NEW YORK -- The center of the college basketball universe will be in Brooklyn on Friday night.
For the first time in the history of the North Carolina-Duke rivalry, the two teams will play in a league semifinal in the Big Apple. Greensboro is great (I got NOTHING but love for G-Town!), but this is a nice little boost for college hoops’ championship week. The ACC tournament has watched Duke and North Carolina meet 20 times (the last time in 2011) but never with this twist of interest. UNC is chasing a No. 1 seed, Duke still has hopes for a No. 3 if it can win out in the ACC.
The first time around, Duke won in thrilling fashion on its home floor
In the second game -- just last Saturday -- UNC won a great one.
Now we get the rubber match on a neutral floor, hundreds of miles from pure ACC territory, yet you would never know it in the building. This will be one of the toughest tickets of any game played this month. And much of the college basketball media is on hand to take it all in. Plus, a few miles away in Manhattan, the tournament selection committee is keeping a close eye on all that is happening. The beauty of college basketball at this stage of the calendar is how there are leagues whittling down their playoffs all across the country, in cities big and small.
Getting a golden semifinal like this only brings more attention and discussion as we eagerly step toward Selection Sunday. This is a dream game for the powers that be with the ACC, who moved the league tournament to Brooklyn in hopes of “expanding the footprint.”
We’ve been treated with this mega matchup thanks to both teams winning their quarterfinal games in very different ways. First, UNC easily got past Miami 73-58 on Thursday afternoon. (Roy Williams had some things to say about Donald Trump.)
Then Duke managed to rally for an 81-77 win against Louisville. The Blue Devils were down by as many as 12 points in the second half, and for this team to beat a quality club like Louisville, it clearly boosted the Devils’ confidence. That locker room was loose, happy, freewheeling. I was a bit taken aback by just how satisfied Duke was. I think those guys know they earned that win over Louisville.
Blue Devils fans were in full throat on Thursday. UNC’s faithful always fill up the ACC tournament when it’s down south, but I’m not convinced the Tar Heels’ fan base will outnumber Duke’s sidewalk alumni Friday.
For Duke, Jayson Tatum scored 25 points and Grayson Allen got his groove back. He was instrumental in getting Duke this win, putting up 18 points -- the most he has had since he scored 25 against UNC back on Feb. 9.
“The thing in dealing with all of it is for everyone to know that we’re together,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “I believe in him. I love him. And I thought what he did today was sensational. I loved it. I loved it. He was himself today.”
Luke Kennard, Duke’s most valuable player, had 24 points.
That’s a total of 67 points.
Duke finished with 81.
“These guys right here, they’re excited,” Krzyzewski said. “I hope you’re excited about -- that kind of stuff. That’s what I mean. Like today was just joy. Obviously, there’s joy of winning, but how you win and to see kids put it all out there, it’s great.”
This is the power trio, and they’ll need to show up again in similar fashion if Duke’s going to beat Carolina.
Allen overcame lustful boos early, eventually stepping up in the second half to hit big shots, make important free throws and rally the spirit of his team. The heavy Duke contingent rewarded him with huge applause, and Krzyzewski gave him an enthusiastic smack on the butt. No, Duke hasn’t turned a corner. This team plays with fire and is essentially unpredictable.
But just as Kennard/Tatum/Allen showed in that home win over UNC a month ago (they won 86-78, and the trio combined for 64 points), they’re capable of beating anyone when they’re all on their game. That is something that’s evident, yet it has been tricky for Duke to capture this season. Tatum was injured early, then Allen was suspended. And when Tatum was good, Allen was cool. In rare instances when all three have been great, Duke has won every time.
And by the by, Duke-Louisville had the fever and intensity of an Elite Eight game. Neutral floor, well-attended, elite teams. The ACC is the goods this season. Whichever team gets through this tournament as the champ will be in full flex for the start of the Big Dance.
“So that was a quarterfinal game, holy mackerel,” Krzyzewski said. “Wow, that was a big time game. We’re so pleased and proud of the win because we beat a heck of a team and a team that could win it all really.”
He’s right.
And this win avenged Duke’s loss at Louisville from earlier in the season.
Now we look forward to Friday’s best. I’m interested to see if Duke comes out fresh, and if UNC can execute and rebound the way it did previously against Duke.
“Look, they’re a great program,” Krzyzewski said. “We’re a great program. We’re two of the great programs. We’re accustomed, they’re accustomed to playing in buildings that have a lot of energy, for or against them. That’s why the kids go to those schools is to be in those moments, to be in a moment like today. So to be in that moment tomorrow, the people who were in the stands, they have a chance to enjoy that because those moments don’t happen all the time. Our two programs have created a lot of them.”
We’re going to get another big one on Friday night. A championship won’t be on the line, but it’s still one of the biggest games and most anticipated events in the seven-year history of the Barclays Center.
