On Saturday night, every college basketball fan’s eyes should be glued to their televisions. UNC-Duke basketball, the greatest rivalry in all of sports, will tip-off from Chapel Hill.
The Tar Heels (18-4, 6-3 ACC) host their archrival, ACC-leading Blue Devils (21-1, 10-0 ACC) for a 6:30 p.m. tip, inside what will be a packed Dean Dome. Carolina Blue will take most of the seats, but expect to see plenty of that darker shade of blue, too.
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After a 2-game slide on its West Coast swing, North Carolina is rolling with four straight wins to climb the ACC standings. UNC began its streak with a 22-point domination of Notre Dame at home, continued with an 85-80 road upset of Virginia, marched into Georgia Tech for a convincing win and – despite a near-collapse on Monday night – held on to beat Syracuse by 10.
What can’t the Blue Devils do? They beat good teams convincingly – and could very well be undefeated – if not for a 1-point loss against Texas Tech on December 20. Cameron Boozer is a frontrunner for National Player of the Year, while Isaiah Evans’ Year Two growth and Patrick Ngongba’s emergence have Duke a National Championship contender.
The Tar Heels counter with freshman phenom Caleb Wilson and 7-foot center Henri Veesaar, who compile the best frontcourt in college basketball. Wilson brings a rare combination of lockdown defense, highlight-reel dunks, ball-handling and the ability to make shots from anywhere, while Veesaar is the dominant, tall big North Carolina lacked a season ago.
Keep reading below for our game preview about Saturday’s ACC rivalry battle, including the Tar Heels’ key to victory, their full schedule, something to watch, statistical leaders for each team and streaming information.
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Key to Victory
Feb 3, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) drives to the basket as Boston College Eagles forward Aiden Shaw (23) defends during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images
Shut down Cameron Boozer.
Duke is a dangerous team, with Boozer a superstar leading the charge. Boozer is a 5-tool player who leads the Blue Devils in several categories: points per game (23.3), rebounds per game (9.9), assists (4.0) and steals (1.3).
To make matters even more dangerous, Boozer can step out and hit the 3-pointer, shooting 37.5 percent from deep. Luckily for UNC, Henri Veesaar and Caleb Wilson can both guard Boozer in the paint – and on the perimeter.
If North Carolina neutralizes Boozer’s efficiency, fans will be rushing Franklin Street shortly after the final buzzer.
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Something to Watch
Feb 2, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Luka Bogavac (44) with the ball as Syracuse Orange guard Nate Kingz (4) defends in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Whether Luka Bogavac or Jaydon Young draws the start.
Bogavac is on a scoring heater right now, netting double-digit point totals (14, 16, 10) in each of the Tar Heels’ last three games. Bogavac is an efficient shooter off the bench, but he’s a starting-caliber player.
Young broke out with a 12-point game in UNC’s win over Wake Forest, but he doesn’t provide the same level of offensive firepower Bogavac does. Young gives North Carolina a new-look lineup, which puzzles opponents in terms of who to game plan for – and is solid, even without stuffing the stat sheet.
Hubert Davis will make the right decision come game time. Don’t fix something if it’s working – and the Tar Heels’ rotations appear to be doing so.
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Statistical leaders
Feb 2, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) passes the ball as Syracuse Orange forward Donnie Freeman (1) defends in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Points
UNC: Caleb Wilson (20.0)
Duke: Cameron Boozer (23.3)
Rebounds
UNC: Caleb Wilson (9.8)
Duke: Cameron Boozer (9.9)
Assists
UNC: Kyan Evans (3.0)
Duke: Cameron Boozer (4.0)
What you need to know
TarHeelsWire How to Watch
WHAT? Duke Blue Devils (21-1, 10-0 ACC) AT North Carolina Tar Heels (18-4, 6-3 ACC)
WHEN? Saturday, February 7 at 2 p.m. ET
WHERE? Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C.
TV? ESPN
RADIO? SiriusXM (Channels 81 and 84)
LINE? Duke -6.5
LAST MEETING? Duke 74, UNC 71 on March 14, 2025 in ACC Tournament Semifinals (Charlotte, N.C.)
ALL-TIME SERIES: UNC leads, 145-120
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PREDICTION? UNC 75, Duke 69
UNC basketball 2025-26 schedule
October 4: Blue-White Scrimmage (White 55, Blue 50)
Oct. 24: at BYU (preseason, L 78-76)
Oct. 29: vs. Winston-Salem State (preseason, W 95-53)
November 3: vs. Central Arkansas (W, 94-54)
Nov. 7: vs. Kansas (W, 87-74)
Nov. 11: vs. Radford (W, 89-74)
Nov. 14: vs. NC Central (W, 97-53)
Nov. 18: vs. Navy (W, 73-61)
Nov. 25: vs. St. Bonaventure in Fort Myers (Fla.) Tip-Off (W, 85-70)
Nov. 27: vs. Michigan State in Fort Myers (Fla.) Tip-Off (L, 74-58)
December 2: at Kentucky (W, 67-64)
Dec. 7: vs. Georgetown (W, 81-61)
Dec. 13: vs. USC Upstate (W, 80-62)
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Dec. 16: vs. ETSU (W, 77-58)
Dec. 20: vs. Ohio State in CBS Sports Classic (W, 71-70)
Dec. 22: vs. East Carolina (W, 99-51)
Dec. 30: vs. Florida State (W, 79-66)
January 3: at SMU (L, 97-83)
Jan. 10: vs. Wake Forest (W, 87-84)
Jan. 14: at Stanford (L, 95-90)
Jan. 17.: at California (L, 84-78)
Jan. 21: vs. Notre Dame (W, 91-69)
Jan. 24: at Virginia (W, 85-80)
Jan. 31: at Georgia Tech (W, 91-75)
February 2: vs. Syracuse (W, 87-77)
Feb. 7: vs. Duke (6:30 p.m.)
Feb. 10: at Miami (FL) (7 p.m.)
Feb. 14: vs. Pitt (2 p.m.)
Feb. 17: at NC State (7 p.m.)
Feb. 21: at Syracuse (1 p.m.)
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Feb. 23: vs. Louisville (7 p.m.)
Feb. 28: vs. Virginia Tech (TBA)
March 3: vs. Clemson (7 p.m.)
March 7,: at Duke (6:30 p.m.)
March 10-14: ACC Tournament in Spectrum Center (Charlotte, N.C.)
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC basketball: Previewing Round One of Tobacco Road Rivalry vs. Duke
