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The 266th meeting between college basketball powerhouses Duke and North Carolina is set for Saturday (February 7) at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, reigniting one of sports' most storied rivalries.
The fourth-ranked Blue Devils (21-1, 10-0 ACC) will face the 14th-ranked Tar Heels (18-4, 6-3 ACC) at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, with College GameDay broadcasting live from the venue earlier in the day.
"It's indescribable," former Duke basketball star and current ESPN analyst Jay Williams told CBS17. "North Carolina can come hobbling into this game or Duke can come hobbling into this game, and it still has a Super Bowl-like feel because it's a momentum swinger."
The matchup features two of college basketball's top freshmen and projected top-five NBA Draft picks in UNC's Caleb Wilson and Duke's Cameron Boozer, adding another chapter to a rivalry that has seen the teams meet as ranked opponents 88 times – 47 more than any other matchup in college basketball history.
North Carolina holds a slight 145-117 advantage in the all-time series, but the teams have been remarkably even when meeting as ranked opponents, with UNC holding a narrow 44-43 edge in those contests, according to the Star News Online.
At the Smith Center specifically, the Tar Heels are 21-19 against Duke, though the Blue Devils have won three of the last four games in Chapel Hill. When the first game of the season series is played at the Smith Center, Duke holds an 11-9 advantage.
The statistical matchup appears tight, with Duke averaging 84.1 points per game to UNC's 83.1, while the Blue Devils have been significantly stronger defensively, allowing 63.6 points per game compared to UNC's 70.6, according to ESPN.
The rivalry has Chapel Hill buzzing with excitement. Local retailers report "Beat Duke" merchandise flying off shelves ahead of the game.
"There's always a demand for it every day of the year, obviously, it's 'beat Duke' every day," said Mattie York of Chapel Hill Sportswear.