The North Carolina Tar Heels and Duke Blue Devils, once again, lived up to college basketball’s greatest rivalry and likely that of all of sports. They played a nail-biter on Saturday evening that required the Tar Heels to dig out of a hole through dramatic late-game theatrics. North Carolina won a 71-68 cliffhanger behind Seth Trimble’s three-pointer with 0.4 seconds left. Can the Tar Heels build off it with a challenging home stretch?
Sports fans who discuss the greatest rivalries are well advised to begin and end their conversation with North Carolina vs. Duke. Over their last 120 matchups, going into yesterday, each won 60. They both played in 15 Final Fours and won five National Championships during that stretch.
Even when one is down, the level of competitive excellence during their battles remains high. Seeing each other brings out their best, and fans are the ultimate beneficiaries. Anything can happen, and enthusiasts can’t afford to turn away for even a blink of an eye.
The Tar Heels are experiencing a bounce-back season after a so-so campaign last year. They have several high-quality wins, including vs the Kentucky Wildcats, Kansas Jayhawks, and Virginia Cavaliers. Last year, North Carolina made the NCAA Tournament in a highly questionable committee selection. Keep stringing together victories over top opponents, and that won’t be a concern this season.
Beating the Blue Devils would rank as top quality victory as any in the country. Duke entered yesterday with only one loss, and that was only by a point against the Texas Tech Red Raiders. The Blue Devils led that game by 18 points and could have easily been undefeated coming to Chapel Hill.
Duke stormed out of the gates to an 18-5 lead and looked set to overwhelm the Tar Heels. The Blue Devils dominated the boards and scored on nearly every possession. Duke did this without any points from freshman sensation Cameron Boozer. This only added to the desperate straits North Carolina found itself in. What would happen once he got going?
The best players for both the Tar Heels and Blue Devils have been freshmen. North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson and Duke’s Boozer figure to be top-five picks in the 2026 NBA Draft. Boozer has set the Blue Devils freshman record for most 25+ point games and leads the team in nearly every significant category. Wilson has exceeded the Tar Heels’ freshman record for most 20-point games and stands a shot at being the most significant freshman in program history. Both excelled in yesterday’s gigantic showdown.
Boozer, after a slow start during the Blue Devils’ rampaging beginning, got hot. After going 14 minutes into the first half without a point, he suddenly couldn’t miss. North Carolina cut the lead to one point, then Boozer took over. He scored 12 points the rest of the half, knocking home a couple of three pointers. Any Duke misses, he corralled and kicked out to open shooters like Isiah Evans on a back-breaking three.
Wilson did all he could to keep the Tar Heels within striking distance, going mano a mano with Boozer. Wilson scored 15 points in the first half, knocking home turnaround jumpers and clutch threes. For much of that time, he was the only North Carolina player who could make a shot. Without Wilson, the game would have been over by halftime; even with him, it threatened in that direction. Boozer’s last half barrage got the Duke lead back over to 12 at half, and few would have bet on the Tar Heels.
The Blue Devils played sound defense on Wilson in the second half, holding him to only eight points. For North Carolina to have a chance, one would think Wilson would have to carry his team on his back. That didn’t happen, yet it flipped a 12-point deficit.
The Tar Heels got blitzed by Duke in the first half; the Blue Devils made whatever shots they needed and dominated the boards. Head Coach Hubert Davis must have made a strong halftime speech emphasizing defense because that showed up in the second half. Duke only scored 27 points and did little of anything down the critical home stretch.
Boozer made a three-pointer with 8:23 left in the half, giving the Blue Devils a nine-point lead. It looked like a backbreaker. Anytime North Carolina made a little run, Duke seemed to have an answer, most of the time by Boozer.
We find out what teams are made of in adversity, and the Tar Heels showed the mettle of a champion. They closed the game on an 18-6 run, playing tough-nosed defense and getting contributions from multiple sources. Henri Veesaar stepped up huge, making several critical shots, including the game-tying three-pointer. He set the tone for the comeback with his physicality and energy.
Derek Dixon, the Tar Heels’ best long-range shooter, overcame an afternoon of struggles with lights-out clutch play, knocking home multiple threes. His first kept the North Carolina momentum going, and he worked with Veesaar to keep chipping away. His second followed the Blue Devils’ last bucket of the afternoon and ensured Duke would not grab back control of the game.
Seth Trimble is the Tar Heels’ leader as the only key player returning from last season. His mental fortitude sets the pace for his team. He paved the way to yesterday’s electrifying victory. He hit a late jump shot to cut the deficit to four points, then led the stifling defense, keeping the Blue Devils within striking distance. He followed the Veesaar and Dixon dramatics with the greatest of all. Dixon fed Trimble with a brilliant open pass, which he knocked down for the game winner as cool as ice.
Nothing could have been more appropriate than Trimble hitting the game-winning three in North Carolina’s biggest victory in years. He has endured much during the Tar Heels’ recent inconsistent seasons, and it has crafted tremendous character. His fortitude played the biggest role in yesterday’s win.
The Tar Heels and Blue Devils never disappoint, and no doubt another remarkable showdown awaits in a month, this time at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke is still on its way to a number one seed; North Carolina now has a shot too at getting a high seed.
The Tar Heels, besides the Blue Devils, play ranked teams in the Louisville Cardinals and the Clemson Tigers. Three of North Carolina’s last four games are against current top 25 programs. The North Carolina State Wolfpack, another upcoming opponent, may soon join the rankings. It is a tremendously challenging schedule that, if North Carolina does well against, should get them at least on the three seed line and possibly higher.
Davis has taken time trying to find his coaching niche after a thrilling first-year run to the National Championship Game. He needed to pick up the recruiting and master the transfer portal. Last season’s offseason work is the best he has done, and the results are paying off. Wilson is the best talent that Davis has brought to the program, and the transfers are contributing tremendously around the freshman sensation.
Yesterday’s comeback victory against Duke can help set the pace for a captivating March Madness run. It will also generate much momentum for recruits and transfers. Ultimately, everything comes down to talent. The Tar Heels skill level has slipped a bit, especially compared to the Blue Devils. North Carolina showed in the thrilling Saturday finish, though, there is much to be encouraged about it getting back to the standards of old.
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