“Don’t go out there and poke your chest out, because you say, ‘Hey, we beat these guys before’” - Vince Carter believes North Carolina has to play the game, not the moment vs Duke
The North Carolina Tar Heels are unranked and were on the NCAA Tournament bubble in February. So why should they be chesty as they prepare to face the Duke Blue Devils in the Final Four? After all, Duke is ranked ninth and a No. 2 seed, and the Blue Devils are having a rollicking run in retiring icon Mike Krzyzewski's last tournament.
Well, the Tar Heels (28-9) defeated Marquette, Baylor and UCLA before toppling Saint Peter's, the tournament's latest Cinderella, in the Elite Eight. But before all that could happen, they turned their season around. A 94-81 win to ruin Coach K's farewell party on March 5 was their signature victory for a team that was once 12-6 with five blowout losses.
Many are wondering if North Carolina can pull off another upset over Duke (32-6) on Saturday in the Final Four in New Orleans, Louisiana.
On ESPN's "Get Up," former NBA and UNC star Vince Carter said he hopes the Tar Heels don't take Duke lightly because of their last meeting.
“Don’t go out there and poke your chest out, because you say, ‘Hey, we beat these guys before’” Carter said on Thursday.
North Carolina prepares for Final Four matchup against Duke
The North Carolina Tar Heels' 94-81 upset of Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium sent out shockwaves. That March 5 game was paired with an 82-67 loss to Virginia Tech a week later in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament final.
But Duke has looked like a completely different team over the past two weekends.
Duke has one of college basketball's most talented rosters, and the team has come together at the perfect time. The Blue Devils are led by their impressive frontcourt of freshman standout Paolo Banchero and defensive anchor Mark Williams.
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The Tar Heels have also been playing their best basketball of the year and have received outstanding contributions from a number of players.
Junior big man Armando Bacot has been steady for the Tar Heels. Throughout March Madness, Bacot has averaged 16.5 points, 15.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. If Bacot and electric guard Caleb Love can continue to boost UNC, they will have a chance to upset Duke and reach the national championship game.
Duke won the first meeting 87-67 at UNC on Feb. 5.