Duke vs. UNC: 5 Keys to the Battle of the Blues, Part 2
The Duke vs. Carolina is one of the most fierce rivalries in all of sports.
It is right up there with Yankees vs. Red Sox, Vikings vs. Packers or Celtics vs Lakers.
When the ACC set up this year's schedule and placed this game as the final regular season contest, they were hoping that it would be for all of the marbles.
Dreams do come true.
For the fifth consecutive season, when the No. 4 Blue Devils (27-3, 13-2 ACC) square off today with the No. 13 Tar Heels (23-6, 13-2 ACC), it is with the league crown at stake.
UNC leads the all-time series, 130-100.
Duke won the matchup earlier this season, 79-73.
This, no surprise, shapes up to be one of the best college games of the season.
Here are five keys to today's Battle of the Blues, Part II:
1. What Can the Tar Heels Do to Slow Down Nolan Smith?
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In the matchup on Feb. 9, Smith was outstanding.
He had a career-high 34 points, helping the Blue Devils erase a 16-point Tar Heel lead.
Smith is the ACC scoring (21.3 PPG) leader. He is also No. 2 in the conference in assists (5.2 APG).
Kendall Marshall, UNC's 6'3" freshman point guard, will have the assignment of slowing down one of the best open-court players in the college game.
If Smith gets rolling again, it could be a long night for UNC.
2. How Can the Blue Devils Keep Henson and Zeller from Dominating the Boards?
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North Carolina is the top rebounding team in the country.
John Henson (9.6 RPG) and Tyler Zeller (7.2 RPG) lead the way as the Tar Heels pull down more than 42 boards per game.
Mason Plumlee (8.7 RPG) and Kyle Singler (6.7 RPG) are no slouches on the glass either, but they will have to work hard to neutralize the UNC inside game.
3. Which Harrison Barnes Will Show Up Tonight?
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North Carolina has greatly benefited from the later-season emergence of highly-touted freshman, Harrison Barnes.
Before this college basketball season got cranked up, Barnes was selected as the first freshman preseason All-American since 1986-87.
Much of the first-half of the year, many were calling Barnes "overrated" and "average."
Earlier this week, Barnes hit a three-pointer from the top of the key with three seconds to play to gave the Tar Heels a 72-70 victory over Florida State.
Wednesday's game-winning three was the third in ACC play for Barnes.
So, which Harrison Barnes will show up tonight: the tentative and timid early season 18-year-old or the confident shooting forward that has averaged 17.9 points in his last 10 contests?
The answer to this question very well might determine the final outcome of the game.
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4. Can Kyle Singler Finish off His Career with a Battle of the Blues Win?
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Singler continues to move up the all-time scoring list for Duke men's basketball.
He is currently fifth on that elite list.
But the senior forward isn't just about numbers.
Recently he said, “Stats and all that are great, but when you boil it all down, no one can take away your wins, your championships that you’ve won. Those really stick to a player and to a person. For me, winning is more important than my stats. That’s something that I’ve always focused on.”
Singler has played a significant role in all seven previous Battle of the Blues in his four years in Durham.
He has averaged 17 points per game in this series, and to him, more importantly, Duke has won four of these seven games.
5. Can Roy Williams Even-Up His UNC Record Against the Blue Devils?
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Roy Williams is one of the top coaches in college basketball.
He has a lifetime record of 637 wins and 161 losses.
But against the Blue Devils, as head coach at UNC, Williams is 7-8.
Even though records don't literally mean anything during the course of a game, how a coach has done previously against a certain opponent can have a small, mental influence.
Ironically, Mike Krzyzewski is 35-35 vs. North Carolina.
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