Ahead of Duke's regular season finale against North Carolina, the Blue Zone takes a look at some film from the Tar Heels' last outing against Duke:
The wait is over.
After weeks of sleeping in tents and millions of dollars spent on tickets for the showdown, Duke fans will get a chance to see the Blue Devils take on North Carolina in head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s last ever home game.
The last time the two shades of blue saw each other on the hardwood, Brady Manek was the biggest threat North Carolina offered. Finishing the night with 21 points, including a daunting 6-of-10 from deep and six rebounds, the 6-foot-9 forward did his best to get the job done for the Tar Heels. Not only can the Harrah, Okla., native shoot from afar, but his premier-level basketball IQ allows him to get inside with relative ease, making for an easy drive to the basket. In this clip, Manek demonstrates his high skill level as he receives a pass from Caleb Love then fakes out Mark Williams from beyond. He then drives with an open lane through the key for the slam. Manek and his dangerous 3-point attack allows for the use of fakes to drive inside. The Blue Devils must remember to have an extra player available to assist on defense and prevent him from getting through to the paint.
Another player Duke must keep an eye out for is the sophomore Love. Though he wasn’t too successful on the court the last time he played Duke, only finishing with eight points on the night, the 6-foot-4 point guard is a proven asset for the Tar Heels—especially in their last four games. Against Syracuse, Love tallied 21 points, with success from the field and above the arc. He’s registered double-digits in each game and is undoubtedly a threat from the charity stripe as well, finishing a perfect 21-of-21 in free throws. Where Love shines, however, is ability to maneuver from below. In this clip, the St. Louis native gets the ball off a flip from Leaky Black, moves off the pick on Griffin, then runs past Williams to get directly below the basket. From there, Love runs to the opposite end and lays the ball up in motion.
North Carolina has a shot at redemption and to repay the favor of upsetting a Blue Devils team at their home stadium. The cards may not be in their favor, but the Tar Heels are coming into the regular season finale off the high of four straight wins. In these games, the Tar Heels have had consistent high scorers in Manek, Love and Armando Bacot, who will bring the heat come Saturday night. Defensive strongholds such as Black are likely to do their best to keep Duke in check, as well. Only time can tell the outcome, but the Blue Devils are bringing their A-game to finish off Krzyzewski’s season finale with a top-ranked performance.
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