Samantha Axon, Sports editor
@SAxonCourant
On February 9, the University of North Carolina Tar Heels will travel to Durham, North Carolina to face their historic rivals, the Duke Blue Devils. The Tar Heels are currently ranked eighth in the coaches’ poll, while the Blue Devils hold onto a top-25 spot, ranked 18.
The Blue Devils started off the season well with a 12-1 record, including notable wins against Michigan State, Rhode Island, and Florida. In their thirteenth game against the Elon Phoenix, star player Grayson Allen
tripped Steven Santa Ana, prompting his suspension and loss of captaincy. In their next game, the Blue Devils fell to Virginia Tech, and have lost to 3 other teams since, putting their record at 18-5, and sixth in the ACC with an 6-4 record in conference play. Allen has since returned, but the team still has not regained their momentum that they once held.
Duke’s clear strength is from Grayson Allen, who was considered a top candidate for the Wooden Award at the beginning of the
season. But between a suspension, two more tripping incidents, and the shoving of Florida State’s assistant coach, Allen has not been able stand out as a top player anymore. Allen has also been met with boos and jeers each game whenever he holds the ball. Allen’s actions have prompted other players such as forward Amile Jefferson to step up and lead the team. Jefferson leads the team in field goal percentage (60.2%) and also holds the highest average of rebounds and blocks, 9.2 and 1.6, respectively.
On the other hand, the Tar Heels are coming into the highly-anticipated game with a 21-4 record. The team is also leading the ACC with a 9-2 record in the conference. UNC has won key games against teams such as Wisconsin, Florida State, and Notre Dame this season. Within their last ten games, they have only lost one, which was to ACC rival University of Miami (who Duke has lost to as well).
UNC forward Kennedy Meeks has been leading the team defensively, an aspect of the game in which the Heels have been struggling. The senior averages 9.4 rebounds and .9 steals per game. Meeks is currently ranked the twentieth-best senior in the NCAA, as well as a top recruit for the NBA next season. Forward Justin Jackson as also greatly contributed to the team’s success.
After withdrawing from the NBA draft last year as a sophomore, Jackson leads the Tar Heels offensively and averages 18.6 points per game. His season high was 34 points in a home game against Kentucky earlier this season, and generally performs better against more highly ranked opponents.
While the game will be a nail-biter, the Tar Heels will ultimately add another game in the win column. Duke has lost its stability since the one-game suspension of Grayson Allen and the absence of Coach Mike Krzyzewski due to his back surgery. The entire season, the Blue Devils have only beaten two top 25-teams: Rhode Island (who are no longer in the top 25) and Notre Dame (who the Tar Heels have beaten as well). Also Duke’s record as of late has not been strong, and momentum from wins is imperative when playing a top-25 team, and even more so a direct rival. The Tar Heels have won nine out of their last ten games, while Duke has only come away with a victory in six of their last ten match-ups, with a considerably easier schedule than UNC’s.
