North Carolina basketball should not make any plans for The Big Dance quite yet, but their invitation might be as good as sent if they can conquer Duke in an ACC Tournament semifinal matchup on Friday night. Following a desperately-needed and gritty 68-59 win versus Wake Forest on Thursday, the team is setting its sights on its hated rival.
The Tar Heels lost two largely noncompetitive contests to the Blue Devils by a combined 30 points this season, but they should theoretically fare better with Cooper Flagg not expected to suit up. The Wooden Award contender and consensus No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft sprained his ankle in Duke’s quarterfinals victory over Georgia Tech. Additionally, Maliq Brown dislocated the same shoulder he originally separated in February and is at the hospital for further evaluation.
Nevertheless, the ACC regular season champions overcame a double-digit first-half deficit without their best player and one of their top defensive contributors, showcasing their talent and depth.
Therefore, North Carolina should face a tough test regardless. Star guard RJ Davis believes the squad is poised to figure things out in this upcoming clash in Charlotte’s Spectrum Center.
“I’m going to leave it all out on the floor,” the senior said, per the ACC Men’s Basketball X account. “This is what we wanted. They got us two times, so third time’s the charm. Let’s do it.”
“Third times a charm.”
The Tar Heels advance to take on Duke in the ACC Tournament Semifinals. pic.twitter.com/eidmysTV54
— ACC Men’s Basketball (@accmbb) March 13, 2025
What an ACC crown would mean for RJ Davis, North Carolina basketball
Because Duke should be severely shorthanded for the semis, a Tar Heels win would come with a “but.” That is of no importance to Davis or his teammates, however. The 2024 All-American and program great knows he is not guaranteed to play another college game beyond Friday. Before his distinguished North Carolina basketball career comes to a close, he wants both an ACC Tournament title and national championship.
Hanging up that ultimate banner, something Davis and the Tar Heels nearly did in 2022, is difficult to fathom at this time. Though, if the team can win its next two games, fans will start to consider this group as a potential March Madness disruption. But No. 4 will need to be in rhythm in order for that to happen.
Fortunately for the Chapel Hill community, Davis is starting to ignite. He scored a team-high 23 points and made 5-of-6 shot attempts from 3-point land versus Wake Forest, including a clutch one that put Carolina up 61-57 with less than three minutes left on the clock. The Tar Heels finished the game on a 10-2 run, ending the Demon Deacons’ NCAA Tournament dreams while extending their own.
The bubble team shot less than 34 percent and had only two other players score double-figures, so Davis offensively carried his school to the next stage. He has posted a disappointing final season for North Carolina, regressing from his outstanding 2023-24 campaign, but the White Plains, New York native has eclipsed 50 percent shooting from beyond the arc in five of his last six contests.
He is peaking at the right time, and that means North Carolina might as well. The Tar Heels and Blue Devils collide Friday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
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