At 9:00 p.m. ESPN's rivalry week will hit fever pitch when the most storied back-and-forth in college hoops history resumes at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where the Tar Heels (16-7, 6-4 ACC), winners of five straight, look to add another elite team to their hit list. They'll be facing the No. 8 Duke Blue Devils (19-5, 8-3 ACC) in a matchup that can be live streamed here free. UNC fans can listen to the game on News Talk 1110 WBT, while Cameron Crazies can find the game on 620 The Buzz AM.
UNC has already beaten the likes of Kentucky and Michigan State this season, so despite their struggles at some points they believe they have what it takes to topple another highly-ranked foe.
While Duke has won its last two games, they are just 3-3 on the road this season. Head coach Mike Krzyzewski said that he feels they are clicking as well as they have at any point this year, but are also more vulnerable to upsets than previous seasons.
"I think our team is the best it's been right now," coach Mike Krzyzewski said Monday. "And I think we're very good. But ... we can lose really easier than last year's team."
UNC is an explosive team however that can challenge Duke's sometimes-shaky defense. The key will be point guard Marcus Paige, who leads the Tar Heels with 17 points per game. He will need to bring his intensity for the full 40 minutes; many times he has been a second-half player.
"I have been a little bit more aggressive (after halftime)," Paige said. "But it's not like I'm not trying to produce or be aggressive in the first half. ... When you look at the numbers, it is kind of crazy."
If Duke can control him, and keep James Michael McAdoo off the glass, they could run away with this one. "We realize that playing defense and locking in on the defensive end is the way we're going to win," senior captain Tyler Thornton said. "Early in the season, we relied a lot on our offense and trying to outscore people, but we weren't playing defense and using our athleticism and our speed and our quickness to our best abilities."
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