Blue Devil Country

Duke Basketball: Former UNC Champ Says Tar Heels 'Punked' Blue Devils

The UNC and Duke basketball teams have headed in opposite directions since their meeting.

Matt Giles

Photo credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
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One could say UNC basketball hasn't yet moved on from its 93-84 home victory over the archrival Duke basketball squad. Almost two weeks later, the No. 9 Blue Devils (19-5, 10-3 ACC) are riding a three-game winning streak and boast a better overall record than the No. 7 Tar Heels (19-6, 11-3), who have dropped two of three since that win.

And listening to some comments from a Tidal League podcast episode this week, one could say 2017 UNC basketball national champions Justin Jackson and Theo Pinson are equally stuck in the recent past. 

"You know, that Duke team, I don't know if they're necessarily the most talented team or the best Duke team that we've seen in a few years," Jackson explained to Pinson. "But [the Tar Heels] did exactly what they were supposed to do: protected home court. It's a rivalry game. Did what they needed to do."

Pinson took it a step further.

"It was funny to me because we kind of punked them," Pinson opined. "I feel like we punked them. I mean, I never felt watching the game that like...I didn't think they believed they could beat us. It looked like they felt like we were a better team. And maybe we were just a better team that night.

"I think we're a better team overall. But that night, we dominated."

However, Pinson then sort of admitted that the Blue Devils aren't utterly garbage all around.

"They have some guys on their team," he added. "I like [Jared] McCain. McCain's solid. [Kyle] Filipowski. He's OK. He's solid. He can do his thing. He's mobile. He settled a lot, though. He settled for a lot of jumpshots to help us out a lot.

"Hey, listen: prove it. I gotta see it."

Again, post-Feb. 3 records suggest the Blue Devils (3-0 since) have proven better at responding to the loss than the Tar Heels (1-2) have been at responding to the win.

Sure, Duke has since played three straight at home while UNC has been on the road for two of their three outings. Even so, their strengths of schedule haven't been all that different; not counting the wins over UNC, the Tar Heels' last three opponents have a combined 17 ACC victories this season, and the Blue Devils' last three total 16.

They'll meet again in the regular-season finale on March 9 when the "punked" Blue Devils host the Tar Heels in Durham.

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Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country on SI.com for more Duke basketball news.

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Matt Giles
MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of Duke Blue Devils on SI, North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining SI in 2022, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.

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