I want to play UNC on Sunday... anyone else?

[Billy Dat]

Maybe the ghosts of 2001 are waking up:

Game 1 in heated series:
-2001 - Maryland holds a large lead in game 1 only for the Devils to erase that lead and march to victory.
-2011 - UNC hold a large lead in game 1 only for the Devils to erase that lead and march to victory.
Key Difference - the opponent, and the amount of time it took to erase that lead, and the fact that the game was played away. Also, the now legendary stature of that game as we look back.

Game 2 in heated series:
-2001 - Maryland avenges painful Game 1 loss in convincing fashion. Star player for Duke sidelined and absence of said star player fingered as reason for lack of title hopes
-2011 - UNC avenges painful Game 1 loss in convincing fashion. Kyrie Irving absence fingered as one of many reasons for loss, and lack of title hopes
Key Difference - again, the Heels and not the Terps, Irving was hurt months ago..but cut me some slack, I am trying to spin a story here.

Game 3 in Heated Series:
-2001 - Epic war ends with BA Nate tipping in winning basket. BA Nate, having lost his starting spot, keeps grinding and contributing off the bench.
-2011 - Epic war ends with Andre Dawkins pump faking a 3 and throwing one down on an unsuspecting Gumby Henson as the Devils take the ACCT trophy. Out of the doghouse and into Victory Lane.

As for Game 4, I imagine it would be immensely satisfying to beat the Heels in the Final Four after overcoming a 20+ point deficit and Huck Hound screaming at the refs, "How bad do you want Duke to win?", but I might have expired with a MI by then.

[DevilWearsPrada]

Charlotte is NOT a neutral court. Charlotte NC is I85 southbound Chapel Hill.

However, there is as much opportunity for Duke fans to buy tickets to GBoro, as anyone else.

You could buy them from Duke, or other ACC schools. Plenty of tickets, on Thursday, when 4 teams go home. The scalpers will have good tickets.

There might even be opportunity to buy from Gboro coliseum. I dont even know if the event is sold out.

GET yourself to GBoro, and support the Blue Devils! I just hate it, when those Loud mouth Tar Heels.. do their dang Tar Heel Chant. YOU cant drown it out, unless the band plays over it.

Lets make GBoro Coliseum, another Cameron Indoor Stadium this year!

ACC TOURNEY! WILL YOU BE THERE?

And as always,
Go DuKe!

[Kedsy]

I want to play in the ACCT championship game and I want to win it. I would not mind beating UNC in that game. On the other hand, I always root for UNC to lose every game, so I won't be rooting for them to get to the ACCT championship game. Just can't do it.

Having said that, I'm not afraid of them. I do not think they're better than us. I do not think they're a bad match up for us. I do not care if Greensboro is "neutral." We are the better team and I just hope that we play like it.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I don't care who we play, just as long as we are playing.

The heels would be nice though.

[rthomas]

I want to play on Sunday. Anybody. One game at a time!

[ncexnyc]

As the Nature Boy, Ric Flair used to say, "To be the man, you've got to beat the man." So I'm definitely down for a rematch. I want a chance to win my sodas back.

[jv001]

Since I never root for unc against anyone, I can't say that I hope we play them in the finals. But if we do I expect we beat them. And Greensboro is not as bad as Charlotte but it's not Duke friendly either. But if we purchase enough tickets that can be altered. Go Duke!

[NYC Duke Fan]

Lunardi's new bracket still has us a #1 seed and UNC a #2. More realistically, we're probably both a #2 right now and if either one wins the ACCT they have a good shot at a #1.

I just do not see us as a number 1 seed. A number 1 seed means that we are a Final 4 team, which in my opinion we are not. I am not sure that we are an Elite 8 team. If Singler returns to his 2010 tournament play then we might be, if not than sayonara early.

We have not beaten any really top teams this year, Kansas State, Michigan State and UNC being the best we have beaten. I think that there are many Bg East teams that will be a handful for Duke and if they get 11 teams in as expected we would meet one of them fairly early on.

[Devilsfan]

I bet nobody wants to play them more than Ryan Kelly. He probably wants one more shot at them before next season.

[DonnyDevil]

Well my EVO smartphone that my son threw in the toilet over the weekend magically just started working again... That must be a good sign for Duke this weekend and the NCAA right!!?

[jv001]

Well my EVO smartphone that my son threw in the toilet over the weekend magically just started working again... That must be a good sign for Duke this weekend and the NCAA right!!?

How bout we flush the heels down the toilet this weekend. Go Duke!

[UrinalCake]

I might be in the minority here but I'd prefer the Heels lose early. I think they could be anywhere from a #2 to a #4 seed depending on their performance and I'd like for them to lose so they have a harder road in the NCAAT. The only positive for us in beating them versus beating another team is that we'd get another win against a ranked team, thus helping our SOS. But I don't think that matters too much if we've won the ACCT anyways. There's the psychological lift of beating the team that just beat us, but again I don't think that matters much as long as we just win.

[UrinalCake]

Well my EVO smartphone that my son threw in the toilet over the weekend magically just started working again... That must be a good sign for Duke this weekend and the NCAA right!!?

If that happens again, put the phone in a container full of rice grains for a day or two. That will pull the moisture out of the phone. Worked like a charm after my wife dunked her iPhone in the hot tub...

[ChicagoHeel]

In an ideal world Duke goes down by 25 on Friday and then subsequently finds itself in a bracket with several Big East teams, while we waltz to an ACC tournament a number one seed. Actually, I might prefer a number two seed in a bracket with a weak number one- flying under the radar has its advantages.

The prospect of going 2-1 against you and taking both ACC titles in a year that was supposed to be yours is deeply enticing. Lots of upside to a rematch. However, I would be concerned that our players would enter the game riding a nine-game win streak with a mindset "we have DUke's number" and lack the intensity necessary to win.

[jv001]

I might be in the minority here but I'd prefer the Heels lose early. I think they could be anywhere from a #2 to a #4 seed depending on their performance and I'd like for them to lose so they have a harder road in the NCAAT. The only positive for us in beating them versus beating another team is that we'd get another win against a ranked team, thus helping our SOS. But I don't think that matters too much if we've won the ACCT anyways.

I don't unc playing in Charlotte if we play there. Charlotte is unc south. And as I said before I hope they never win another game. I don't care if the biggest rivalry in sports goes down the tubes. I will never root for them against anyone. Send them back to hell. Go Duke!

[rasputin]

I'm another who wants Carolina to lose every game they play, so I'm not rooting for a Sunday rubber match.

[hurleyfor3]

I want Roy to maintain his mindset of blowing off conference tournaments.

[wsb3]

Yea, see my post, #16, above. Kinda like calling the Charlotte Coliseum a "neutral" court in 2005.. Those *&%$ even booed our band and cheerleaders that day.

That is true. I was there and it was a little hard for me to believe. It seemed about 75% against us at least. JJ said they walked in a restaurant and got booed.

[dukebluesincebirth]

If Kyle is going to bring his A game and Ryan Kelly is going to show up, OF COURSE!

If I'm going to get a generally same performance as Saturday, NO WAY!

I don't think UNC is going to make many adjustments at all, pretty much everything they did, worked. From Coach K's comments, I don't know if he'll make many adjustments either. He seemed to think it was just a matter of open shots not falling. I have to keep confidence in Kyle turning things around because if not, our season is pretty much over. He has the warrior mentality to not give up, so I'll give Kyle (and Kelly) another chance.
BRING IT!

[Matches]

I am all for playing them again but only if we win. Not interested in losing to them again.