Duke is one step closer to – nope, I’m not going to say it.

The Tar Heels have to take care of business tonight against UCLA for a number of reasons. Most important is they will be one step away from the Final Four in what was once a very unlikely run in the NCAA Tournament.

Truly, two Blue Bloods of college basketball have similar stats but different objectives.

UCLA likes to run some but would rather keep the game in the 60s and cherish each possession. Carolina wants to push the pace and get more shots so its miscues won’t be as magnified.

The Bruins have at least one starter who is hobbling, wing Jaime Jaquez, which can be a big chance for Armando Bacot to continue dominating in the paint.

Hubert Davis’ team must play its best game of the postseason, a full 40 minutes, against an experienced opponent from the Final Four a year ago that does not make a lot of mistakes.

Carolina has to shake off a bad last 10 minutes of regulation against Baylor and take advantage of the opportunity to forge on. The Heels would do well to emulate their arch-rivals from Durham, who have played their best basketball in crunch time in the last two NCAA games.

Vying to keep his coaching career going, Mike Krzyzewski waited until after halftime to call for a zone defense so Texas Tech could not prepare for it. His team did the rest, shooting 70 percent in the second half to pull away down the stretch.

The Blue Devils now play No. 4 seed Arkansas, which completely outclassed top regional seed Gonzaga with its speed and defense. Should they win one more game, they will play the East Region champion in the national semifinals in New Orleans. Yes, the Tar Heels may be two wins away from the long-awaited-but-inevitable meeting in the Big Dance.

So much would be at stake in that historic Duke-Carolina renewal that – nope, I don’t want to talk about it.

 

Featured image via Todd Melet

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