Men’s Final Four Preview: Duke Vs. North Carolina
This is the very first time we will see one of the best rivalries played on the biggest stage.
North Carolina Tar Heels: The Tar Heels had a rocky season but they got it together and found themselves as an eighth seed in the east region. They took down number one seed Baylor and the Cinderella team of the tournament St. Peter’s.
Last season the Tar Heels lost in the first round of the tournament to Wisconsin and now they are in the Final Four for the first time since 2017 where they won it all.
The Tar Heels are led by their big man Armando Bacot who leads the team in points and rebounds with 16.5 points and 12.8 boards per game. The Heels have a total of four players scoring over 13 points per game. Caleb Love averages 15.7 points and leads the team in assists with 3.7 per game. Oklahoma transfer Brady Manek is averaging 15.2 points per game. He is one of the best three point shooters on the team. R.J Davis is averaging 13.4 points per game.
The Heels average 78 points and allow a total of 68 points per game. These two teams know each other so well this game will come down to who wants it more. This will be the ultimate bragging rights for whoever wins this game.
Duke Blue Devils: The Blue Devils were one of the teams this year that was able to hold that number one spot but not for long. They finished the season 32-6 and lost in the championship game of the ACC tournament.
This team failed to close out big games like coach K’s last game at Cameron Indoor stadium where they lost to North Carolina and losing the ACC championship. They grew up a lot in this tournament. Winning close games against Michigan State, closing out Texas Tech and taking care of business against Arkansas.
Five players for the Blue Devils score over 10 points per game this season. At the top it’s NBA prospect Paolo Banchero, he averages 17 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Wendell Moore Jr. averages 13.5 points and leads the team in assists with 4.4 per game. The big man in the middle Mark Williams averages 11.3 points and leads the team in blocks with 2.9 per game. Trevor Keels averages 11.3 points per game and A.J Griffin averages 10.5 per game.
The unsung hero for this team in the tournament this year is Jeremey Roach. In the Texas Tech game he had some big buckets down the stretch to help Duke close out the game. He can create for himself and others.
The Blue Devils average 80 points and allow 69.8 points to be scored. This is coach K’s last Final Four the pressure is heavier than it’s been all season but the Blue Devils have a chance at revenge for how the Tar Heels ended their regular season.
