MBB: Duke vs. Carolina (ACCT), 3/10 7 pm ESPN Pre-Game & In-Game Thread

[Bob Green]

Rubber match in the ACC Semi-finals. We won at home, they won at home, let's settle this thing on a neutral court!

[utahdevil]

GTHC!!

[CDu]

I just hope we have the legs to get through tomorrow. Because I think that - with Allen finding himself again - we present serious matchup problems for UNC. Let's hope we can muster the energy to get the win!

[Olympic Fan]

Interesting note -- with Duke and UNC meeting in the semifinals, one or the other is guaranteed a spot in the championship game.

That will be the 21st straight ACC title game that features Duke or UNC. The last time neither one made the finals, it was Tim Duncan and Wake Forest beating Stephon Marbury and Georgia Tech in 1996!

Either Duke or North Carolina has reached the finals in 55 of 64 title games (counting this year).

No wonder the rest of the conference hates us.

[gofurman]

I just hope we have the legs to get through tomorrow. Because I think that - with Allen finding himself again - we present serious matchup problems for UNC. Let's hope we can muster the energy to get the win!

I know it's heresy but by winning today we achieved a lot and I could stomach a loss. Even to Unc. We probably solidified a 3/4 seed and, more importantly, Allen looked relatively healthy. If Allen is healthy we are dangerous as that gives 4 threats - Plus Amile..

If UVA loses today or tomorrow we are probably locked in Greenville now. Go Notre Dame.

Health. Health. Health. Grayson. Amile

From those that watched closely today did Allen appear pretty healthy? I saw a little on TV

[jmck214]

I bet the crowd will be at least 50/50 since we are in Brooklyn. Probably closer to 60/40 Duke. I remember when we used to meet in Charlotte or Greensboro it was closer to 75/25 UNC

[CDu]

Allen looked physically the best he has looked since early/mid-February. He was looking that way yesterday too, just was a little too sloppy to be effective. He doesn't appear to be 100%, but he is getting closer to 100%. I now no longer fear he will be very hindered in the tourney unless he suffers a setback.

[Olympic Fan]

Just for the record, Duke is 12-8 head- to-head vs. UNC in the ACC Tournament.

I agree -- a Virginia loss tonight or tomorrow locks Duke into Greenville (even with a loss to UNC Friday night ... a win and we can start thinking about a No. 2 seed).

[BandAlum83]

Go Duke!!!

[CDu]

Just for the record, Duke is 12-8 head- to-head vs. UNC in the ACC Tournament.

I agree -- a Virginia loss tonight or tomorrow locks Duke into Greenville (even with a loss to UNC Friday night ... a win and we can start thinking about a No. 2 seed).

One of the nice things about the win today is that it helps further strengthen the "we are a better team than our 3-4 start" argument. We beat FSU once roughly healthy (Allen banged up, but still). We now have avenged the Louisville loss. Those two losses (without Jefferson or Coach K) can now be fairly reasonably discounted.

[summerwind03]

Just for the record, Duke is 12-8 head- to-head vs. UNC in the ACC Tournament.

I agree -- a Virginia loss tonight or tomorrow locks Duke into Greenville (even with a loss to UNC Friday night ... a win and we can start thinking about a No. 2 seed).

Very interesting, thanks. Someone asked in the in game thread whether we had ever played Carolina in the ACC Tournament!?! Ha.

[duke4ever19]

I bet the crowd will be at least 50/50 since we are in Brooklyn. Probably closer to 60/40 Duke. I remember when we used to meet in Charlotte or Greensboro it was closer to 75/25 UNC

Hmmm. this might be a bit of a "hidden advantage" of not playing this game Greensboro.

I lived and practiced in the Flushing Meadows area of New York for several years and I can affirm how well the "Duke brand" travels. I would meet Duke grads and fans everywhere. In fact, isn't that a common complaint amongst the tar heels faithful, that Duke "might as well be in New Jersey"?

Obviously, UNC, especially the Jordan connection, has a huge fan base, but I wouldn't be surprised to see more Duke blue than baby blue tomorrow with this game being played in Brooklyn.

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

Something's wrong with the thread title. We're playing the Cheats, not the Gamecocks.

[ipatent]

Allen looked physically the best he has looked since early/mid-February. He was looking that way yesterday too, just was a little too sloppy to be effective. He doesn't appear to be 100%, but he is getting closer to 100%. I now no longer fear he will be very hindered in the tourney unless he suffers a setback.

He's still not the explosive driver and dunker that he was.

[Chard]

I like to think that this will be Allen's second game in a row. Basically, the Clemson game was a practice for him.

[moonpie23]

Something's wrong with the thread title. We're playing the Cheats, not the Gamecocks.

post of the month!!

[davekay1971]

Very interesting, thanks. Someone asked in the in game thread whether we had ever played Carolina in the ACC Tournament!?! Ha.

I was asked by a UNC graduate today if Duke and UNC had ever met in the ACC Tournament championship game. In her defense, she graduated from UNC in about 2014, so maybe a bunch of the history escapes her. But still...

Or maybe her brain was damaged by being in the Dean Dome when Austin Rivers hit The Shot

[CDu]

I was asked by a UNC graduate today if Duke and UNC had ever met in the ACC Tournament championship game. In her defense, she graduated from UNC in about 2014, so maybe a bunch of the history escapes her. But still...

Or maybe her brain was damaged by being in the Dean Dome when Austin Rivers hit The Shot

She is either not a big sports fan or she has a short memory. It happened while she was in school.

[Danke Shane]

While on the topic of Duke/UNC history, Friday's game will mark only the 5th time the two teams have played each other outside the state of NC. It will be the second time Duke/UNC have faced off in NYC (1971 NIT).

[BlueDevilBrowns]

Hmmm. this might be a bit of a "hidden advantage" of not playing this game Greensboro.

I lived and practiced in the Flushing Meadows area of New York for several years and I can affirm how well the "Duke brand" travels. I would meet Duke grads and fans everywhere. In fact, isn't that a common complaint amongst the tar heels faithful, that Duke "might as well be in New Jersey"?

Obviously, UNC, especially the Jordan connection, has a huge fan base, but I wouldn't be surprised to see more Duke blue than baby blue tomorrow with this game being played in Brooklyn.

I was at the last Duke vs CHeats game in the ACCT in 2011, played at Greensboro.

Being the championship game, no other fans were really present and I'd say it was roughly 60/40 CHeats over Duke.

Greensboro has always had a fairly large contingent of local Duke fans in the area...

Now Charlotte??? Yeah, that's Chapel Hill West.