gpikeTobacco road rivalry renewed
February 9th 2011 01:01
Wednesday night brings another match-up between two college basketball heavyweights in North Carolina. The "battle of tobacco road" with North Carolina going to face Duke.
This rivalry even with the Tar Heels being down the last couple of years has not lost any luster. North Carolina moved once again into the top-25 for the first time since the beginning of the season on Monday, at the 21st spot. Duke remains at number-five after holding the top spot for two months. Guys on both teams circle the date on the schedule when they will be facing off. Now they will get their wish.
Duke after losing freshman point guard Kyrie Irving in early December continued to win until they faced Florida State. The Seminoles beat Duke with great defense and timely shooting. St. Johns whipped Duke, 93-78 on January 30th with hot shooting. The Blue Devils couldn't figure out how to stop Dwight Hardy or Justin Brownlee. St. Johns shot 58% for the game. Even with senior guard Nolan Smith going for 32 points, Duke didn't win.
The Tar Heels had a tough non-conference schedule. Losing to Vanderbilt, Texas, Minnesota, and Illinois, all top-25 teams show how battle tested Roy Williams has the team. An 7-1 record thus far in ACC play is another great sign. The only loss came to Georgia Tech, 78-58. Georgia Tech? The Yellow Jackets are 10-12 on the season. North Carolina shot 27% for the game, costing them a perfect mark in conference play. Nothing else to say about that game. Five straight wins since then and the team is back in the top-25.
Duke's seniors Kyle Singler and Smith make the team go. The two average 36 points together, showing their significance. North Carolina also has two go-to guys in Tyson Zeller and Harrison Barnes. Zeller is averaging 14 points and seven rebounds while Barnes is at 13 points per game. Barnes is the odds-on favorite to get chosen number one next year by Cleveland in the NBA Draft. Barnes struggled early on this season but is doing good now. Duke wins this game with experience and the home-crowd by their side. North Carolina will have their revenge March fifth, the final game of the regular season, maybe with the ACC crown up for grabs.
This rivalry even with the Tar Heels being down the last couple of years has not lost any luster. North Carolina moved once again into the top-25 for the first time since the beginning of the season on Monday, at the 21st spot. Duke remains at number-five after holding the top spot for two months. Guys on both teams circle the date on the schedule when they will be facing off. Now they will get their wish.
Duke after losing freshman point guard Kyrie Irving in early December continued to win until they faced Florida State. The Seminoles beat Duke with great defense and timely shooting. St. Johns whipped Duke, 93-78 on January 30th with hot shooting. The Blue Devils couldn't figure out how to stop Dwight Hardy or Justin Brownlee. St. Johns shot 58% for the game. Even with senior guard Nolan Smith going for 32 points, Duke didn't win.
The Tar Heels had a tough non-conference schedule. Losing to Vanderbilt, Texas, Minnesota, and Illinois, all top-25 teams show how battle tested Roy Williams has the team. An 7-1 record thus far in ACC play is another great sign. The only loss came to Georgia Tech, 78-58. Georgia Tech? The Yellow Jackets are 10-12 on the season. North Carolina shot 27% for the game, costing them a perfect mark in conference play. Nothing else to say about that game. Five straight wins since then and the team is back in the top-25.
Duke's seniors Kyle Singler and Smith make the team go. The two average 36 points together, showing their significance. North Carolina also has two go-to guys in Tyson Zeller and Harrison Barnes. Zeller is averaging 14 points and seven rebounds while Barnes is at 13 points per game. Barnes is the odds-on favorite to get chosen number one next year by Cleveland in the NBA Draft. Barnes struggled early on this season but is doing good now. Duke wins this game with experience and the home-crowd by their side. North Carolina will have their revenge March fifth, the final game of the regular season, maybe with the ACC crown up for grabs.
| 30 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
Comment by Joe Soriano
Pro Sports Wrap
Orble Sport Blog