Arguably the greatest rivalry in men’s college basketball history will be going down in New Orleans this Saturday as the headlining matchup in this year's Final Four.
The North Carolina Tar Heels will face the Duke Blue Devils in the Caesars Superdome for a chance to advance to the national championship game.
The two teams have met a total of 257 times, with the Tar Heels owning the matchup with a 142-115 record. However, this meeting will be the first time the long-time rivals meet with a national championship appearance on the line.
The No. 2 seed Blue Devils have been regarded as one of the best teams in college basketball throughout the season. Duke advanced to the Final Four after beating the No.4 seed Arkansas with a score of 78-69.
With Blue Devils coach, Mike Krzyzewski, retiring after this season, many eyes watch as his team looks to add to his accomplished resume.
The No. 8 seed Tar Heels have seen a turn in play since their last regular-season game, in
which they beat Duke in Coach K’s final home game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Though the
Tar Heels were defeated by Virginia Tech in the ACC Tournament, they have played their best
basketball since entering the NCAA Tournament.
The Tar Heels defeated the reigning champions and No. 1 seed, Baylor, in the second round of the tournament, proving to be a force to be reckoned with. North Carolina defeated the No.15 seed Saint Peter’s to advance to the Final Four, ending their Cinderella run.
This matchup will be the third time the two teams face each other this season. With the saga of these two teams being so rich, history will be made no matter the outcome.
The two foes will not only add a new layer to their rivalry, but one will prevail and compete for an NCAA title.