Who’s winning?: Duke vs UNC men’s basketball this Saturday

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Call clickgrainger.com or just stop by. Grainger. For the ones who get it done. Camelot. It's only a model. Shit. On this podcast, because we've talked to Candace before we know what color blue she's in favor of, but I believe that we're we're bucking the trend with Daryl. Alright, I'm going to start with you, Daryl. Make the case. Make the case for the Blue Devils tomorrow night at the Smith Center. Well, absolutely. First of all, it's going to be a very interesting game, Adam.

I'm not going to dispute that. But, um, honestly, I think right now the devils, even though it hasn't looked very pretty, they're finding a way to win games. And I think at this time of the year that that's one of the most important things about college basketball is trying to roll into March.

Um, you know, winning games and getting better as you're doing it. And right now, I think Philipowski is going to look like the top player in the country like he was projected to be starting off the year. And he's going up against Armando Bacon, especially because Bacon is not a great defender in space. I think they can get Philipowski going early. You'll see. You'll see a very, very driven, very, very solid Duke team. They're going to live by the three. They're going to die by the three and some games that three has given them life. And someday, some games Duke was killed. But I think I think in this game, you're going to see him shooting plus 50% from from that three point art and you will see a Duke win.

Plus 50%. That's lofty. Uh, Candace.

Can we do Samuel L. Jackson? And will you allow me to retort? Well, first of all, Adam, thank you for having me V. What's up? Um, I'm excited for the fact that Georgia Tech loss or Carolina lost to Georgia second. Now they get to have like a pissed off game. Like what do you, what does this team look like? I feel like Harrison Ingram is sort of the heartbeat and he's kind of really driven the point of we got to be some dogs. So I'm thinking that that has reverberated across the locker room.

They had a team only meeting. Those guys are trying to get right mentally. They're ready to just really defend themselves. They're ready to defend home.

This is Armando. They got last opportunity at the Smith Center to beat Duke. And of course, you're really at this point, you can't get it better than Coach K's final finale and all that good stuff. But why not for your season, your senior year?

Just go out with a W and win twice. Are we sure? Here we go. Are we sure it's Armando?

Last ticket is at the Smith Center. You really have to leave. I'm going to start a petition if he does it because I think Galen Washington has an opportunity to really be that guy. It's just Armando needs to go head back to play.

But I'm trying to be I'm trying to be sweet here on this Friday. I totally understand. We don't need that. It's not.

It's not a requirement at all. Candace Cooper and Darryl Brunson are here talking Duke Carolina because I'm not a hundred percent sure that we are going to see Armando Baycott right off into the sunset after this year, whether he has to or not. But let me throw this back at you, Darryl. This is from the Blue Blood.

He's from Blue Blood Rivalry podcast. So what if, because I've talked about this a little bit today. What if, and I think this would be Hubert Davis's better move anyway. When Duke throws their starting five out there and Mitchell and Filipowski are both there, what if Hubert Davis puts Baycott on Mitchell, who probably isn't going to beat you from three-point range, and if he tries, you allow it, and puts Harrison Ingram on Filipowski, who should be able to guard him in space?

Absolutely. I think that probably is a strategy that Hubert could lean on, but I think in that case, now you're looking at the guard play having to be spectacular for Duke, and I think that it can be. Jeremy Roach, though, has to step up. His senior leadership has got to show in this game.

Candace mentioned Armando's last game in the Dean Dome, and this is probably going to be the same thing for Jeremy Roach. And I think he's going to have to step up in a similar fashion to Quinn Cook on that 2015 team and be a leader for this team, especially in this game, and this is his game to be able to put a stamp on it. But not to mention Tyrese Proctor, who should be an NBA lottery pick, and hopefully this can be his game where he puts his stamp on the draft boards of most scouts out there in the NBA. And I think if Tyrese Proctor can put up 12-15 shots in this scenario that you just presented to me, then Duke can still find a way to win, because their guard play can be exceptional at times. My only curiosity for Duke is who stays in front of RJ Davis. Candace, do you think that RJ is right now the player of the year in the league? A hundred percent that he's a player of the year in the league, but I will say there's way less pressure for Carolina than there is for Duke. Everyone has to have that big game, everyone needs to get to the lottery. I don't think Carolina has any of that, so maybe that's why they have the upper hand in this one, but it feels as if there's a lot of pressure for the Blue Devils to show who they are and their talents, because they have not really done that all season. Who is the key player in this game for the Tar Heels, Candace? The key player I would say would be Elliot Cadeau, because I think he's starting to turn the corner. I think him and Marcus Page have really gotten things the way he's been able to have that leadership and guidance. Of course, he's an amazing four general, second half of George's head game. I know he wants back five fouls and one half is insane, but here we are. I do think that he has matured in a lot of ways, and if he can get some shots off, we will be in good shape. I'm not sure how many of those five were really fouls. I hate that for him. Those things happen in basketball games all the time, so I'm not losing my mind.

That was an oddly officiated game, let alone half of basketball. Cadeau, as kind of an ex-back of a Carolina, is interesting to me. I do think that Ingram or Ryan, preferably Ingram, has to shoot the ball well. If Ingram becomes an offensive force in the game, then that, among everything else, that means Mitchell has to get him. And I think it forces Bacon, rather, Filipowski to guard Bacon, who should be able to back Kyle down.

That could be an absolute battle. Armando has not played great of late. Okay, so, Darryl, you've already mentioned that Proctor may be an NBA guy. What about Duke's freshmen? Because Duke's got a couple of freshmen that have played big roles this year. Caleb Foster has been in the starting lineup a bunch lately, as either Proctor or Roach has been coming back or missing the game. This is Jeremy McCain's first game at the Smith Center.

How big of a moment is this for him? Well, the good thing for Jeremy McCain is if his NBA career doesn't work out, he's probably got a future career as an influencer with 1.8 million followers on TikTok. But I think, honestly, I think that Jeremy McCain is actually the x-factor in this game.

You know, it's a question of which Jared McCain are you getting, though? Are you getting Jared McCain from when Tyrese Proctor went out, or are you getting the Jared McCain you've been seeing a lot of times as of late, which he's been inconsistent and struggling. I think the best move for Shire to do is to bring Jared McCain off of the bench, allow Jeremy Roach to start, as I mentioned that senior leadership earlier, and have Jared McCain come off and be your spark plug off of the bench.

So I think if you look 12 to 15 points, it gives the Blue Devils that much more of a chance, but I do think he's the x-factor in this game. So he's basically started every game. So start Foster with Proctor and Roach and Mitchell and Filipowski and bring McCain off the bench.

Correct. Yeah, I don't think Caleb Foster has been exactly what I anticipated him being coming into the season. He's been very quiet here lately.

He had a couple good games again when Proctor was out, but lately he hasn't really showed up. I think that bringing McCain off of the bench will allow you to have that six man, that Lou Williams type of players and come off the bench and provide a spark for you. Who scores more points, Candace? Jaylen Washington or Ryan Young?

That's a great question. Ryan Young has quietly been having himself a sort of do what I got to do season, but I'm going to have to say Jaylen. He's going to be sparked by the home court advantage. Home court advantage, if I could just interject, has meant almost zero in this rivalry. In fact, the road team, no matter where we're looking, is three and two in the last five meetings. At Cameron, the road team, Carolina's won three in the last five and at the Smith Center, Duke has won three in the last five. They've also split on neutral courts. Zion and Duke won in 19 at the ACC tournament, I think in the semifinals. Yeah, the Friday semifinals. And I think, Candace, you correct me if I'm wrong here, Carolina won at the Final Four, right? Yes, not mistaken.

I don't know. Caleb Love, he's familiar with him. He plays in Arizona now, but he hit that shot, you know, all that good stuff.

Look, I don't know because I haven't watched Arizona since, but Caleb Love's high watermark probably was all the way back in November at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Hey, look, some people see Duke Blue and just, or Duke White in that case, and just their eyes just get big. Alright, Daryl, who wins? Duke wins. And right now they're underdog five and a half points. Last time I checked on FanDuel, but I think Duke wins. It's going to be a close game. It's going to be a dogfight, just like almost every game in this rivalry is, but Duke wins. Duke wins.

Candace? I think Carolina's going to win and it's not going to be close. Whoa, we got a blowout.

Alright. Let's not ruffle feathers here. I think Carolina is going to handle, again, a pissed off Carolina team is what I'm hoping and dying to see. But this will tell me everything about this team if they're able to pull off either a close one or a blowout, how much they are different from these recent years under the Hubert Davis era. So are you saying, Candace, that if Carolina doesn't win this game, you don't think they're a national championship contender? A hundred percent.

Really? I think regardless of what happens, they're a national championship contender. And to be honest, I think regardless of what happens, I really don't think Duke wins. Who have they beaten that makes you excited about Carolina? Because I think when you look at the tough losses, I'm like, yes, that team was absolutely better. When you look at some of the wins, I'm like, yeah, you should have beat them. I don't have a great answer for you there.

Honestly, I don't. I just love the way this team is built. I think the guts of this team is built on the defensive end and they have RJ Davis.

I think RJ Davis is the coldest player in the country. I love everything about RJ. I'm here for RJ. I just want RJ to get some help.

And if you're going to be here 60 years, I'm going to need you to go ahead and... I'm just saying. I think we need to say the same thing about Armando Bacon at this point, but I believe your comment, your question about who Carolina's beating will be the same question we're asking on Sunday after this game. Oh my gosh. All right. That's Daryl Brunson, Blue Blood Rivalry podcast.

You can follow him on Twitter at Young Stew Scott, Candace Cooper locked on ACC at Candace D Cooper on Twitter. Well done both of you. Thank you so much. We will talk again. Thank you. Have a great weekend guys. All right. Candace predicting a blowout. We got Daryl predicting a close game.