As college basketball fans get ready for March Madness, the No. 17 North Carolina Tar Heels will renew acquaintances with the top-ranked Duke Blue Devils in another battle at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., on Saturday.
The Blue Devils sit atop the Atlantic Coast Conference standings with a 28-2 overall record, 16-1 in ACC play. The Tar Heels will enter the ACC Tournament as the No. 4 seed. North Carolina is 24-6 overall, 12-5 in ACC action.
North Carolina vs. Duke Projected Starting Lineups
North Carolina Tar Heels
- G Elijah Davis
- G Derek Dixon
- F Jarin Stevenson
- G Seth Trimble
- F Henri Veesaar
Duke Blue Devils
- F Cameron Boozer
- G Isaiah Evans
- G Caleb Foster
- C Patrick Ngongba
- G Dame Sarr
How to Watch North Carolina vs. Duke
- Date: Saturday, March 7, 2026
- Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
- Arena: Cameron Indoor Stadium
- Location: Durham, N.C.
- TV: ESPN
- Streaming: ESPN+, Fubo
- Radio: North Carolina, 97.9 The Hill WCHL; Duke, WDNC 96.5; SiriusXM.
One of the big questions entering Saturday’s showdown is the health of North Carolina freshman sensation Caleb Wilson. Wilson has been out since injuring his left hand Feb. 10 against Miami.
On Thursday, Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis said Wilson was progressing. “He’s been doing individual workouts,” Davis said. “Since we played on Tuesday, we didn’t have practice yesterday, and we’ll practice today. He’ll do more today. But other than that, I don’t have any other information.”
Wilson leads the Tar Heels in points (19.8) and rebounds per game (9.4).
“It’s a good challenge either way for our defense,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said Thursday of Wilson’s status, according to The Associated Press. “And I really want us to play our standard in who we are and what we’ve done regardless if he’s playing or not.”
Meanwhile, the Blue Devils have their own freshman star in Cameron Boozer. He tops Duke in points (22.6), rebounds (10.0), and assists per game (4.0). NBA scouts have been eyeing both Wilson and Boozer, penciling them into spots for the 2026 NBA Draft.
In overall team statistical categories, North Carolina and Duke are closely matched. Duke, however, holds slight edges in points per game, rebounds per game, and field goal percentage.
Earlier this season, Seth Trimble hit a game-winning 3-pointer for North Carolina in a win over Duke. Now, the Blue Devils have a chance to get revenge on their home court. And college basketball fans know the “Cameron Crazies,” the Duke fans who pack Cameron Indoor, will be alive and well Saturday.
