Two sides and one area separated by a shade of blue.

The greatest rivalry in sports returns as No. 4 Duke makes the short trip down Tobacco Road to face No. 14 North Carolina at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill. Separated by a drive that takes less time than a single halftime break, these two programs have spent a century locked in a battle for regional and national supremacy.

Over the last 100 meetings, the record is remarkably close, with Duke holding a slight 54-46 advantage during that span. This level of sustained excellence is why the rivalry remains the gold standard, regardless of which legends have graduated to the rafters.

While names like Michael Jordan and Christian Laettner defined previous eras, tomorrow’s clash is headlined by the most anticipated individual matchup in decades. Duke’s freshman phenom Cameron Boozer and UNC’s high-flying star Caleb Wilson are both projected top-five NBA picks, marking the first time since 1989 that two prospects of that caliber have shared this stage simultaneously.

Both teams enter the game as championship contenders. Duke is the ACC frontrunner with a perfect 10-0 conference record (21-1 overall), while a much-improved North Carolina squad (18-4, 6-3 ACC) looks to protect its undefeated home court and close the gap in the conference standings.

As the bright lights of the Dean Dome descend, two blue bloods take the floor for the first of two meetings that will inevitably define their seasons and add another blood-and-blue chapter to the greatest story in basketball.

Follow along for live updates below.

WATCH: Stream Duke vs. UNC and other college hoops action on the ESPN App

Duke vs. UNC basketball score

 

 

Duke vs. UNC updates, highlights from 2026 college basketball game

7:24 p.m.: Sarr has been underwhelming in his first year as a Blue Devil, averaging less than six points a game.

But, he has been the leading scorer for Duke tonight, canning another triple to give the Blue Devils a 35-27 lead.

Whenever Carolina comes within punching distance, Duke has been able to respond.

7:18 p.m.: Boozer gets fouled and will go to the line to shoot two free throws coming out of the under-four timeout.

Evans and Bogavac exchanged threes, making the game 30-27 with 3:53 remaining in the first half.

7:14 p.m.: Sarr gives the Blue Devils some cushion with a triple, then Ngongba picks up his third foul of the game, sending Wilson back to the line. He hits both to make it 27-24.

Something to note: the Duke bigs are in foul trouble, with Ngongba, Boozer and Brown all having at least two fouls.

7:11 p.m.: Sarr hits one of two free throws to break the Duke scoring drought, then at the other end, Wilson gets sent to the line.

He hits both free throws and is up to 13 on the night. Carolina trails by one.

7:04 p.m.: The Blue Devils have went over three minutes without scoring, missing their last four field goal attempts. 

After a Ngongba miss on a three pointer, Carolina goes fast-paced and Trimble gets fouled by the rim. He sinks one free throws and it’s 22-20.

7:02 p.m.: Now, Wilson hits a three to make it 22-19. He has 11 points already.

On the other side, Boozer picks up his second foul of the game and heads to the bench.

7:00 p.m.: The Tar Heels are within six after a Jonathan Powell triple. Then, Powell gets a stop on the other end as the Dean Dome gets louder and louder.

UNC has made four straight field goals, with the Blue Devils leading 22-16.

6:59 p.m.: Boozer has his first points of the game, tipping in a Ngongba miss.

Wilson responds with a jumper, and the freshman has eight consecutive points.

6:55 p.m.: At the under-12, Duke leads 20-9. 

Wilson has four consecutive points for the Tar Heels and will get two free throws coming out of the break. On the other side, Boozer is still scoreless.

6:52 p.m.: Wilson is on the board, hitting a turnaround over a Duke defender. 

Carolina trails 18-7 with 12:54 remaining in the first.

6:50 p.m.: With Drake Maye playing in Super Bowl 60 tomorrow, students were given a free giveaway to support the Patriots QB.

6:48 p.m.: Both teams made changes coming out of the break. For Duke, Cayden Boozer and Maliq Brown have entered the game, and for Carolina, Luka Bogavac replaces Jarin Stevenson.

6:45 p.m.: At the first timeout, Duke leads 14-5.

It’s been a tale of two sides, with the Blue Devils looking much more in rhythm on the offensive end and more disciplined on the defensive end. So far, the only Tar Heel to score is Trimble.

After a Sarr dunk to end a 6-0 Blue Devil run, Hubert Davis calls a timeout.

6:40 p.m.: Two minutes in, the Blue Devils lead 4-3.

Both Isaiah Evans and Seth Trimble went 1-for-2 from the free throw line. Boozer and Wilson are each scoreless.

6:37 p.m.: We’re officially underway in Chapel Hill.

Duke wins the tipoff, and Dame Sarr hits a deep two on the first possession.

Seth Trimble responds with two points, driving to the left side of the basket and laying it in.

6:27 p.m.: Duke and North Carolina have taken the court at the Dean Smith Center.

It’s time for the greatest rivalry in college basketball.

6:21 p.m.: As tipoff approaches, the Dean Smith Center keeps getting louder and louder.

Teams should make their entrances onto the court in a few moments.

6:12 p.m.: Both Duke and North Carolina are led by freshman superstars.

For the Blue Devils, it’s Cameron Boozer. The National Player of the Year favorite is second in the country averaging 23.3 points per game for a Duke team that has only one loss so far.

On the other side, the Tar Heels have a freshman phenom in Caleb Wilson. Wilson is averaging 20.0 points per game leading a Carolina squad that has won four straight.

6:05 p.m.: Here come the Tar Heels.

5:49 p.m.: The latest edition of Duke vs North Carolina is less than an hour away.

5:11 p.m.: We’re getting closer to the Tobacco Road Rivalry.

Who will be the hero in the next chapter of the legendary series?

4:54 p.m.: The Blue Devils don’t need to worry about an overnight stay in Chapel Hill.

4:01 p.m.: Usually when Duke and North Carolina face off, the teams are ranked.

This is the 88th time that both teams have a number next to their name. When comparing that to other matchups, it’s not even close.

3:15 p.m.: This isn’t the only big game for Carolina fans this weekend: former quarterback Drake Maye and the Patriots play in Super Bowl 60 on Sunday evening in San Francisco.

Maye had a special message for the team on ESPN’s “College GameDay.”

2:30 p.m.: For the first time this season, the greatest rivalry in college basketball returns.

No. 4 Duke and No. 14 North Carolina are separated by 10 in the rankings, similar to how the schools are separated by a 10-minute drive.

Get ready for another chapter of the storied rivalry in Chapel Hill tonight.

MORE: March Madness Bracketology 1.0

Where to watch Duke vs. UNC basketball

Duke vs. UNC start time

  • Date: Saturday, Feb. 7
  • Time: 6:30 p.m. ET

The ranked matchup between No. 4 Duke and No. 14 North Carolina will tip off at 6:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Feb. 7.

The teams meet at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with the return matchup next month in Durham.

What channel is Duke vs. UNC on?

The Blue Devils and Tar Heels can be found nationally on ESPN on Saturday evening. ESPN’s “College GameDay” will be on site starting at 10 a.m. ET, with Rece Davis joined by Jay Williams, Jay Bilas, Seth Greenberg, and Andraya Carter. For the game itself, Dan Shulman will be on play-by-play with Jay Bilas providing color commentary and Kris Budden reporting from the sidelines.

Fans looking to stream the game can do so via the ESPN App.

Share this post

Subscribe to our newsletter

Keep up with the latest blog posts by staying updated. No spamming: we promise.
By clicking Sign Up you’re confirming that you agree with our Terms and Conditions.

Related posts