Duke has upper hand in battle of the blues
Most pundits thought Carolina would win the rubber match with their rival Duke. Coach K and the Blue Devils proved them wrong with a 93-83 win in the ACC tournament semifinals.
We really shouldn't be surprised. Duke owns this rivalry and has owned it for the past 20 years. You've probably heard sportscasters say that these 2 teams have split the last 90 plus games and have the exact same record in ACC tournament play. However, if you look closer, the numbers tell a very different story.
UNC enjoyed success against Duke while Dean Smith was coaching. He was 26-14 vs coach K. Things changed after coach Smith retired in 1997. Since then, Duke is 31-16 vs UNC. The Heels did win 6 of 8 games (including 4 straight at Cameron indoor stadium) between 2006-2009. Other than those years, Duke has won 29 of 39 games. That's almost 3 out of every 4. Coach K is 9-3 vs UNC in ACC tournament games including 6 wins in a row.
The 2 rivals are close in national championships. Each school has won 5 titles. In the past 20 years, Duke has won 3 while Carolina has won 2. The Heels may very well even that total this year. They are capable of winning it all. Duke may also be a title contender if they play like they have in Brooklyn.
Under Roy Williams, the Tar Heels have been consistent winners and have dominated most ACC teams. But Duke is the exception. In the battle of the blues, the dark blue definitely has bragging rights and that will probably continue until coach K retires.
