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247Sports suggests UNC's NCAA Tournament chances lie at the hands of archrival Duke
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- 247Sports suggests UNC's NCAA Tournament chances lie at the hands of archrival Duke
While the UNC basketball team is focused on beating Virginia Tech on Tuesday (March 4) to extend its five-game winning streak, the ultimate test comes later this week.
On Saturday, North Carolina (19-11, 12-6 ACC) welcomes archrival Duke to the Dean Dome for a 6:30 p.m. tip. Not only will the Tar Heels be looking to avenge their 87-70 loss on Feb. 1 in Durham, but also the Tar Heels are in desperate need of a signature win for NCAA Tournament contention.
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Though a loss will not destroy UNC's chances, it'll make getting into March Madness significantly tougher. North Carolina would likely have to win the ACC Tournament, meaning it'll have to face Clemson , Louisville and/or Duke again.
247Sports' Carter Bahns is one of many who thinks the Tar Heels' chances will come down to Saturday against the Blue Devils .
"Some of the panic subsided at North Carolina over the active four-game (now 5-game) winning streak, but the Tar Heels are not out of the woods yet," Bahns said. "Their at-large hopes may well come down to the rematch with Duke in the regular-season finale. R.J. Davis and the rest of the lineup had few answers for the Blue Devils in their first meeting, which got out of hand in a hurry, but the next one comes inside the Dean Dome, where anything can happen — especially in this rivalry series. Spring the upset, and UNC will leapfrog a couple of teams on the bubble."
I never like praising Duke, but it looks like a national championship contender. The Blue Devils are tall, extremely talented, have a deeper bench and veteran stars, such as Tyrese Proctor .
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UNC looks a lot better since beating Syracuse in mid-February , but UNC hasn't beaten a good team since Jan. 7 against SMU . Can North Carolina do it again Saturday?
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC's NCAA Tournament chances come down to Duke, says 247Sports
