North Carolina and Duke are consistently the ACC’s best basketball programs.
There are 11 NCAA Titles and 53 conference tournament championships between the two archrivals, plus a countless number of NBA players from each school. There is also no shortage of fireworks in the Tobacco Road Rivalry – just see Caleb Love’s shot in the 2022 Final Four for reference.
Both programs show that North Carolina is the nation’s best state for college basketball, but there’s a third in-state school – NC State – making its case amongst the ACC’s best.
The Wolpfack needed to win the ACC Tournament – and did – to have a shot at the Big Dance. They’ve won seven straight games, largely behind the post play of big man DJ Burns.
UNC, Duke and NC State have rarely been good at the same time, but this year is an exception.
For the first time since 2015, all three in-state rivals are in the Sweet 16.
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North Carolina has reached the Sweet 16 by downing Wagner and Michigan State. The Tar Heels next face Alabama on Thursday, March 28 at 9:39 p.m. ET.
That dark blue school from Durham dispatched College of Charleston and whooped James Madsion en route to the Sweet 16. The Wolfpack upset Texas Tech in the Round of 64, then came back to beat one-round Cinderella team Oakland last weekend.
Will we see two of these programs in the Final Four? There’s a possibility of UNC facing either Duke or NC State – if each team wins three more games apiece.
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