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UNC vs. Duke and why the stakes are so high in historic Final Four matchup

This game is bigger than Coach K's last home game at Cameron. A true Cinderella story where the clock is always ticking.

NEW ORLEANS — Are you ready for one of the most historical rivalry games of the season? A blue blood battle that could determine who has bragging rights. 

This game is bigger than Duke Men's Basketball Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski's last home game at Cameron. It's like a tale of two cities. A true Cinderella story where the clock is always ticking. 

RELATED: Final Four Blog | UNC vs. Duke on the road in New Orleans

The fact that the Tar Heels and the Blue Devils are meeting up in the Final Four is intense enough, but it doesn't stop there. It will be the end of an era for Coach K as he leads Duke to a potential championship. It is also the beginning of an era for UNC Head Coach Hubert. 

Duke and Carolina play Saturday, April 2 at 8:49 p.m. ET on TBS.

Let's break it all down. 

  • Duke and UNC have played each other 257 times, but never once in the NCAA Tournament - until now.
  • It's Coach K's final season, and this is his biggest game against UNC yet with a chance at redemption on the line. That's after the Tar Heels upset the Blue Devils in the last game of the regular season. 
  • It's Hubert Davis' first season as North Carolina's Head Coach with Roy Williams sitting in the stands at the games. Davis played for the Tar Heels from 1988 to 1992. He was an assistant head coach under former head coach Roy Williams, who was in the stands when the Heels beat the Peacocks. 
  • Davis is the fourth UNC head coach to lead his team to an NCAA Tournament berth in his first season at the helm, joining Bill Guthridge in 1998, Matt Doherty in 2001, and Roy Williams in 2004.
  • UNC owns the overall series against Duke, 142-115. However, Krzyzewski is 50-47 all-time against UNC. 
  • UNC has six national titles (1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009, 2017) compared to Duke's five (1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015). 
  • Including this one, UNC has been to 21 Final Fours. This is Duke's 17th trip to the Final Four.

RELATED: 'It's like a storybook' | UNC and Duke basketball legends talk Final Four

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