Tre Jones: Record Doesn't Matter in Duke-Carolina
North Carolina has a 10-12 record this year and will face Duke with a sub-.500 mark for the first time since 2002. It's the most losses UNC has had entering the first Duke game of the season in the entire history of the rivalry.
That doesn't give Duke point guard Tre Jones any additional confidence heading into the game.
"We don’t look at any type of record," Jones said. "(Against UNC) it doesn’t really matter. No record in the ACC really matters. It's always going to be a tough game, no matter what. We don’t focus on that at all."
Usually when Duke and Carolina clash, there is plenty at stake, including the ACC lead, a potential number one seed in the NCAA Tournament and positioning in the AP Top 25. That helps to add to the hype surrounding the game.
This year, however, while Duke sits at No. 7 in the top 25 and is competing for the top spot in the league and a one-seed, Carolina is out of the rankings and is a long shot at best to get a bid in March. That could take away some of the buzz surrounding the game, especially compared to last year, when Duke freshmen stars Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett attracted Barack Obama, Spike Lee, Hayden Panettiere and Ken Griffey Jr. to the first Duke-Carolina game.
“I don’t think so," Jones said of a lack of buzz. "Obviously, just outside of the attention that RJ and Zion did get, there’s less buzz around every game, but I don’t think it’s any less because of the season they’re having or anything. It’s the biggest rivalry in sports, so I think it has a good buzz around it.”
