Hubert Davis on UNC meeting Duke in Final Four: 'The rivalry is real'

This NCAA Tournament is a historic one, as the UNC Tar Heels and Duke Blue Devils will face off in the Final Four for the first time ever. Although UNC and Duke are already known as one of the most storied rivalries in all of sports, that will be on even greater display in the Final Four.

Ahead of the matchup between UNC and Duke in the Final Four, first-year Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis broke down what it means to match up with the Blue Devils at this point in the season. The last time both teams were in the Final Four, they were on opposite sides of the bracket, and Davis was still a player for the Tar Heels.

“The rivalry is real,” Davis said of UNC-Duke meeting in the Final Four. “You have two elite programs seven miles apart, same conference, consistently putting out great teams and great programs on and off the court and in the classroom and in the community.

“So for the first time ever matching up in the Final Four is historic. It’s never happened before. The last time North Carolina and Duke were in the Final Four, I was a junior at Carolina in Indianapolis, and they ended up winning the National Championship, and we lost to Kansas.”

Davis on how UNC is preparing for Duke in the Final Four

Even though everyone will have their eyes on the UNC-Duke rivalry in the Final Four, that isn’t going to be something that Davis and the Tar Heels focus on. Ultimately, when the game tips off none of that matters. Davis is emphasizing preparation for the game through practice, and that will be what helps UNC as it looks to advance to the title game.

In addition to the Duke-UNC rivalry, this season is the first for Davis since taking over after the retirement of Roy Williams. That paired with the fact that this is Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final season of his career adds up to a very meaningful matchup in the Final Four.

“The rivalry is real. My thought process and my communication to the players has been none of that,” said Davis. “The reason being, that doesn’t help us Saturday. What helps us Saturday is our preparation, our practice, and how well we play. The historical factor of us for the first time meeting in the Final Four, the rivalry, Coach K’s last year, my first year, that’s insignificant to us.”

Tip-off is set for approximately 8:49 p.m. ET on Saturday night.