Duke basketball vs. UNC: A rivalry by the numbers

David Thompson and Rodd Baxley, The Fayetteville Observer
·2 min read
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Duke and North Carolina have met 258 times in one of college basketball’s most storied rivalries, and yet somehow, this historical hatred was taken to another level last season.

The Tar Heels spoiled Mike Krzyzweski’s final home game at Cameron Indoor and then eliminated the Blue Devils in the Final Four in the first matchup between the blue-blooded programs in the NCAA Tournament.

As this rivalry begins another chapter – Duke coach Jon Scheyer is in his first year, UNC’s Hubert Davis is in his second – let’s take a deep dive into the numbers behind this special game.

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By the numbers: Duke vs. UNC

143 – UNC owns a 143-115 series record over Duke

1920 – The first year of the rivalry. UNC won 36-25 when Duke was still known as Trinity College.

50-50 – Coach K’s overall record against the Tar Heels.

2-1 – Hubert Davis’ record against Duke.

41 – In the 41 Final Fours since 1981, Duke or UNC has been represented 25 times

11 – Combined national championships. UNC has 6. Duke has 5.

16 – Longest series winning streak, owned by UNC.

37 – The largest margin of victory, set in 1921 by the Tar Heels.

39 – Together, UNC or Duke have won 39 of the 68 ACC Tournament titles.

46 – Number of wins by Duke in Cameron Indoor against UNC. The Blue Devils are 46-39 at home against the Tar Heels.

20 – Number of wins by UNC in the Smith Center. The Tar Heels are 20-17 against Duke at the Smith Center.

86 – Number of games decided by five points or less, including UNC’s 81-77 win over Duke in the 2022 national semifinal.

158 – Number of points by Duke’s Grayson Allen against UNC. The most combined points for an individual in the rivalry since 2010.

48 – Dick Groat scored a series high 48 points during a 94-64 Duke win in 1952. Groat has the highest scoring average (27.3) of any Duke player against North Carolina, followed by RJ Barrett (24.7) and Jabari Parker (23.5).

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Duke basketball vs. UNC: A rivalry by the numbers