Duke Basketball: 2021-22 keys to beating North Carolina on the road

Coach K is set to make his final trip to Chapel Hill on Saturday when Duke Basketball and North Carolina face off in the best rivalry in college basketball. The Blue Devils will travel nine miles down Tobacco Road to face a familiar opponent, but with a new man at the helm.

This will be the first meeting between Duke and UNC that doesn’t include both Mike Krzyzewski and Roy Williams since 2003 when Matt Doherty was the head coach of the Tar Heels, and next year, for the first time since 1995, neither Williams nor Krzyzewski will be apart of the historic rivalry as Coach K is retiring at the end of the 2021-22 season.

But for now, the Blue Devils have their sights set on one objective on Saturday: handle business, and beat UNC. Last year Duke really struggled against UNC as the Tar Heels won both games by a combined 22 points, but this season is a much different story.

Duke will enter the Smith Center on Saturday ranked ninth in the nation, sitting atop the ACC standings, and boasting an 18-3 record, while UNC enters the game unranked, fourth in the ACC, and boasting a 16-6 record. That being said, Duke is the favorite on Saturday, but anything can happen in this game, as we’ve seen in years past.

North Carolina has a lot on the line when they suit up to play Duke, the Tar Heels are only a half-game behind Duke in the ACC Standings, and unlike Duke, UNC is fighting for their NCAA Tournament life. The Tar Heels don’t have any wins against teams who are currently ranked, which means their resume isn’t very strong, if they are able to knock off the Blue Devils, that would turn everything around, and would likely give them a decent chance to make the tournament next month.

That being said, Duke has to come into Saturday’s game looking to play their game, and not giving UNC even an inch, because if you give them an inch, they’ll take a mile. So overall, what are the keys for Duke to handle business, and beat North Carolina on Saturday night?