When it comes to drama, the Duke-Carolina rivalry is kind of a dud.
Not on the court, of course, Once the ball is tossed up and the games begin, there’s nothing in sports that tops it. However, in the days leading up to the game, while each fanbase will be spewing vile hate at the other, the players are very careful not to say anything that could fire the other team up.
That stands in stark contrast to the third Triangle rival. Things get downright personal before and after an NC State game against either squad. Think of Mark Gottfried slapping Coach K on the rump following an upset at Cameron, or Armando Bacot donning sunglasses to clown a Wolfpack player following a Carolina win.
There will be done of that from Duke or Carolina this week, nor any week leading up to the big game. Part of it may be the fact that both teams have had legendary master motivators as coaches for decades. Dean Smith, Mike Krzyzewski and Roy Williams could make any comment, no matter how benign, into fighting words at game time. So, it’s best not to give them any material to work with.
Part of it is also the nature of the rivalry games. With intensity as high as it gets on a court, the coaches likely devote a great deal of attention into keeping their team on an even keel, to keep them from losing their heads during the game.
Of course, that’s after the players get on campus. But ask a future Tar Heel or Blue Devil about their rival, and the smack talk may just fly.
That’s what happened in a press conference for last year’s McDonald’s High School All-American game, which featured Duke signees Cooper Flagg and Isaiah Evans, along with UNC recruits Drake Powell and Ian Jackson.
“Their fanbase is crazy,” Jackson said of the crowd he’ll play in front of on Saturday night when the Tar Heels head to Duke. “Ours is more cool. … I don’t even think Duke fans are that loud, for real. It’s just a small gym.”
“I don’t know how you can have a good fanbase that’s cool,” Flagg replied. “I don’t think that brings the best energy in a game.”
Evans took it up a notch, saying, “I feel like our fans are less delusional. UNC fans have this false personal in their head.”
Powell got in on the act, pointing to Carolina’s two wins over the Blue Devils last year. “2-0, bro,” he said. “Brooms.”
When asked for an early prediction on this year’s games, Jackson and Powell said the winning streak would continue.
“We’re gonna get over on them,” Jackson said. “2-0 sweep.”
“The game’s going to be fun for sure, a lot of energy,” Powell added, “but those brooms are tough.”
Needless to say, none of the quartet will likely be repeating their sentiments this week, now that the rivalry is once again upon us.
When UNC and Duke tip off at Cameron, it will be a Blue Devils team ranked No. 2 in the nation and leading the ACC against an unranked Tar Heel squad that is looking like it may be sweating out some time on the NCAA bubble.
The Heels went to overtime before getting past a 1-8 Boston College team on Saturday, avoiding a three-game losing streak. It took a last-minute comeback in regulation for the Heels to avoid a defeat, and it led to a frank film session between coach Hubert Davis and his players.
“They weren’t conversations,” Davis said. “It was a monologue. What kind of issues? It was everything: ball pressure, half-court, out-of-bounds underneath, in transition, guarding one-on-one, guarding in the post, discipline, staying down for shot fakes, boxing out, getting through screens, talking and communication. There was a departure of all of that against Boston College, and I’m not sure why.”
While it seems to be shaping up as a mismatch, as the old saying goes, you can throw out the records. Duke and Carolina have met 14 times when one team was either No. 1 or 2 in the country and the other was unranked. The average margin of victory is just over eight points. There have been as many 15-point wins by the highly rated team (2) as upsets by the unranked one.
It’s worth noting how that McDonald’s press conference ended 10 months ago.
After the future Tar Heels predicted another sweep in 2025, Flagg took the microphone, and things got serious.
“It can’t happen,” he said. “Like we were in the crowd (on a recruiting visit at Cameron Indoor). Like we’ve seen it happen. It’s not happening again. We’ve witnessed it.”
The time for high school trash talk has passed. Things are getting real this weekend.
