DURHAM, N.C. — The newness of Duke and North Carolina meeting in the Final Four matches how each team is playing on the court these days.
That’s the key, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said, as the Blue Devils set their game plan to face the Tar Heels Saturday night at the Final Four in New Orleans.
For as historic as this game is — it’s the first time the two fierce rivals have met in the NCAA Tournament — it’s also the third time they’ve played this season.
The carryover from one game to the next to the next, though, is actually very little, Krzyzewski said.
“What we have to do is learn who they are now,” Krzyzewski said, “not who they were here, or definitely who they were in Chapel Hill.”
Duke blasted UNC, 87-67, at the Smith Center on Feb. 5 in their initial game this season. One month later, the Tar Heels reversed the outcome, breaking open a tight game in the second half to smack the Blue Devils, 94-81.
Krzyzewski’s point, which also applies to UNC’s preparation, is that both teams are playing better basketball now than they were in their previous two games. The personnel is the same, but the players are performing better.
One example? UNC’s Caleb Love scored eight points while making only three shots in Duke’s win at Chapel Hill. Love scored 22 points at Cameron and poured in 30 when UNC beat UCLA last Friday night.
For the Blue Devils, it’s their use of the zone defense in the second half of recent NCAA tournament games to slow opposing teams’ surges.
Here’s a look at the matchup, from a Duke point of view:
Using the zone
When UNC bullied its way past Duke at Cameron, the Tar Heels scored 55 points in the second half alone, shooting 59.4% over the final 20 minutes. Yes, UNC hit 4 of 7 3-pointers in that stellar half, an impressive 57.1%, but that wasn’t the key to the comeback.
Rather, it was that just over half of their second-half points, 28, were points in the paint. Duke’s defenders were unable to keep UNC’s players from getting the ball inside for high-percentage shots and the Tar Heels took full advantage.
Similar situations have popped up in the NCAA Tournament for the Blue Devils, but they’ve used a 2-3 zone defense to clog up their middle and confound teams.
Think of it as Duke’s security blanket.
Last week at San Francisco, in the regional semifinal against Texas Tech last Thursday and the regional championship game against Arkansas on Saturday night, Duke switched to zone after the second half had begun, when its traditional man-to-man became leaky.
Up to that point, according to Synergy Sports, Duke had only played zone 4% of the time this season.
But the zone served to calm down Duke defensively as it finished off both wins.
Would that have worked against UNC at Cameron? We’ll never know for sure. But it’s something to watch for when the teams play Saturday night.
Defensive matchups
UNC coach Hubert Davis had all-ACC center Armando Bacot guarding Duke’s all-ACC freshman forward Paolo Banchero at the start of the game in Chapel Hill. That proved to be a problem as Bacot picked up two fouls and headed to the bench. Duke took advantage and won the game handily.
Bacot didn’t guard Banchero in Cameron and the result was far different.
If UNC chooses to have Brady Manek on Banchero, that should be an advantage for Banchero. Though the graduate student Manek (6-9, 230 pounds) is more experienced and older than the 6-10, 250-pound Banchero, the Duke freshman showed he could win 1-on-1 battles by driving to the basket against Manek when they’ve been matched up.
However, UNC could use its top defender, Leaky Black, to shut down Banchero. The 6-8, 200-pound Black, a senior, made the ACC all-defensive team and was the choice of some as the league’s top defender.
Banchero is Duke’s leading scorer this season and he’s been at his best in the NCAA Tournament when he drives to the basket with authority. If Black stops that and Banchero settles for mid-range jump shots, Duke will have to adjust.
Watch for Mark Williams
Bacot, a double-double machine this season in points and rebounds, scored 23 points against Duke in Cameron. He’s averaging 16.5 points per game in the NCAA Tournament.
Duke has an equalizer for him in 7-1 sophomore center Mark Williams, who led the ACC in blocked shots this season and was the league’s defensive player of the year.
Krzyzewski isn’t shy about touting Williams’ play and the difference he can make.
“He’s had a remarkable year and in the tournament he’s even gotten better,” Krzyzewski said. “And he’ll be such a key guy for us against North Carolina because Bacot is, I thought, Bacot was the best player in our league this past year.”
