The McDonald's All-American week featured four Duke commits and three future Tar Heels, making the environment ripe for some smack talk. Draft Express capitalized on the historic rivalry to film its eighth edition of its Duke-UNC Smackdown.
There was plenty of cross recruiting between North Carolina and Duke with these seven McDonald All-Americans. Tyus Jones was recruited by North Carolina, but not after the Tar Heels received a commitment from Joel Berry II. Theo Pinson said that he was a Duke fan, but, "when Grayson [Allen] committed I just felt like they had a whole lot of guards at Duke and I feel like Carolina was the right spot."
Justise Winslow was recruited by the Tar Heels before Justin Jackson committed, a team Winslow admitted growing up dreaming of going to because of Michael Jordan. Allen was also recruited by North Carolina, but Duke was always his "dream school" and the guard committed within a week of being offered.
Despite being friends off the court, the players fully recognize that the rivalry takes priority once the two teams faceoff.
"It all goes away," Jahlil Okafor said of the friendships. "I won't know Theo [Pinson] or Justin [Jackson] as a friend. They'll be my enemy. Once we're between those lines, it's going to be a war."
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