The UNC basketball program has come a long way in the first year under head coach [autotag]Hubert Davis[/autotag]. After suffering some blowout losses to Kentucky, Purdue, Tennessee, Wake Forest, and Miami, the Tar Heels were on the bubble and their NCAA Tournament hopes hung in the balance.
But the Tar Heels turned it around with a winning streak and then an upset of Duke in the season finale. They continued that momentum into the NCAA Tournament where they have won four straight and punched a ticket to the Final Four.
However, at least one publication’s predictions were a clean sweep for predictions. The Athletic released their preview as well as predictions for Saturday’s showdown and not a single one of the 11 analysts picked the Tar Heels to upset Duke. Instead, they rolled with Coach K and the Blue Devils.
Here’s how I look at it.
There’s A LOT of hype in this game for the Final Four and rightfully so, because it is the first time they have met in the NCAA Tournament. It’s also Coach K’s swan song and he gets another shot at the Tar Heels after being embarrassed at home back in March.
With that…. the pressure is on Duke. And it’s not even close. Duke has the most to lose here compared to the gain that both teams have. With most of the analysts predicting Duke to win, I think UNC would prefer to fly under the radar.
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