*** The Official Duke @ UNC Thread ***

ligastar · #1 02-06-2006, 01:57 PM

This is lining up to be a good one. College sports best rivalry resumes again Tuesday night at 9pm as #2 Duke travels 8 miles to take on arch rival UNC.

Roy Williams and his squad come into the game riding a 3 game win streak (Arizona, Maryland, Clemson) and an impressive 14-5 record after losing 4 players to the top 14 picks in the draft and, overall, their top 7 scorers from last year's national champion team (UNC's 5th NCAA title). The Heels sit solo 4th in the ACC standings.

Coach K only has one loss on the docket this season and has two potential All-Americans on his roster. Duke remains undefeated in conference player after a controversial OT victory at home over the weekend against FSU.

The game, surprisingly enough, pits two freshmen PGs against each other as ACC leading assist man Bobby Frasor and H.S. two sport star Greg Paulus match up. However, Frasor will more than likely be guarding Dockery while Wes Miller should check Paulus.

Other potential match-ups include current All-American Sheldon "The Landlord" Williams taking on future All-American Tyler Hansbrough - the runaway winner of ACC freshman of the year and likely 1st team All-ACC member. Reyshawn Terry will probably guard freshmen Josh McRoberts who has had mixed results this season.

The key match-up will be David Noel against J.J. Redick. Last year Noel and Jackie Manuel did an excellent job in the two games of containing Redick. He shot 36% from the field and 42% from 3-PT range in those two games for a grand total of 35 points. Look for Marcus Ginyard, part of UNC's excellent freshmen class, to spell Noel and guard Redick as well.

Last year in the Dean Dome it was #2 UNC facing #6 Duke in what turned into an Instant Classic. Duke held a 9 point lead with 3 minutes left and had a strangle hold on the game. Then Coach K and his squad brokedown, missed FTs, and choked away the game as UNC scored the game's final 11 points, punctuated by Marvin Williams 3-pt play with 17 seconds left, to win 75-73 and set off a celebration on Franklin St. that lasted into the wee hours of the morning.

The game is going to fierce, both teams will play with passion, and all the nation will be watching not only college sport's best rivalry but also one of the best sporting events year in and year out.

highlife · #2 02-06-2006, 02:26 PM

Please tell me they are bringing in some Big 12 refs or at least PAC 10. Yes Duke has the better team this year but the Heels have no shot if this game is close down the stretch.

MyTurn2Raise · #3 02-06-2006, 04:52 PM

I doubt you'll see UNC screwed at home...did you not watch how badly even the Dookies got screwed at UNC last year? That game was a joke

MyTurn2Raise · #4 02-06-2006, 04:55 PM

observation:

It wouldn't surprise me if Roy "Whiny ass" Williams has set-up the Dook bias in the media the last week to ensure his team doesn't get the short-hand of the officiating ala the 2001 NCAA tourney.

Aces McGee · #5 02-06-2006, 05:03 PM

Dude, we get it. You think the refs favor ACC schools, Duke and North Carolina in particular.

Find something else to do for the rest of the afternoon, please. Let's try and keep at least one basketball thread about actual basketball.

-McGee

MyTurn2Raise · #6 02-06-2006, 05:06 PM

that is actual basketball...it's the *key* factor in over half of the games played

It was the biggest factor in last year's Duke @ UNC game, so to ignore it would be awful

BTW-I think refs favor traditional powers and home teams in particular

Aces McGee · #7 02-06-2006, 05:19 PM

[ QUOTE ]
that is actual basketball...it's the *key* factor in over half of the games played

It was the biggest factor in last year's Duke @ UNC game, so to ignore it would be awful

BTW-I think refs favor traditional powers and home teams in particular

[/ QUOTE ]

I was a touch harsh. I had just read like four of your posts in a row and they all had to do with the officials. Please accept my apologies.

I don't at all agree that officials are a "key" factor in more than 50% of games, if "key" means "deciding" or anything close to it.

Anyway, Duke will have its hands full on Tuesday. Redick has been pretty inefficient offensively since that ridiculous game where he got 40 points on 13 shots, and Williams has had several games where he's looked pedestrian on both ends of the court. Carolina is fortunate that their freshmen's first Duke game is at home; winning at Cameron would be a pretty tall task for this group.

-McGee

MyTurn2Raise · #8 02-06-2006, 05:31 PM

I think it's been 6 posts in a row on officials...I like to complain on Monday mornings [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

"key" factor in that more than half of my bets on the spread are based on which way I think the officiating will go [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] Ty to the Big10 escpecially for lining my pockets

I agree, though, that the 'basketball' question is can the young Carolina defenders hold Redick to 'reasonable' numbers? If he scores 40, Carolina's in trouble. Also, can Shelden Williams hold down Hansbrough without getting in foul trouble? Will UNC/ Frasor continue to get the ball into Hansbrough? Duke's post-d as been awful in numerous games this year. One must think that Leader K has been working on it, but, perhaps, they don't have the defensive talent inside the paint. Shelden gets some blocks, but the other teams are not shying away from attacking the hoop relentlessly. I expect a very hihg-scoring affair, but too much foul trouble for Williams. The foul trouble will make DUke a Redick only based team, and while he's damn good, it won't be enough. Carolina by 6: 84-78.

Clarkmeister · #9 02-07-2006, 12:40 AM

[ QUOTE ]
College sports best rivalry

[/ QUOTE ]

It's certainly up there, but I'll take Auburn-Bama. The great football rivalries are by their very nature greater than the great hoops rivalries.

ligastar · #10 02-07-2006, 01:04 AM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
College sports best rivalry

[/ QUOTE ]

It's certainly up there, but I'll take Auburn-Bama. The great football rivalries are by their very nature greater than the great hoops rivalries.

[/ QUOTE ]

Some cool facts about the UNC/dook rivalry (not refuting what you say, thought I'd share these):

THE SERIES VS. DUKE

Carolina leads the all-time series with Duke, 124-95.

Overall, Duke has won 15 of the last 18 games in the series.

Carolina and Duke have met 58 times when both teams were ranked in the Associated Press Top 25.

Carolina is 31-30 against Mike Krzyzewski-coached Duke teams.

This is the 120th consecutive meeting in which at least one school has been ranked in the AP Top 20 or AP Top 25. The last time Carolina and Duke met when neither team was ranked by the Associated Press was on Feb. 27, 1960. Frank McGuire and Vic Bubas coached the Tar Heels and Blue Devils, respectively, at the time.

This is the 140th meeting between the two schools since the ACC began play in 1953-54 and the 137th time at least one of those teams was ranked in the AP Top 20 or AP Top 25 (the only games in which both teams were not ranked were in 1955 and 1960).

Carolina and Duke have accounted for 30 of the ACC's 52 Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championships.

Carolina has won the ACC regular-season title 24 times, including in 2004-05. The Blue Devils are second with 17 regular-season crowns.

This Final Four stat is sick and says a lot about the rivalry. You will often find either UNC or dook in a Final Four.
Either Carolina or Duke have played in the NCAA Final Four in 19 of the last 25 seasons (Carolina in 1981, 1982, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2005).

Carolina has played in an NCAA-record 16 Final Fours. Duke has played in 14 Final Fours.

Sports Illustrated on Campus named the Carolina-Duke rivalry the No. 1 "Hottest Rivalry" in college basketball and the No. 2 rivalry overall in its Nov. 18, 2003 issue.