The greatest rivalry in sports is nearly here. On Saturday, February 7 at 6:30 p.m. ET in front of a national audience, UNC and Duke will play Round One of the Tobacco Road Rivalry.
The visiting Blue Devils (20-1, 9-0 ACC) are conference favorites, but North Carolina (18-4, 6-3 ACC) is making a rapid ascension up the standings. The Tar Heels easily dispatched Notre Dame and Georgia Tech, roared back from a 16-point deficit to upset Virginia, then withstood a late Syracuse charge to continue their winning streak.
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With a week ahead full of several, exciting college basketball games, Andy Katz named UNC-Duke his Game of the Week.
To further build anticipation for Saturday’s ACC rivalry battle, College GameDay will be coming to Chapel Hill. Expect to see plenty of wild signs, discussion at the ESPN desk and – who knows – maybe appearances from Hubert Davis, Caleb Wilson, Jon Scheyer and Cameron Boozer.
The Blue Devils could very well be undefeated, but Texas Tech spoiled their season back on December 20. Boozer (23.5 points, 9.8 rebounds per game) is a National Player of the Year candidate, but Patrick Ngongba (11 PPG) and Isaiah Evans (14.3 PPG) help form a lethal Duke trio.
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North Carolina may not have the Blue Devils’ record, but they have a better frontcourt with Wilson and Henri Veesaar. The Tar Heels’ backcourt continues to solidify itself, bench production is increasing and, despite occasional struggles, 2025-26 is worlds better than last season.
Will UNC-Duke live up to the hype? Most matchups do, so with re-loaded rosters for both programs this year, expect more fireworks on Saturday.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC-Duke basketball tabbed Andy Katz’ Game of the Week
