Usually, it’s a game that’s circled prior to the start of the season.
It’s a must-see, not just for fans along Tobacco Road, but just about everywhere in the country.
Duke vs. North Carolina on the final weekend of the regular season.
This season, the only reason it’s relevant is to make sure Duke doesn’t slip up and lose the ACC regular-season title and also its loose grip on the final No. 1 seed.
Heading into the season, it was a toss-up as to which team was the front-runner to win the ACC.
In fact, Duke and North Carolina were tied atop the preseason poll.
Now, the Blue Devils have a legitimate chance to get to the Final Four in Indianapolis, while Roy Williams and the Tar Heels go into the game with a 16-14 overall record, a 5-10 mark in ACC play and bound for the NIT.
Here’s a preview of this weekend’s action:
CAN’T MISS: West Virginia at Villanova, Saturday at noon ET — Syracuse may have already locked up the Big East regular-season title, but the winner of this game still has a shot at getting the final No. 1 seed. Jay Wright’s team is 24-5 and second in the league at 13-4, while West Virginia is 23-6 and one game behind the Wildcats.
KNOCKOUT: Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech, Saturday at 4 p.m. ET — Both teams have struggled down the stretch, and both need this one desperately. A Georgia Tech win would give the Yellow Jackets 20 wins and also a .500 league record, while the Hokies, with a victory, would earn their 23rd win and improve to 10-6 in ACC play. The loser of this game will have some pressure entering the ACC tournament.
JEKYL OR HYDE: The Texas Longhorns began the season with 17 consecutive victories and went all the way to No. 1 overall. However, Rick Barnes’ club hasn’t looked the same since mid-January, going 6-7 in its last 13 games. Can Texas turn it back around or sink deeper with a date at Baylor Saturday at 4 p.m. ET?
WITHOUT HUMMEL: Purdue has played two games without Robbie Hummel and is 1-1. The Boilermakers beat Indiana and lost to Michigan State. Saturday’s contest at Penn State at 2:30 p.m. ET will determine whether the Boilermakers, currently in line for a No. 2 seed, begin to fall down the seeding ladder.
IRISH LUCK: Notre Dame, inexplicably, has been on a tear of late despite being without star Luke Harangody (knee) for the past three games. The Irish are squarely on the bubble and could move into quality position with a road win Saturday at Marquette. It’s still uncertain whether Harangody will give it a go and return to the lineup against the Golden Eagles.
GATOR BAIT: It’s unlikely to happen, but the Florida Gators can punch their NCAA ticket with a victory in Lexington against No. 3 Kentucky on Sunday afternoon. Billy Donovan’s team has struggled over the last week or so, and unless it can pull off the upset, Florida will need to win at least a game in the SEC tournament — and maybe more.
IMPORTANT: Jim Calhoun and the Connecticut Huskies are desperate and need a road win at South Florida Saturday at 2 p.m. ET. UConn is 17-13 overall and 7-10 in Big East play, which is tied for 11th in the league. The Huskies have been up and down, losing their last two games — Louisville at home and at Notre Dame — following a three-game winning streak.
PAC-KING A LITTLE PUNCH: California has put itself in quality position to get an at-large bid if the Bears can knock off Stanford this weekend, and Washington has also moved into the discussion after a victory Thursday night on the road against Oregon. The Huskies will play at Oregon State on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, and now it looks as though the Pac-10 could at least be a multi-bid league.
MISSISSIPPI QUESTIONS: Both Ole Miss and Mississippi State are desperate for wins to get into the Big Dance. The Rebels head to Arkansas Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. ET, and Mississippi State hosts Tennessee a couple hours later.
MID-MAJOR BIDS: There will be four bids on the line this weekend. The Big South (4 p.m. ET), Atlantic Sun (6 p.m. ET) and Ohio Valley (8 p.m. ET) will all play championship games on Saturday, while the Missouri Valley title game is slated for Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
