Duke Blue Devils: Double-Bye on the Line Tomorrow

The Duke Blue Devils and the North Carolina Tar Heels will face each other down once again on Saturday.

Tomorrow the Duke Blue Devils meet the North Carolina Tar Heels for Senior Night in Chapel Hill. It is the story of two teams. One team has had much the same identity all year long to this point. The other team has found a working formula lately and has nudged its way back into the conference elite as a result.

One team is senior laden, but it needs the efforts of freshmen and sophomores to take it over the top. The other team is freshman laden but needing the efforts of seniors to get it over the top.

One team has secured the number one ACC Tournament seed. One team is looking to get into the group of teams that receive double-byes.

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One team beat the other earlier this year. One team was not at full strength in the front line for that game.

There is a lot going on here, so the question becomes how will it all turn out?

The first thing to note is scenery. Advantage in this series should belong to the home team. This will also mark the last college home game of Isaiah Hicks, Kennedy Meeks, and Nate Britt. It could also represent the last college home game for Justin Jackson.

The second thing to note is focus. The team at Duke sometimes seems less interested when playing some opponents. That will not be the case in a prime time game against North Carolina. Expect big games from Grayson Allen and Luke Kennard.

Duke Blue Devils Basketball /

Duke Blue Devils Basketball

The third thing to note is health. Is Allen 100%? Is Theo Pinson?

The fourth thing to note is matchup. Isaiah Hicks will appear in this game unlike the last one. Jayson Tatum had success last game, and his diverse skill set will be called on again to move Hicks out of the painted area.

The fifth thing to note is pace. Duke has had greater success in the past few games by picking up their defensive effort. Since the last game against the Heels, only their win against Wake Forest saw the team get to eighty points. The Tar Heels just played a game where they were manhandled by tough Virginia defense. Can Duke also hold the Heels back and make just enough threes to keep the game out of reach?

The sixth thing is x-factor. Does Frank Jackson make another splash like the Seminoles game? Do Luke Maye and Tony Bradley keep the pressure on the paint when Meeks and Hicks sit? Where will Britt and Matt Jones fit?

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The seventh thing is foul trouble. Where do the early fouls fall? Can the Devils get one of the Heels’ big men in early trouble (Hicks)? Will the Heels miss Kenny Williams’ charge calls? Will illegal screens be called? Tripping? Fouls can change the game depending on number and the person who gets them.

So there it is. With all these things considered, I think that the Blue Devils will ruin Senior Night for the baby blue crew. It will be a close game in the seventies decided late. I just trust Duke’s shooters a little bit more than I trust the Heels right now. Finally, Duke just needs the game more.

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