On Feb. 7, No. 4 Duke will make the 9.8-mile trip down Tobacco Road from Durham to Chapel Hill for the 265th all-time matchup with No. 16 North Carolina.
A win over Duke is crucial for UNC to stay on track and continue to improve its resume before the NCAA tournament. Led by first-year forward Cameron Boozer, the nation’s leading scorer and a likely top-three 2026 NBA draft pick, the Blue Devils pose a tall task.
Here are three keys in order for North Carolina to come out on top in Chapel Hill:
Shore up perimeter defense
In UNC’s three conference losses, the common denominator has been poor perimeter defense. The Tar Heel defense allowed the Mustangs, Cardinals and Golden Bears to all shoot above 50 percent from beyond the arc.
Against Cal, North Carolina gave up 54 first -half points, including 10 threes.
Duke guard Isaiah Evans, who shoots over seven threes per game, will pose as a major threat to UNC.
Head coach Hubert Davis must come up with a different plan to defend. Opponents aren’t just getting lucky — the Tar Heels have experienced major defensive lapses during ACC play.
Utilize size and depth
Unlike last season, North Carolina’s strength lies in the frontcourt. Spearheaded by 6-foot-10 first-year forward Caleb Wilson and 7-foot center Henri Veesaar, the duo has been outstanding this season.
As for Duke, besides Boozer at 6-foot-9 and center Patrick Ngongba II at 6-foot-11, the Blue Devils rotation is limited in the size department. Depth wise, Duke may have the best player on the floor. But UNC has more proven players.
First-year Derek Dixon has stepped strongly into the starting role. His third start in the victory at Virginia likely solidified his status as the starting point guard moving forward. Off the bench, junior forward Jarin Stevenson can provide a spark for North Carolina, as seen with his 17-point second-half performance against UVA.
As Davis continues to mix and match with different lineups, it’s clear he has an array of height and talent at his disposal to throw at Duke.
Don’t start slow and don’t blow leads
The Tar Heels have neither been openers nor closers this season. Losses and near losses have come from either digging themselves into deep holes early on or taking their foot off the gas and allowing teams to slowly creep back in.
In the defeat against Cal, the Tar Heels were looking at a 19-point deficit as they headed into the locker room at the half. Although they made a late push, it was too little too late.
UNC picked up wins versus Wake Forest and Ohio State, but in dangerous territory. After gaining 15-point and 11-point advantages, respectively, over the Demon Deacons and Buckeyes, both games would end up coming down to the final buzzer.
North Carolina may not have the luxury of starting slow and attempting to mount a comeback as they did against UVA. It will be a challenge to get a lead and therefore keep it against the No. 4 Blue Devils.
If North Carolina can show consistency throughout the game and avoid scoring droughts, it could add yet another top-ranked win to its resume.
