No. 1 Duke Hosts No. 17 UNC in Rivalry Rematch

The Blue Devils and Tar Heels meet again at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday.

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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The top-ranked Duke Blue Devils will host the No. 17 North Carolina Tar Heels in a highly anticipated ACC rivalry matchup on Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina. Duke leads the ACC standings with a 28-2 overall record and 16-1 conference mark, while North Carolina enters the game as the No. 4 seed in the ACC Tournament with a 24-6 overall record and 12-5 conference record.

Why it matters

This game is a marquee matchup between two of college basketball's most storied programs. Duke and North Carolina have a long-standing rivalry, and their games are always highly anticipated events for fans. The winner of this game will gain momentum heading into the ACC Tournament and potentially the NCAA Tournament.

The details

The game will feature a matchup of two star freshmen - Duke's Cameron Boozer and North Carolina's Caleb Wilson. Boozer leads the Blue Devils in points, rebounds, and assists, while Wilson has been out since injuring his hand in February but is progressing in his recovery. Both players are expected to be high draft picks in the 2026 NBA Draft. The game will be played at the iconic Cameron Indoor Stadium, where Duke's passionate "Cameron Crazies" fan base will be in full force.

  • The game will be played on Saturday, March 7, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. ET.

The players

Cameron Boozer

A star freshman forward for the Duke Blue Devils who leads the team in points, rebounds, and assists per game.

Caleb Wilson

A star freshman guard for the North Carolina Tar Heels who has been out since injuring his hand in February but is progressing in his recovery.

Jon Scheyer

The head coach of the Duke Blue Devils.

Hubert Davis

The head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels.

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What they’re saying

“It's a good challenge either way for our defense. And I really want us to play our standard in who we are and what we've done regardless if he's playing or not.”

— Jon Scheyer, Duke Head Coach (The Associated Press)

“He's been doing individual workouts. Since we played on Tuesday, we didn't have practice yesterday, and we'll practice today. He'll do more today. But other than that, I don't have any other information.”

— Hubert Davis, North Carolina Head Coach (The Associated Press)

What’s next

The winner of this game will gain momentum heading into the ACC Tournament and potentially the NCAA Tournament.

The takeaway

This highly anticipated rivalry matchup between the top-ranked Duke Blue Devils and the No. 17 North Carolina Tar Heels will feature a clash of star freshmen and the passionate "Cameron Crazies" fan base, with both teams looking to gain an edge heading into the postseason.