Chansky's Notebook: Wins and Subplots

Are UNC and Duke going in opposite directions heading into Saturday?

It was another doubleheader of near delight Tuesday night, as Duke and Wake Forest played the 7 o’clock game, with the Tar Heels at Boston College tipping off as the teams reached halftime in Durham.

Carolina’s brilliant first half opened a 23-point lead at the break, providing us the chance to switch over and watch the Blue Devils barely beat the Deacons, whose last-second shot rolled off the rim. That would have been the biggest upset of the ACC season by far.

Carolina’s shooting cooled off in the second half, but the Eagles never got closer than the 13-point final margin in their 12th straight loss to UNC since 2010. All the key Tar Heels are healthy and performing on a high level at the right time. It’s a team of different standouts almost every game, this night Cameron Johnson and Luke Maye with double-doubles that included Maye’s career-high 20 rebounds.

Photo via Todd Melet

The big stories continued coming out of Duke, where Zion missed his fourth straight game and was all but ruled out of the regular-season finale in Chapel Hill by Mike Krzyzewski; he said after the 71-70 win over the ACC’s 13th-place team that his human highlight reel should be ready for the ACC tournament next week. The Carolina-Duke winner could still vault to the top seed if Virginia loses its last game to Louisville. But’s more likely the Heels and Devils will be the 2-3 seeds.

Sans Zion, the Dukies did not look much better than 4-13 Wake in what was likely the final home game for their four freshmen stars. It was strange to see R.J. Barrett raise both arms in triumph after only the basketball gods kept the Deacons’ winning shot from rolling in. Barrett has become a one-man team for a club whose winning-margin has dropped from 20-plus points to 4 without Williamson in the lineup.

Coach K said he expects Zion to return to practice this week, so he could be using a little gamesmanship with the ACC tourney forecast. The injury that incurred in the Cameron loss to the Tar Heels has caused some weird vibes across college basketball, since it’s clear that Zion’s family and NIKE have also had their say in when he comes back. He is more of an investment that needs to be protected than a player on whose broad shoulders rest Duke’s post-season chances.

The one-and-done dilemma has created an uncomfortable subplot for both college and pro basketball heading into the off-season.

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Chansky’s Notebook: Wins and Subplots

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