“We’re two of the great programs. We’re accustomed, they’re accustomed to playing in buildings that have a lot of energy, for or against them,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “So to be in that moment (Friday), the people who were in the stands, they have a chance to enjoy that because those moments don’t happen all the time. Our two programs have created a lot of them.”
Separated by about 10 miles, Duke (25-8) and North Carolina are one ACC Tournament title apart for most in the conference. Duke has won 19 and North Carolina 18.
Duke is 12-8 against North Carolina in the ACC Tournament, but the Blue Devils have not met the Tar Heels in the tourney since beating them in the 2011 title game.
This will be only the fifth time they have played outside the state of North Carolina. Three times they have played in the ACC Tournament in Atlanta, and in 1971, North Carolina beat Duke in the NIT semifinals at Madison Square Garden. Game 245 in the rivalry will be played in the borough where Michael Jordan was born, with a trip to the ACC Tournament finals on the line.
The teams split this season, with each winning on its home floor.
"The atmosphere will be great, the fans will be great," Duke's Luke Kennard said. "We have great fans who travel with us, they have fans who travel with them."
The crowd at Barclays Center for the early session Thursday was mostly covered in the schools’ two shades of blue. The top-seeded Tar Heels advanced to the semifinals by beating Miami 78-53 in the early game.
The Blue Devils had a much more challenging game against Louisville (24-8).
“So that was a quarterfinal game?” Krzyzewski said. “Holy mackerel. Wow, that was a big-time game.”
Jayson Tatum scored 25 points to lead the Blue Devils. Kennard had 24, including some big 3s down the stretch, and Allen added 18 in his best performance in a month.