North Carolina vs Duke: Loss Would Serve Blue Devils Well Heading to Postseason

When North Carolina and Duke square off today, the best result for both team's national championship hopes would be a Tar Heels win.  

For UNC, it's obvious. Getting swept by their rivals would be an awful thing to have on their minds as the ACC and NCAA tournaments approach. For Duke, it's a little less obvious, but no less true. Their national championship hopes would only be aided by losing at Cameron tonight. 

The Blue Devils have lived a charmed existence this year. Yes, they have a few losses to their name, but they also have some inexplicable comebacks. The most notable of those came here, in their first game against North Carolina. 

While a team needs to be confident to win in the tournament, they can't be cocky. Staying on edge is important, and to do that, a team needs to know that they can be defeated. With that, they'll keep their guard up and treat all opponents like they're the best teams in the history of the game. 

Taking a loss at this time of the year is not always the worst thing, as it serves as something of a reset for the team. For Duke, this is important, and a loss wouldn't really be painful. 

Duke could lose this game and still be in position for a No. 1 seed in the tournament. The ACC tournament will also have something to say about that, but Duke's history there only makes me think that they will erase any doubts that exist about where they should be seeded. 

The fact is that the worst-case scenario for the Blue Devils is a No. 2 seed. Joe Lunardi's most recent Bracketology projections all but confirm that. 

Right now, Lunardi has Duke as a No. 1 seed in the West and UNC as a No. 2 seed in the East. For the sake of argument, let's say that the Tar Heels win tonight and, as a result, the two teams switch spots. That will not change their opening weekend plans at all.

By those projections, both teams would play their opening games in Greensboro anyway. Duke would actually have to travel significantly less for the second weekend if they're the East's No. 2, as those games are held in Boston. Conversely, if they hold the West's No. 1 seed, the Blue Devils will have to travel across the country to play in Phoenix. 

The lower seed is hardly a disadvantage, wouldn't you say?

From the mental aspect of things, Duke could definitely use a reality check with a loss. If they lose tonight and go on to win it all, you could say that this game served as a nice slap in the face. 

From a practical perspective, a loss could easily serve as a blessing, as the travel schedule would be significantly lessened. 

So, while I am sure the Cameron Crazies will be pulling hard for their Blue Devils tonight, they should walk away with a subtle grin on their faces if the Tar Heels pull out a win. 

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