March 2, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) shoots a free throw in the second half against the NC State Wolfpack at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Image North Carolina was devastated Thursday to hear the news that its star freshman of the year is done. But the Tar Heels still believe they can repeat the best moments of a memorable season by sweeping their rivals.
No. 17 North Carolina will travel by bus to Durham, N.C., on Saturday to play top-ranked Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium. There they will try to replicate their previous win in Chapel Hill.
“Just getting another win, it’s hard to get a win there,” North Carolina guard Seth Trimble said. “It’s a very historic stadium and they have a huge home-court advantage, but if you look at history, if there’s one team that can go in there and win, it’s North Carolina.”
A month after North Carolina’s 71-68 upset was capped by Trimble’s 3-pointer as time expired, the Tar Heels are on a four-game winning streak.
The chaos on the court following the buzzer-beater against the Blue Devils led to claims that a Duke employee suffered facial injuries during the mayhem. The district attorney found no evidence to file charges.
The Tar Heels (24-6, 12-5) won 67-63 over Clemson in Tuesday’s home finale. That included a season-high 20 points from Luka Bogavac and a career-high 10 rebounds from Jarin Stevenson.
But freshman forward Caleb Wilson, who was working his way back from a fractured hand he suffered in the last six games, actually suffered another injury (a broken thumb) that turned out to be season-ending. Coach Herbert Davis confirmed the injury Friday.
Wilson scored 20 or more points in 17 games and was the team’s leading scorer and rebounder.
But the Tar Heels adjusted without their leading scorer. The players are rallying around the concept of sharing the offensive burden.
“With Caleb out, I think the guys took a step forward every game,” North Carolina guard Derek Dixon said. “It’s not always the same guy, you know, and I think that’s just a testament to the depth we have. I think going forward, everyone playing with confidence is going to be a really big thing for us.”
North Carolina has secured a No. 4 seed in next week’s ACC Tournament.
Duke (28-2, 16-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) has won seven straight since their first meeting with the Tar Heels and holds the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
“I don’t know if it will be a turning point,” Duke coach John Sheyer said of the result of the first game against North Carolina. “I think it’s just another benchmark and step in the season. I think a loss gives you an opportunity to look at the game a little differently. As a coach, I made sure: What can we do better for these guys?”
Duke’s Cameron Boozer is second in the ACC with 22.6 points per game and leads the league with 10 rebounds per game.
The two teams have split the last 14 meetings. Scheyer said he liked the Blue Devils’ improvement since last month’s loss.
“I think it gave each of us an opportunity to look at ourselves in the mirror, address what each of us can do individually, and then really understand where our team is and where we’re growing,” Scheyer said. “I think that’s shown in (recent) games.”
–Field level media
