CHAPEL HILL, N.C. --- Duke’s 85-84 victory at North Carolina on Wednesday night revealed that the Blue Devils aren’t going away and will be a factor among the elite as the college basketball season nears March.
It also nailed home the reality that UNC still has a lot of learning to do. And if the Tar Heels can recognize some of the mistakes they made in allowing Duke to escape with a win that was seemingly in the baby blue’s hands from halftime until Austin Rivers’ game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer, they have a chance to challenge for the national championship.
Duke improved to 20-4 overall and 7-2 in the ACC while UNC dropped to 20-4 and 7-2.
Here are both teams’ grades from yet another classic between the Blue Devils and the Tar Heels:
Duke offense: The Blue Devils knew they had to hit a bunch of 3-pointers to have a chance at winning and they did just that. Duke mailed 14 of them, including three in the final 2:09 of the contest. The Devils didn’t run a fluid offense for much of the night because UNC took away the entries to Mason Plumlee on the lower blocks, but they fought hard to get looks and kept attempting until the shots started falling again. Rivers was sensational creating his own shot and finishing with 29 points. Grade: B.
UNC offense: Tyler Zeller dominated the first half and Harrison Barnes the second half, until he made some questionable decisions with the ball late in the game. UNC did a really nice job of owning the lane and shot 49.2 percent on the night. But Carolina essentially ignored the perimeter, making just 1 of 6 3-point attempts, and Reggie Bullock was basically turned into Dexter Strickland on offense. Also, UNC coach Roy Williams shouldn’t have pulled back so soon (just under the 5-minute mark). Carolina should have attacked for a few more possessions and built more of a cushion. By pulling back, UNC allowed Duke to get grounded some and elevate the importance of possessions, which the Devils took advantage. Grade: B.
Duke defense: Duke didn’t allow Zeller to dominate the second half and eventually got him into foul trouble. The Blue Devils are not a great defensive team by any stretch, but they forced UNC into some late mistakes and made the most of it on the other end. UNC shot 49.2 percent and turned over the ball just nine times. Grade: C.
UNC defense: Awful defending the 3 early, which is hard to understand given that every pundit on the planet knew Duke was going to launch from long distance out of the gate. But UNC did a really good job of not letting Duke (43.5 percent) get any offensive balance. Mason Plumlee got very few conventional looks, so the Heels forced Duke to make plays in order to win. Unfortunately for Carolina, Duke made enough of those plays. Grade: C.
Duke intangibles: The Devils believed. Mike Krzyzewski is a master at getting his teams to shrug off poor performances and have faith in themselves and their teammates they can overcome any obstacle. Duke was as tough as nails physically and mentally in not letting UNC open the floodgates, even though the Devils neared the ropes a few times in the second half. Duke kept attacking late and made UNC pay for pulling things back. Grade: A+.
UNC intangibles: Carolina was awesome in the middle of the game building a 13-point lead and pushing Duke toward the ropes. The Tar Heels, however, should have pulled away but didn’t. They didn’t execute the killer instinct necessary to extend the margin and notch an easy win, which was within their grasp. And when UNC pulled back its offense late, it lowered its guard and paid a dear price. Grade: C-.
