Image via Complex Original
It’s no secret that the Duke Blue Devils and the North Carolina Tar Heels don’t like each other very much. It’s been like that for damn near a century now. Ever since the two schools played their very first game way back on January 24, 1920 and UNC walked away with a 36-25 victory, the two universities have been at odds. And, we don’t see it changing anytime soon. Because the Duke and UNC campuses are only separated by one short stretch of U.S. Route 15-501—better known as “Tobacco Road”—this rivalry will never, ever get played out. Next to the Yankees and Red Sox, Lakers and Celtics, and Ohio State and Michigan, Duke and UNC was, is, and always will be one of the most intense rivalries in American sports.
That rivalry will continue today when Duke and UNC meet for the 236th time at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C. (UNC leads the all-time series 132-103). So, to get you ready for the game, we took a look back at some of their most epic matchups to find The 25 Most Badass Moments in the History of the Duke vs. UNC Rivalry. From buzzer beaters to broken noses, we’ve got you covered, no matter which shade of blue you bleed.
25. Austin Rivers Capping a Crazy Comeback With a Buzzer-Beating Three-Pointer
Date: 2/8/2012
Game Result: Duke 85, UNC 84
With just 2:09 remaining in the game, UNC had a comfortable 10-point lead and was playing at home, which meant that Duke would have to pull out a miracle to get a W. And, that's essentially what it took to get it. Thanks to a flurry of three-pointers—and a freaky play with 14 seconds left that saw UNC's Tyler Zeller accidentally tip a three-point shot into his own basket—Duke cut UNC's lead down to just two. Rivers took it from there and broke the hearts of every single UNC fan in attendance, including their mascot Rameses. The eight-year-old ram died the next day.
24. Danny Green Dunking Over Greg Paulus
Date: 3/8/2008
Game Result: UNC 76, Duke 68
This is one of the many plays that helped Paulus earn the nickname "Tea Bag."
23. Ed Davis (Accidentally?) Kicking Brian Zoubek in the Groin
Date: 3/8/2009
Game Result: UNC 79, Duke 72
If you can believe it, getting kicked in the nuts was actually the lesser of two evils here for Zoubek. At the beginning of this clip, he just narrowly escaped getting a facial from Deon Thompson. But, he wasn't able to escape the wrath of Ed Davis, who followed up Thompson's missed dunk attempt with a putback after a foul was called and then kicked Zoubek right in the family jewels on his way down.
22. Art Heyman Recording 40 Points and 24 Rebounds on Senior Day
Date: 2/23/1963
Game Result: Duke 106, UNC 93
Heyman had a hell of a career at Duke. And, he topped it off by celebrating his accomplishments at halftime of his final game at Duke Indoor Stadium before proceeding to blowout the Tar Heels in the second half. Not a bad way to put an exclamation point on your career.
21. J.R. Reid Getting Revenge on Duke Fans for Holding Up a “J.R. Can’t Reid” Sign
Date: 3/12/1989
Game Result: UNC 77, Duke 74
Two months after Duke fans held up a large sign that said "J.R. Can't Reid" on it during a game at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Reid returned the favor by outplaying ACC Tournament MVP Danny Ferry to help the Tar Heels win their first ACC title in seven years. This is widely regarded as one of the most intense Duke/UNC matchups in the history of the rivalry as 49 fouls were called during the course of the game.
20. Duke Stopping UNC From Completing a Furious Comeback
Date: 1/21/1988
Game Result: Duke 70, UNC 69
In a game that included several runs by both teams, UNC overcame a 55-44 deficit with 13 minutes left to tie it at 69 with about a minute to go thanks to J.R. Reid, who scored 14 of the team's 16 points during that stretch. But, with 30 seconds left, the Blue Devils led 70-69, and they were able to keep the Tar Heels from scoring again despite the fact that they got four shot attempts off in that small window of time. There have been a lot of great comebacks throughout the course of this rivalry. But, Duke didn't allow this game to include one of them.
19. Duke and UNC Attracting 3.78 Million Viewers During the Most-Watched College Basketball Game Ever
Date: 3/4/2006
Game Result: UNC 83, Duke 76
For the first time in five years, UNC beat Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium and ruined J.J. Redick's Senior Night thanks to 27 points from then-freshman Tyler Hansbrough. But, that wasn't the real story here. Because this was such a big game, ESPN broadcast it on both ESPN and ESPN2, which helped it become the most-watched college hoops game of all time. Pretty impressive.
18. Mike Krzyzewski Earning His 500th Win on the Same Day Duke Clinched the ACC Regular-Season Championship
Date: 2/28/1998
Game Result: Duke 77, UNC 75
Talk about winning a game in dramatic fashion. Although they trailed 64-47 with 12 minutes remaining in the game, the Dukies rebounded to win, which gave Coach K his 500th career victory and gave the Dukies the ACC regular-season title.
17. Former Duke Coach Bill Foster Ethering the Legendary Dean Smith
Date: 2/24/1979
Game Result: Duke 47, UNC 40
A day after Smith attempted to use the "four corners" offense during the first half to slow down All-American Jim Spanarkel and the Blue Devils on Senior Night and scored zero points in the process, Foster took a dig at Smith. "I've been doing this a long time," he said, "but during the first half last night, I began to think maybe I've been doing it for too long. I thought Naismith invented basketball, not Dean Smith." Ooooh, snap!
16. Duke and UNC Coming Together to Honor UNC Student Body President Eve Carson
Date: 3/8/2008
Game Result: UNC 76, Duke 68
It doesn't happen often. In fact, it doesn't happen, well, ever. But, for a moment back in 2008, UNC and Duke actually came together for the same cause when they all wore Carolina blue ribbons and held a moment of silence for Carson, who had been murdered on the UNC campus just three days earlier. "Duke was gracious in the moment of silence, the wearing of ribbons," UNC head coach Roy Williams said after the game. "To me, it showed what a great conference we have, what a great relationship we have." We wouldn't go that far. But, it was pretty badass to see these two put aside their differences for a few minutes.
15. UNC Putting Up More Than 100 Points at Cameron Indoor Stadium
Date: 2/11/2009
Game Result: UNC 101, Duke 87
Behind 24 points from Ty Lawson, the Tar Heels became the first team to drop more than 100 at Cameron Indoor in nearly 10 years back in 2009. And, in the process, they also assured that Tyler Hansbrough would finish his storied UNC career with a perfect 4-0 record playing on the road at Duke.
14. Michael Jordan Dropping 32 Points in a Blowout
Date: 1/22/1983
Game Result: UNC 103, Duke 82
We sometimes lose sight of the fact that MJ played a role in the Duke/UNC rivalry. But, after watching this clip, it's easy to see just how dominant he was at times against the Blue Devils. Inside, outside, and at the free-throw line, MJ was a force to be reckoned with. And, after this game, it's safe to say that Duke fans started counting down the number of days before MJ would leave for the league.
13. Shane Battier Coming Out of Nowhere to Block Joe Forte
Date: 3/4/2001
Game Result: Duke 95, UNC 81
Battier finished with a pretty impressive stat line during this game, recording 25 points, 11 rebounds, five blocks, and four steals. But, it was this incredible block that ignited a Duke run. "I thought I was by myself," Forte said after the game. Think again.
12. Chris Duhon Finishing a Coast-to-Coast Drive With a Reverse Layup to Win an Overtime Game
Date: 2/4/2004
Game Result: Duke 83, UNC 81
There could have been any number of heroes during this game. J.J. Redick hit a three-pointer with 38 seconds left in regulation, only to see Jawad Williams tie the game with a three of his own with 18 seconds to go. Then, Redick hit two free throws at the end of overtime to give Duke an 81-78 lead, only to see Rashad McCants hit a three to tie it up again. But, Duhon ended things when he took an inbounds pass, dribbled the length of the floor, and hit a reverse layup with 6.5 seconds left to give Duke the lead for good. It was one of the wilder finishes in Duke/UNC history.
11. Matt Doherty Hitting a Last-Second Jumper to Force Overtime
Date: 3/3/1984
Game Result: UNC 96, Duke 83
How many times have you seen Michael Jordan on the floor at the end of a game with his team trailing by two WITHOUT the ball in his hands? We're gonna guess—none. But, that's exactly what happened here. After Duke missed the front end of a one-and-one while they were leading by two, Doherty took an inbounds pass, dribbled the length of the court, didn't even bother looking MJ's way, and sunk a jumper to send the game to OT. But, don't worry: MJ got his in the second OT when he finished an alley-oop and hit a series of jumpers to help the Heels win in his final home game at North Carolina.
10. Marvin Williams Crushing Duke's ACC Title Dreams With an Offensive Rebound and a Putback
Date: 3/6/2005
Game Result: UNC 75, Duke 73
This is how you crush your rival's spirit. With three minutes left in the game, Duke led by nine points. But, UNC staged a furious comeback and then capped it off when Williams grabbed an offensive rebound off a missed free throw, put the ball in the hoop, and got fouled in the process. It gave UNC their first outright ACC title since 1993 and almost blew the roof off the Dean Smith Center.
9. Fred Lind Scoring 16 Points in a Triple-Overtime Thriller
Date: 3/2/1968
Game Result: Duke 87, UNC 86
When we say that a guy had a "career day," what point total comes to mind? 30 points? 40 points? 80 points? Whatever number pops into your head, we can pretty much guarantee that it's not "16 points." But, consider this: Prior to this game, little-used Duke junior Fred Lind had just 21 points total in his three years as a Blue Devil. So, when he scored 16 points after Duke's All-American center Mike Lewis (pictured here, because no shots of Lind seem to exist!) got into foul trouble—including two free throws at the end of the first OT and a jump shot at the end of the second OT—it was pretty damn impressive. No wonder he got carried off the court and through the main quad on the Duke campus after the game.
8. Jerry Stackhouse Throwing Down a Ridiculous Dunk Over Two Blue Devils
Date: 2/2/1995
Game Result: UNC 102, Duke 100
This game is often regarded as one of the best Duke/UNC games ever because of what happened at the end of it (more on that later). But, it also featured one of the best dunks in the history of college basketball. Just listen to Dickie V go wild.
7. Gene Banks Handing Out Roses to the Home Crowd—and Then Delivering a Game-Winning Shot
Date: 2/28/1981
Game Result: Duke 66, UNC 65
Shortly before this game tipped off at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke senior Gene Banks decided to celebrate Senior Night by putting on a tuxedo and handing out roses to the crowd. And, he made sure the celebration didn't stop there. With one second left in regulation and Duke trailing by two, Banks received an inbounds pass at the free-throw line and sank a jumper to send it to OT. Then, in overtime, he grabbed a rebound with 19 seconds left in the game and hit a bank shot to give the Blue Devils the lead and, eventually, the win.
6. Larry Brown and Art Heyman Exchanging Punches After a Hard Foul
Date: 2/4/1961
Game Result: Duke 81, UNC 77
First of all, HOW GREAT IS THIS VIDEO?! It looks like it was the first basketball-related fight ever filmed. And, it exemplifies the hostility that has existed between Duke and UNC players for years now. After Duke's Art Heyman fouled UNC's Larry Brown (yes, that Larry Brown) under the basket, Brown started swinging on him and started a fight that lasted for almost 10 minutes. It may have been one of the first fights ever caught on film, but it was also one of the best.
5. UNC Scoring Eight Points in Seventeen Seconds
Date: 3/2/1974
Game Result: UNC 96, Duke 92
Was this the greatest comeback in college basketball history? If not, it's up there. With just 17 seconds remaining in the game, the Tar Heels trailed the Blue Devils by eight points. And, back in 1974, there was no such thing as a three-point line yet, so the game was basically over. But, a series of improbable events took place. First, UNC hit a pair of free throws. Then, Duke committed two costly turnovers that led to quick UNC baskets. And, after Duke missed the front-end of a one-and-one, UNC capitalized by giving the ball to Walter Davis, who sunk a 30-foot bank shot at the buzzer to send the game to overtime where the Tar Heels won the game. What a finish.
4. Gerald Henderson Striking Tyler Hansbrough in the Face and Breaking His Nose
Date: 3/4/2007
Game Result: UNC 86, Duke 72
With 14.5 seconds remaining in the game and the Tar Heels leading comfortably, it didn't appear as though this was going to go down as one of the most memorable Duke/UNC matchups of all time. But, that all changed in the blink of an eye. As Hansbrough attempted to take the ball hard to the rim, Henderson leveled him with a hard hit that busted his nose and sent blood pouring out of it. After the hit, Hansbrough took a step towards the Duke bench as if he was going to attack Henderson but immediately thought better of it. It's a finish that not many UNC fans—or Duke fans, for that matter—will soon forget.
3. Assistant Coaches Matt Doherty and Chris Collins Nearly Getting Into a Fight on the Sideline
Date: 3/9/2003
Game Result: UNC 82, Duke 79
With about eight minutes remaining in this game, Duke's Dahntay Jones went up for a rebound and accidentally hit UNC's Raymond Felton in the face. Doherty, a UNC assistant, didn't like it. So, during the ensuing scrum, the former UNC player made his way down the sideline and eventually exchanged several words and a couple of shoves with Collins, a former Duke player. It was broken up almost immediately, but not before these two coaches showed exactly how deep this rivalry goes.
2. Jeff Capel Throwing Up a Miraculous Three-Pointer to Tie a Game at the End of Overtime
Date: 2/2/1995
Game Result: UNC 102, Duke 100
Most badass moments in the Duke/UNC rivalry involve a player doing something to help his team win. That's not the case here. Even though Capel hit an incredible 37-foot prayer after UNC's Serge Zwikker missed a pair of free throws with three seconds left in overtime, the Blue Devils went on to lose in double overtime. But, this game proved that even in the middle of a down year for one of the programs (Duke's Mike Krzyzewski was on a leave of absence in 1995 due to "exhaustion"), the rivalry still lived up to the hype. When it's all said and done, this might go down as the greatest Duke/UNC game of all time.
1. Eric Montross Shooting Two Free Throws With Blood Trickling Down His Face
Date: 2/5/1992
Game Result: UNC 75, Duke 73
There has been plenty of blood shed during Duke/UNC games. But, if we had to pick one picture to sum up the entire rivalry, it would be the image of UNC center Eric Montross standing at the free-throw line getting ready to shoot a pair of free throws with blood dripping down his face. Today, he'd be asked to see the trainer. But, back in 1992, it was simply a sign of just how intense the Duke/UNC matchups had gotten. His injury didn't look anywhere near as bad as the one that Tyler Hansbrough suffered more than a decade later during a game against Duke. But, in a way, it symbolized everything that's great about the Duke/UNC rivalry.
