It’s one of the vital well-liked rivalries in all of sports activities: UNC-Duke.
The Tobacco Highway nemeses — whose campuses sit simply eight miles aside — have been taking part in one another for over 100 years. UNC sits at No. 3 on the all-time wins record. Duke is No. 4. The 2 colleges have mixed for 38 Last Fours, together with their first-ever NCAA event assembly on the 2022 Last 4 in New Orleans in Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski’s remaining season, and so they’ve claimed 11 NCAA event championships. UNC beat Duke within the 2022 Last 4 in Coach Ok’s final recreation.
RIVALS: Roy Williams’ top 8 UNC-Duke matchups
Each season, they meet not less than twice in what are sometimes a number of the greatest video games of the 12 months, no matter their rankings. Right here’s all the things you might want to know concerning the rivalry, together with stats from each colleges and highlights from a number of the most notable matchups:
SCHOOLS:
College established
North Carolina: 1789
Duke: 1838
Kind
North Carolina: Public
Duke: Personal
Complete enrollment
North Carolina: 32,234
Duke: 17,112
Basketball program established
North Carolina: 1910
Duke: 1905
Nationwide championships
North Carolina: 6 (1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009, 2017)
Duke: 5 (1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015)
Last Fours
North Carolina: 21
Duke: 17
ACC Champions
North Carolina: 51 (33 common season, 18 event)
Duke: 42 (20 common season, 22 event)
MATCHUP:
First assembly:
Jan. 24, 1920 — UNC 38, Duke 25
File:
UNC leads 145-119
Longest win streak:
UNC — 16 (1921-28)
Present head coaches:
North Carolina: Hubert Davis (98-43 profession document at North Carolina); by March 8, 2025
Duke: Jon Scheyer (82-21 profession document at Duke); by March 8, 2025
Loopy truth:
From the 1949-50 season by the 2018-19 season, UNC scored 13,581 factors towards Duke and allowed 13,559. That is a distinction of simply 22 factors over 179 video games, or 0.1 per matchup.
NOTABLE GAMES:
March 2, 1974
No. 4 North Carolina 96, Duke 92 (OT)
With 17 seconds left, unranked Duke led No. 4 UNC 86-78 in Chapel Hill. Happening earlier than the arrival of the three-point line, a comeback was close to unimaginable. The upset was a lock. Or not. Two free throws. Then a stolen inbounds go and a basket. A Duke turnover. One other basket. A Duke missed free throw. Three seconds left. Inbounds to Walter Davis. Davis, from 30 toes. Bang. Additional time. UNC would win 96-92 in additional time, however the win would pale compared to one of the vital inconceivable comebacks in all of school sports activities that may eternally be recognized by 4 phrases: eight factors, 17 seconds.
March 10, 1984
No. 16 Duke 77, No. 1 North Carolina 75
The 2 groups met for a 3rd time within the 12 months for a semifinal matchup within the ACC event. UNC had gained each of the common season video games, together with a double-overtime thriller the place Michael Jordan went off for 25 factors to assist UNC go undefeated in ACC play. However it was Duke that held the 40-32 lead at halftime within the event. The Tar Heels wouldn’t go away quietly, as they began on a 12-2 run to tie the sport within the second half. Duke regained the lead, however with 5 seconds left, Jordan gathered an offensive rebound and put it again to chop Duke’s result in 77-75. David Henderson would get fouled and miss his first free throw, and after the rebound, UNC known as their remaining timeout with three seconds left. However an errant inbounds go would give the Blue Devils the ball and the upset.
Feb. 2, 1995
No. 2 North Carolina 102, Duke 100 (2OT)
Mike Krzyzewski sat out many of the 1995 season, recovering from again surgical procedure, and the Blue Devils suffered one in all their worst seasons of the period, going 13-18, and 2-14 within the ACC. And when internet hosting the No. 2 Tar Heels, it regarded like extra of the identical. Rasheed Wallace and Jerry Stackhouse placed on a present with dunk after dunk, and UNC climbed to a 17-point lead. However Duke would rally to pressure extra time. On the finish of the additional interval, the Blue Devils had been down three with three seconds to go. Enter: Jeff Capel. Capel drained a desperation shot from the emblem to pressure double extra time and ship Cameron Indoor into insanity. UNC would win the sport in double extra time, however Capel’s shot would reside on.
March 6, 2005
No. 2 North Carolina 75, No. 6 Duke 73
UNC got here into the sport seeking to declare its first outright ACC common season crown since 1993. J.J. Redick, Shelden Williams and Duke stood in the way in which. Redick and Williams mixed for 39 factors, and after a Lee Melchionni three-pointer late within the recreation, Duke held a 73-64 lead with three minutes left. However a UNC rally had the Tar Heels down simply 73-71 with lower than a minute left as Duke’s Daniel Ewing started to carry the ball up court docket. That’s when UNC’s David Noel got here from behind, compelled a turnover, and the Tar Heels got here up with possession. On the subsequent play, Raymond Felton was fouled. He made the primary, and missed the second, leaving UNC down 73-72. However Felton was capable of tip the ball to Marvin Williams, who banked in a shot and drew a foul. Williams made the free throw, giving UNC the 75-73 lead, Duke missed two photographs on the opposite finish, and UNC college students stormed the court docket.
Feb. 8, 2012
No. 9 Duke 85, No. 5 North Carolina 84
In Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels led by 10 with simply over two minutes left, earlier than back-to-back threes by the Blue Devils introduced Duke to inside 4 factors. With 14 seconds left, UNC heart Tyler Zeller unintentionally tipped a Duke shot into the basket, giving the Blue Devils two factors, and reducing UNC’s result in one. Zeller was fouled on the subsequent play, hit his first free throw, after which missed his second. Duke gathered the rebound, and guard Austin Rivers introduced the ball up the court docket, holding it for one shot — a three-pointer that he drained on the buzzer to win the sport.
Feb. 18, 2015
No. 4 Duke 92, No. 15 North Carolina 90 (OT)
Simply 11 days after legendary UNC coach Dean Smith died, the Tar Heels traveled to Cameron Indoor to face the No. 4 Blue Devils. Earlier than the sport, gamers, coaches, and employees members from each groups gathered at heart court docket for a second of silence to honor Smith. The sport itself would trip, with UNC storming again from a halftime deficit to take a 10-point lead with 4 minutes left. However Duke would end regulation on a 9-2 run to pressure extra time, the place they might win, 92-90.
March 5, 2022
North Carolina 94, No. 4 Duke 81
One month to the day after shedding to Duke by 20 factors at house, unranked North Carolina spoiled Coach Ok’s remaining house recreation at Cameron indoor Stadium, the place the stands had been stuffed with greater than 100 former Duke gamers, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and comic Jerry Seinfeld, as the sector was packed to see that man coach in that constructing one final time.
The Tar Heels weren’t having any of it, taking part in their starters your entire second half to run away from the Blue Devils and win by 13 factors, as 4 North Carolina gamers scored not less than 20 factors, together with Armando Bacot’s team-high 23 factors on 10-for-11 taking pictures. Fifth-year senior ahead Brady Manek sank 5 3-pointers as he completed with a 20-point, 11-rebound double-double.
April 2, 2022
North Carolina 81, Duke 77
Last 4
The fierce rivals’ first NCAA event assembly lastly arrived in 2022 — and in what completed because the final recreation of Coach Ok’s profession. About one month after UNC handed Coach Ok a loss in his remaining house recreation, the Tar Heels beat the Blue Devils within the Last 4.
Caleb Love scored 28 factors for UNC, whereas Armando Bacot totaled 11 factors and 21 rebounds within the thriller. The 2 remained shut all through, exchanging 3-pointers, and leads seemingly each possession within the second half.
Paolo Banchero led Duke with 20 factors and 10 boards.
