By Eddy Landreth
Staff Writer
The Carolina-Duke men’s basketball game is the premier product in the Atlantic Coast Conference’s television inventory.
The bi-annual regular-season game is recognized universally as one of the top rivalries in all of sports. Whether the game is played in the Smith Center or Cameron Indoor Stadium, the arena is packed with eager fans and a media hoard.
These games draw some of the best television ratings across the country for a regular-season game.
On Wednesday night, the two renewed the contest that has become a brand unto itself. Both sides benefit from the spotlight in recruiting, memorabilia sales and attention from would-be students who want to be a part of such a collegiate atmosphere.
“I just know that it’s North Carolina against Duke,†UNC coach Roy Williams said before the game, “and we’ve got to play our best game of the year, regardless of where we’re playing or what time the game is.â€
Yet having said all of this, the most important game the fifth-ranked Tar Heels may have played to date could well be last Saturday’s 83-74 victory at Maryland.
The Terrapins always give Carolina fits at College Park. Maryland had won four of the previous six games between the two entering Saturday’s contest. This one proved no different in terms of competition. The Terps led 40-37 at halftime.
What makes this game so important in the overall spectrum of the season, which includes the Tar Heels’ hopes for a run at the national championship, is that UNC underwent genuine progress on the road. The crowd fits every description of fanatical at the Comcast Center, and the Terrapins always play with peak emotion there.
This year’s Carolina team has not played particularly well on the road. To come from behind and play its best basketball in the second half, with Kendall Marshall and Tyler Zeller carrying four fouls, can only boost the team’s spirits and fertilize its confidence.
“It’s a great win for our team,†Marshall said. “It was big for us to get a win on the road. That is what we have struggled with this year. When we have had road games, we haven’t played 40 minutes. Tonight we didn’t play 40 minutes; we played 20 minutes. But we still found a way to win it.â€
One of the critical developments for Carolina is the way Reggie Bullock continues to play since taking Dexter Strickland’s starting spot after he suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Bullock guards one of the top scorers from the opposition in each game, and so far he has done nothing but produce. He works hard to move his feet, and he utilizes a far more lengthy reach than Strickland had at his disposal.
Maryland guard Terrell Stoglin leads the ACC in scoring at more than 21 points per game. Stoglin scored 20 against UNC, but he went 8-of-21 from the floor to get those points. He only took four free throws as well, making three.
“You have to give Reggie a lot of credit for being able to hold Stoglin to 8-of-21,†Marshall said.
This kind of win is an ideal memory to lodge and draw upon in future tight games. One thing Carolina and Duke have always done is execute with the game on the line, and each often finds a way to win when it appears it should not.
That is one of the qualities that make them Carolina and Duke.
The victory at Maryland could be the one that finally jump-starts Carolina to become just such a team.
“I think it will help us a lot,†Zeller said. “Last year we had a lot of games like this, but it shows that we can be tough enough in the end to make the plays and get the stops we need.
“There are a few things we want to fix down the stretch, but it’s nice to fix that now instead of in the NCAA Tournament when it’s life or death.â€