March 3, 2006
Game Notes vs. Duke
TAR HEELS AIMING FOR 10TH WIN IN LAST 11 GAMES
The University of North Carolina (20-6, 11-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) will hope to win for the 10th time in its last 11 games when it closes out the 2005-06 regular season at Duke (27-2, 14-1 ACC) on Saturday night at 9 p.m. at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C. The game will be televised nationally by ESPN, with additional coverage on ESPN2 and ESPNU.
The Tar Heels are coming off their sixth straight win, a dominating 99-54 victory over Virginia on
Wednesday night in Chapel Hill. UNC is ranked No. 13 in the Associated Press poll and No. 15 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll.
After losing three of four games in mid-January, the Tar Heels have won nine of their last 10 contests (eight of which were by double digits). Carolina is currently riding a six-game winning streak.
UNC sits in second place in the ACC standings and has clinched a first-round bye in the ACC Tournament in Greensboro. Entering this weekend's action, Duke (14-1) was in first place, followed by UNC (11-4), NC State (10-5) and Boston College (10-5). Duke dropped a 79-74 decision at Florida State on Wedesday night.
Saturday's game is worth one point in the Carlyle Cup, the annual multisport competition between Carolina and Duke. UNC currently leads 9-6 in 2005-06. The Tar Heels won the Carlyle Cup last year.
After Saturday's game, the Tar Heels will open ACC Tournament play on Friday, March 10 at the Greensboro Coliseum.
TAR HEELS FINISH FOUR SPOTS AHEAD OF MEDIA'S PREDICTION
Carolina will finish the 2005-06 ACC season either in second place or tied for second place (depending on this weekend's action). The Tar Heels were picked sixth in the ACC preseason poll.
Since the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association (ACSMA) began preseason polling for men's basketball prior to the 1969-70 season, that four-spot jump (between where the media picked UNC to finish and where the Tar Heels actually finished) is the biggest in UNC history. The previous best was three spots in 1984-85, when the media picked Carolina to finish fourth and it finished tied for first.
In the 37 years of preseason ACC polling, UNC has finished higher than expected 14 times.
THE SERIES VS. DUKE
Carolina leads the all-time series with Duke, 124-96.
Duke leads the series 47-42 in games played in Durham. The Tar Heels have lost eight of their last nine games in Cameron Indoor Stadium since the 1996-97 season (defeating the Blue Devils in 2000-01). Duke leads the series, 38-30, in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Overall, Duke has won 16 of the last 19 games in the series.
Carolina and Duke have met 59 times when both teams were ranked in the Associated Press Top 25, with Duke leading the series in those games, 31-28.
Carolina is 31-31 against Mike Krzyzewski-coached Duke teams.
In 11 of the last 35 meetings between the two schools, Duke has entered the game as the nation's top-ranked team. Carolina is 4-7 in those contests. Overall, Duke has played 16 times (10-6) as the No. 1 team against Carolina, including 13 times (8-5) under Mike Krzyzewski.
This is the 121st consecutive meeting in which at least one school has been ranked in the AP Top 20 or AP Top 25. Of those games, 108 contests have featured a team in the AP Top 10. The last time Carolina and Duke met when neither team was ranked by the Associated Press was on Feb. 27, 1960. Frank McGuire and Vic Bubas coached the Tar Heels and Blue Devils, respectively, at the time.
Carolina has been ranked in the AP poll in 98 of the previous 120 games. Duke was ranked in 75 of those 120 matchups. In 26 of the last 53 meetings, both Carolina and Duke have been ranked in the AP Top 10.
This is the 141st meeting between the two schools since the ACC began play in 1953-54 and the 138th time at least one of those teams was ranked in the AP Top 20 or AP Top 25 (the only games in which both teams were not ranked were in 1955 and 1960).
The longest stretch in between being ranked for the Tar Heels was 12 games (the first 12 games Dean Smith was head coach). Duke's longest stretch of not being ranked in the series was 24 games from 1970-1978.
Carolina and Duke have accounted for 30 of the ACC's 52 Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championships.
Carolina and Duke are No. 1 and 2 all-time in the ACC in wins, ACC regular-season wins, ACC Tournament wins and NCAA Tournament wins.
Carolina has won the ACC regular-season title 24 times, including in 2004-05. The Blue Devils are second with 17 regular-season crowns.
Either Carolina or Duke have played in the NCAA Final Four 19 times in the last 25 seasons (Carolina in 1981, 1982, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2005). Both teams reached the 1991 Final Four.
The Tar Heels and Blue Devils have won six national championships in the last 24 seasons (Carolina in 1982, 1993 and 2005).
Carolina has won 16 NCAA Regional championships and played in an NCAA-record 16 Final Fours. Duke has played in 14 Final Fours.
Sports Illustrated on Campus named the Carolina-Duke rivalry the No. 1 "Hottest Rivalry" in college basketball and the No. 2 rivalry overall in its Nov. 18, 2003 issue.
