Duke Heads To Chapel Hill For Rematch With North Carolina
Earlier this season Duke lost to North Carolina by a score of 88-72 in Durham.
On Saturday Duke will travel eight miles down I-40 to Chapel Hill for the rematch in the regular season finale where they will look to avenge that loss but they may or may not have the services of Zion Williamson who in the first matchup was injured in the opening seconds and who is currently continuing to recover from a knee sprain. North Carolina meanwhile will look to sweep their tobacco road rival.
- Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski remains doubtful star Zion Williamson will be on the court Saturday vs. North Carolina, but he offered his most fervent assurance that the freshman and possible player of the year will return to action soon. “according to http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/26146854/coach-k-zion-ready-acc-tourney
Williamson missed his fourth straight game with a knee injury Tuesday night, and Duke struggled to get past Wake Forest in a 71-70 win that would've marked a likely send-off from Cameron Indoor Stadium for the star freshman. The good news, Krzyzewski said, is that Williamson was able to do some basketball work during practice, and his return is imminent. “according to http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/26146854/coach-k-zion-ready-acc-tourney
"He's getting more confidence, and we just have to get him in shape," Krzyzewski said. "I don't think he'll be ready for [UNC] ... but I would be surprised if he wasn't ready by the ACC tournament." “according to http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/26146854/coach-k-zion-ready-acc-tourney
Krzyzewski downplayed more specifics, but Tuesday was his most emphatic assurance that Williamson would, in fact, return to the Duke lineup. In the aftermath of the injury -- caused by a blown-out sneaker -- some wondered if Williamson should sit out the rest of the way to preserve his draft stock. That won't be the case, Krzyzewski said. “according to http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/26146854/coach-k-zion-ready-acc-tourney
"Not assume, we are [getting him back]," he said. “according to http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/26146854/coach-k-zion-ready-acc-tourney
Williamson was hurt seconds into Duke's first game against North Carolina, a blowout home loss, and the Blue Devils have struggled on both sides of the court at times without him. “according to http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/26146854/coach-k-zion-ready-acc-tourney
Those problems were on full display Tuesday, as Cam Reddish was in early foul trouble, and RJ Barrett essentially served as Duke's only true scoring threat. At one point, Wake led by as many as 10, and it was only a pair of misses near the basket at the end that allowed Duke to escape with the win. “according to http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/26146854/coach-k-zion-ready-acc-tourney
"We're not as good as we are with him -- that's the first thing," Krzyzewski said. "You can't put together a well-oiled machine here in a couple practices to play in this conference at a level when you lose a kid like that. There is no kid like that. But our guys have fought." “according to http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/26146854/coach-k-zion-ready-acc-tourney
That was the resonant message from others Tuesday, too. Yes, this team looks much different without Williamson, but the Blue Devils are looking at this stretch without him as a proving ground. “according to http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/26146854/coach-k-zion-ready-acc-tourney
"I thought we needed it," Reddish said. "We needed to take a few losses to keep us humble and working and fighting. Hopefully, he comes back. And if he doesn't, we're a team full of fighters." “according to http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/26146854/coach-k-zion-ready-acc-tourney
They aren't a team full of scorers, though, and Krzyzewski said he's enthusiastic about his star's impending return and its potential impact on the Duke offense. “according to http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/26146854/coach-k-zion-ready-acc-tourney
"He'd love to play Saturday, too, if he's ready," Krzyzewski said. "He'll be in some basketball workouts now. That's a really good sign for us. For me, it's a great sign." “according to http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/26146854/coach-k-zion-ready-acc-tourney
As for the long-term impact of these past few games, Krzyzewski said he wasn't concerned about Duke's tournament seeding, noting that the Blue Devils have played Virginia twice and will have done the same with North Carolina by week's end. And if Williamson isn't on the court, they'll have had all four of their star freshmen in action for just half their ACC games. “according to http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/26146854/coach-k-zion-ready-acc-tourney
"Playing with not a full deck has been very difficult," he said. "We thought it was going to be easier." “according to http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/26146854/coach-k-zion-ready-acc-tourney
Duke comes into the game with a record of 26-4 while they’re 14-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference while North Carolina comes into the game with a record of 25-5 while they’re 15-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
As for Duke’s previous game, they escaped with a win on senior night in Durham.
- RJ Barrett scored 28 points and No. 4 Duke held on to beat Wake Forest 71-70 on Tuesday night after Chaundee Brown's jumper rimmed out at the buzzer. “according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211793945
Tre Jones added 13 points for a sluggish Duke team missing star freshman Zion Williamson for a fourth straight game with a sprained right knee. The Blue Devils (26-4, 14-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) overcame 41 percent shooting and a 16-for-26 showing from the free-throw line to win their 10th straight in the in-state series. “according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211793945
Williamson's absence, coupled with a rough game from No. 3 option Cameron Reddish, left Barrett as essentially a one-man show for Duke. The Blue Devils -- 26-point favorites -- trailed by 10 with 16 minutes remaining and never led by more than three until the final three minutes. “according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211793945
Brown had 21 points and 10 rebounds, and he pulled Wake Forest within 69-68 with two free throws with 43.9 seconds left. Duke bled the shot clock before the left-handed Barrett hit a right-handed jumper in the lane to put the Blue Devils up by three with 17.3 seconds remaining. “according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211793945
Brandon Childress hit a layup with 7.4 seconds left, and Wake Forest had one last chance after Duke turned it over while trying to inbound the ball. Childress missed a 3-pointer with about two seconds left and the rebound went to Brown, whose short jumper spun around the back of the iron before falling out at the horn. “according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211793945
Like Duke, North Carolina also won their previous game although they had an easier time with their opponent.
North Carolina forward Luke Maye grabbed a career-high 20 rebounds in an easy victory over Boston College, and then he was off in transition. “according to https://goheels.com/news/2019/3/5/mens-basketball-at-bc.aspx
Quickly turning his attention to the No. 3 Tar Heels' regular season finale against archrival Duke, Maye said of Saturday night's game with the Atlantic Coast Conference title at stake: "It's huge for us." “according to https://goheels.com/news/2019/3/5/mens-basketball-at-bc.aspx
"We wanted to put ourselves in a position to win it," he said after Carolina beat BC 79-66 on Tuesday to set up a showdown with the Blue Devils in Chapel Hill. "And we have that opportunity." “according to https://goheels.com/news/2019/3/5/mens-basketball-at-bc.aspx
Maye scored 17 and Cameron Johnson had 22 points and 12 rebounds for the Tar Heels (25-5, 15-2 ACC), who won their sixth straight game and went unbeaten on the road in the conference for the first time since it began playing an 18-game schedule in 2012-13.
It was also Carolina's first season with 15 ACC wins. No. 2 Virginia is also 15-2 in the conference, with its finale against Louisville. “according to https://goheels.com/news/2019/3/5/mens-basketball-at-bc.aspx
Ky Bowman scored 23 points with nine rebounds and Nik Popovic scored 20 for Boston College, which has not beaten the Tar Heels in 12 tries since 2010. The Eagles (14-15, 5-12) have lost four of their past five games overall, and eight of their past 11. “according to https://goheels.com/news/2019/3/5/mens-basketball-at-bc.aspx
North Carolina outrebounded BC 60-35. “according to https://goheels.com/news/2019/3/5/mens-basketball-at-bc.aspx
The game was tied 16-all before the Tar Heels ran off 12 straight points, holding BC without a basket for more than five minutes. In all, Carolina scored 32 of the last 41 points in the first to head into halftime with a 48-25 lead. “according to https://goheels.com/news/2019/3/5/mens-basketball-at-bc.aspx
The Tar Heels led by as many as 25 points early in the second half and led 63-42 with 12 minutes left before Bowman hit a 3-pointer and Popovic scored twice from the inside to make it a 14-point game. But Johnson scored in the lane, Carolina scored on back-to-back fast breaks and then Kenny Williams made a layup to open a 22-point lead.”according to https://goheels.com/news/2019/3/5/mens-basketball-at-bc.aspx
"Very rarely have you seen our team get down and not fight back, just roll over. That's the start of it," BC coach Jim Christian said. "That's what we're playing for. What we're playing for is each other. What we're playing for is culture. What we're playing for is to keep getting better." “according to https://goheels.com/news/2019/3/5/mens-basketball-at-bc.aspx
Tip-off is set for 6:00pm from the Dean E. Smith Center. The game will be televised on ESPN.