6:48 pm ET
Dalen CuffESPN
On Saturday night at 18:00 ET on ESPN we will witness one of the most anticipated events in university basketball. Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski will be out for his last game at the historic indoor Cameron Stadium. And to add a little extra intrigue, Blue Devils’ opponent 4 is Tar Heels of North Carolina. The biggest rivalry in college hoops will be resumed for the last time in Cameron with the legend presiding over the Blue Devils.
The expectation cannot be higher, nor can the ticket prices. On the secondary market, the cheapest ticket is about $ 3,000 and the most expensive is about $ 80,000. In the off-season, a package of four seats on the court was sold at a charity auction for $ 1 million.
It will be a scene that many of us never forget, but since this is what we do here, what is the probability of winning a winning ticket when the pomp and circumstances are over?
Coach K is 486-434-14 against the overall spread of the 1993-94 season (as far as our database is concerned). But the numbers against North Carolina aren’t that pretty if you’re a Duke gambler. From 1993-94 the Blue Devils are 26-37-1 ATS against their biggest rival and the insignificant 8-19 ATS at home.
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Although the historical perspective is interesting, it is not entirely relevant for this season. Duke is 17-11-2 ATS this season and has won 12 of his last 13 games in a row, including a 20-point defeat at UNC in Chapel Hill last month (Duke was the favorite with 3.5 points in that game). This young team of the Blue Devils is playing well, but has not yet reached its full potential. They are perhaps the most talented team in the country, but had some shortcomings at the end of the game in tense matches, including losses straight from Miami (+15.5) and Virginia (+11) at home. Oddly enough, Duke was less dominant in Cameron this season, averaging 8.5 points per game, making it the bottom half of Krzyszewski’s season. On the road, the Blue Devils won an average of 14.2 PPG, the second best score in Coach K’s era.
After the shelling in February, UNC won six of seven and began playing with more consistent effort and cohesion at both ends of the floor. Armando Bacot is the ACC Player of the Year candidate and is currently playing at the top of his game. Tar Heels are still on the balloon of the tournament, so this is a great opportunity for them to solidify their resume. However, they are the lower team here and are outsiders with 12 points on Saturday night.
On this historic night, putting pressure on Duke to be the best for their coach will be different from anything they have felt. Coach K. is a master of the mental part of the game, but I’m not sure that even he can protect this young team from the feeling of the moment. I expect Coach K to get into Cameron’s sunset with a victory, but with this pressure, combined with the Blue Devils’ home form and the hungry opponent who wants to ruin this moment, I think the Hills will take you to the city.