The 258th meeting between longtime rivals North Carolina and Duke is going to take place on college basketball's biggest and brightest stage. For the first time in history, they're slated to face each other in the NCAA Tournament, and naturally, it'll be an epic Final Four date at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
When the Tar Heels and Blue Devils last shared the floor, back in early March, festivities for Mike Krzyzewski's final home game at Cameron Indoor Stadium were completely spoiled. As an unranked bubble-team, North Carolina pulled off a stunning upset win, and consequently, the result ignited an unexpected tournament run and Final Four trip. Suffice to say, another North Carolina win over Duke would be the sharpest nail in Krzyzewski's coaching coffin.
"If [Duke fans] try to say something, I'm just going to bring that up every time," former North Carolina guard Joel Berry II explained to The Zach Gelb Show on Tuesday. "So, I'm hoping I can have those bragging rights. But it's going to be a tough game. It's going to be a high-level game. I just believe that whichever team can take advantage of the other team, the jitters and nervousness, that team is going to come out on top."
North Carolina, which finished the regular season 23-8 under first-year coach Hubert Davis, punched a Final Four ticket with a 69-49 drubbing of Cinderella darling Saint Peter's in the East Region final on Sunday. They held the lead for all 40 minutes, led by as many as 27 points, and star Armando Bacot recorded 20 points with 22 boards. According to ESPN Stats & Info, he's the first player with that stat line during the Elite Eight or later since Hakeem Olajuwon (1983).
North Carolina and Duke are scheduled to tip off at 8:49 p.m. ET on Saturday night in New Orleans. According to FiveThirtyEight projections, the Tar Heels currently have a 38-percent chance to make the national title game, which is set for Monday, April 4. The winner of this historic heavyweight bout will face either top-seed Kansas or 2nd-seed Villanova.
The entire Final Four conversation between Berry and Gelb can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow The Zach Gelb Show on Twitter @ZachGelb and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.