Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski will pay rival North Carolina a visit for the final time when the two programs meet Saturday night in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Krzyzewski, who turns 75 this month, is retiring at season’s end. Next month’s rematch with the Tar Heels will mark his last home game.
Krzyzewski said the “excellence of the games” will be what he remembers most about playing North Carolina at Dean Smith Center.
“Either here or there, at the jump ball, when you look at the guys on the court and say, ‘Whoa, there are a lot of good players on the court,'” Krzyzewski said. “I’ve seen so many great players play against us in Carolina uniforms. Thank goodness we’ve been able to have a few of our own, too, which has made it unbelievable.”
North Carolina leads the series 141-114; but, under Krzyzewski, Duke holds a 49-46 edge.
Both sides are on a roll heading into Saturday. Duke (18-3, 8-2 ACC) has won back-to-back road games and four straight overall. North Carolina (16-6, 8-3) has won four consecutive games, including an overtime triumph at Louisville on Tuesday despite not receiving a point from any of its reserves.
First place is also at stake, as Duke holds a half-game lead on North Carolina, Miami and Notre Dame.
It will be coach Hubert Davis’ first time in charge of the Tar Heels in this rivalry matchup. He said he wants his team to be excited when the spotlight is on.
“It’s not a time to be nervous,” Davis said. “It’s not a time to be stressed. It’s a time to enjoy it.”
North Carolina has had a solid turnaround after blowout losses to Miami and Wake Forest in mid-January.
“The biggest thing for us is our ability to stop it and to change,” Davis said. “And so after those two losses, to stop it and to change for the next four games, I just think that’s really good.”
After seven straight games with double-figure final margins, the Tar Heels eked out a 90-83 win over Louisville.
“It showed a lot of our growth,” Davis said. “I think it’s something that we can learn from. I really felt like there were a lot of learning experiences (from the Louisville game). We’re going to be in situations like this again.”
The Tar Heels are 12-0 at home this season.
Duke’s defense has been a key part of its recent success. The Blue Devils won 57-43 on Monday night at Notre Dame, handing the Fighting Irish their first home loss of the season.
It was the fewest points Duke had allowed in an ACC road game since a 56-41 win at Virginia on Feb. 16, 2011.
“We definitely didn’t play our best offensive game, but one thing we can always count on is our effort and defense,” Duke forward Paolo Banchero said. “Obviously, we’ve got to clean up on the offensive end and we can definitely shoot better.”
Duke freshman Trevor Keels returned after a three-game absence with a lower leg injury and played 26 minutes at Notre Dame. He posted three points, two rebounds and four assists with no turnovers.
“He really helped us in the first half, because we were kind of playing wild offensively and he settled us down,” Krzyzewski said. “He’ll be there. Having him back will help us and give us that depth on the perimeter.”
–Field Level Media