NEW YORK -- The biggest rivalry in college basketball deserves three meetings in a season.
For the second straight year, we're getting it.
Duke and North Carolina moved on in their ACC quarterfinal games Thursday evening at the Barclays Center. Once again, we've got an inviting rubber match with major implications atop the NCAA Tournament bracket. Keep in mind that the selection committee is right over the Brooklyn Bridge, sequestered in the Marriott Times Square.
Think they'll have this one on the big screen Friday?
Here's what's wild: What Duke and UNC have set up is a mirror flip on what happened in last year's tournament. The committee, and the country, could have some déjà vu around 9:30 p.m. on Friday.
In 2017, Duke came back from a 12-point gap vs. Louisville in the quarterfinal to make it to Friday against the Tar Heels after UNC won earlier in the evening. On Thursday, UNC pulled off a 17-point win over Miami (82-65) despite opening up the game down 14-0. I don't have the stats for the success rate of a team that fails to score the first 14 points of a game but I imagine it's in the single digits, percentage-wise.
Before UNC won a physical affair against the Hurricanes, Duke tossed off Notre Dame and the Fighting Irish's Big Dance chances. The Blue Devils won by 18. They're the No. 2 seed. UNC is the 6.
Last season, UNC was the team chasing a No. 1 seed. This year, it's Duke vying for the top line. (UNC is still pushing to land as a No. 2, and would in theory be in discussion for a No. 1 if it beat both Duke and Virginia on consecutive days to close out the ACC season. But let's go one step at a time.)
Wait, there's more. UNC won on its home floor on Feb. 8. Duke returned serve all of five days ago. Same thing as 2017, with each team holding court in its home arena. Freaky Friday, indeed.
Once again, it's the best-case scenario for the ACC tournament in Brooklyn. Duke-UNC is never not worth the watch. Star power and coaching legends. How will UNC stop Marvin Bagley III, who went for 33 and 17 against Notre Dame? Can it? Does UNC need Joel Berry, Cam Johnson, Luke Maye and Theo Pinson all to score 14 points or more?
It's what happened when UNC held on for an 82-78 win a month ago to the day.
Pinson was a stud against Miami, putting up a career-high 25 points plus 11 rebounds. It was a satisfying win after the way Miami won at the buzzer in Chapel Hill on Feb. 27.
"Everybody and their mama is going to be watching the game tomorrow," Pinson said. "Everybody knows that. I'm going to be ready. My teammates are going to be ready. We understand we lost the last game, so that's going to get us even more hyped up about it, but at the same time, you can't be bigger than the game. You've got to be settled down and just play."
Now, a coda a year in the making for two premier programs. Duke won last year's semifinal 93-83 -- then went on to win the ACC tournament title. Will Friday's winner go on to repeat the feat? Even if not, this is going to be a treat. Duke and UNC have met 21 times in the ACC tournament before (Duke holds a 13-8 edge), but this is just the third postseason meeting in the past two seasons between these two bluebloods.
"You know, last year we lost this game that's going to be played tomorrow," UNC's Roy Williams said, then went tongue-in-cheek. "I think we kept playing. I think, my memory is not as good as it used to be, but I think we kept playing."
UNC kept playing all the way until the last game of the season. Maybe the same will come true in 2018. It should be great, and it could alter the NCAA Tournament bracket. What more could you ask for in a league semifinal? The Tar Heels are 4-1 all-time at Barclays Center.
You already know who beat them.
