels last game.

What North Carolina does need to do, however, is force the Blue Devils inside the arc. While Duke's three-point percentage wasn't out of this world in the previous game, it was certainly good enough to cut into the Tar Heels' lead, and it ultimately led to the Blue Devils winning the game. While the Duke offense may actually be a bit more efficient if it operates closer to the basket, it also won't be as explosive, and that benefits North Carolina.