More On Duke’s Win In Chapel Hill

It wasn’t what we’ve been used to in this rivalry, but there were some really interesting things for Duke.

They tried. UNC really did.

They wanted to uphold their side of the rivalry and for part of the first half and into the second, they did, particularly RJ Davis, who played really well in his farewell to the Dean Dome.

The truth though is that it would take a tremendous effort for the Tar Heels to beat this Duke team. And they did play with a lot of heart and emotion.

Did you catch that block by Elliot Cadeau? We never imagined he could do that. And we haven’t seen a team turn Duke over like that in forever. That part of UNC’s game was highly impressive. And while it wasn’t entirely their doing, getting Cooper Flagg in foul trouble was a big deal and could have been a big break.

In the end though, it was just too much Duke. Flagg played brilliantly in the second half, aggressively yet not picking up another foul. Duke shot 61 percent in the second half too and you could almost see the air going out of UNC’s balloon.

And the Blue Devils got contributions from everyone. Go down the line - Kon Knueppel shot 7-10. Sion James took over offensively when Flagg sat with foul trouble and he also had three steals.

Maluach had nine rebounds. Flagg had 15 points, nine rebounds, six assists and four blocks - in 29 minutes.

And Maliq Brown returned in style. He really does things on defense that are just so different from anyone else on the team. Maluach is 7-2 and he’s impossibly long. Even if he doesn’t block a shot, he alters it.

Most of what Brown does he does when everyone’s feet are on the floor. He’s just the ultimate disruptor and it’s because he knows where to be and knows how to get his hands on the ball.

Keep in mind that while Duke pulled off a nice comeback at the Dean Dome, at least offensively they didn't get much from Mason Gillis, Patrick Ngongba, Isaiah Evans and Caleb Foster (although Foster was the first player that Jon Scheyer mentioned in his post-game comments).

Yet you can’t ignore those guys because all of them can hurt you.

This is less true than it used to be since there is no more round robin schedule, but the thing about conference play is you get to know the other teams very well. So while Duke will be the favorite in next week’s ACC Tournament, everyone knows your game. Duke might get better still, but ask Gonzaga about conference games. You just never know.

Still, the Blue Devils are heading into the post-season with a tail-wind. Having Brown back is huge and the team chemistry is impressive. There’s a pretty good chance that Duke will see UNC again in the semifinals and while at this point most people will concede that game to the Blue Devils, the Heels showed that, at least for stretches, they could keep up. If they play again in Charlotte, don’t be surprised if UNC gives Duke a tougher game.