Carolina > Dook: My Top Ten Games

Happy Beat Dook Week to fellow Tar Heels 'round the world. There is nothing more fun than the two regular season matchups between these two giants of the ACC and college basketball - the hype, the talent, the coaches, the fans, the trash talk, and, of course, the games. Many of you reading this are no doubt alumni of the lighter hue of blue and have lived through this rivalry as a student - count yourself fortunate. See, it is easy to forget that most people's perception of Carolina/Duke is far different than ours. Their perspective is that of an outsider - maybe an ACC fan, maybe not. Maybe they have a preference of one team versus the other, or maybe not. While I do think most fans of college hoops appreciate the rivalry for the players, coaches, and games, I highly doubt they understand the anticipation and hype that surrounds it.

I am a fan of Major League Baseball, specifically the Atlanta Braves. I love the history of the game and the atmosphere of a nerve-wrecking playoff pitcher's duel. But Yanks/Sox? Don't care. Hate them both, always have. I certainly do not understand the preferential coverage the rivalry receives and why I have to watch all 19 regular-season games on television (I actually watch only a few of those games, but they are always televised nationally). While college sports are definitely different from professional sports, I imagine that there are people out there who feel the same about Carolina/Duke that I feel about Yanks/Sox.


Blame ESPN, blame Dickie V and Billy Packer, blame the snotty, obnoxious fans of both schools, blame whoever you want for the overexposure of the rivalry. But, after you're done whining about it, watch the games and appreciate the energy and passion with which they are played. And call me following a classic contest to tell me about the chills you got after it was over.


So in honor of this rivalry, let's get nostalgic and count down The Blue Team's Top 10 Carolina/Duke Games. The criteria are pretty subjective - I have to have a positive memory of the game. This is my blog, I own it like Psycho T owns Paulus, so I chose MY Top 10. The only real criteria was that I made this list from 1990-present. While I vividly recall the intense 1989 ACC Tournament Final, most of our readers will not. And yes, we have all seen the 1984 home game on ESPN Classic (it was on Monday at 1pm, the DVR was set again this year), but we were not cognizant for it (I am, however, certain that I pooped my diaper after Matt Doherty hit the game-tying shot). So, without further adieu, I present to you:


The Blue Team's Top 10 (or so) Carolina/Duke Memories


Close-But-Not-Quite-Top-10 - 1990 Game at Duke (Duke was good, Carolina was not, yet the Heels swept the season series), 1996 game at Carolina (Calabria's shot for a 73-72 win, but neither team made it to the Sweet 16), 2000 game at Carolina (Forte sends it to OT, Heels lose 90-86), 2001 game at Duke (Haywood's free throws secure an 85-83 win), 2004 game at Carolina (Jawad Williams' 3 sends it to OT, McCants' 3 ties it late, but Duhon goes coast-to-coast to break the Tar Heels' hearts), 2007 game at Carolina (Henderson's overhead smash breaks Tyler's nose).


#10: 1991 ACC Tournament Final in Charlotte - #6 Carolina 96 #7 Duke 74. My first of 11 Carolina/Duke games in person ended with seniors King Rice, Pete Chilcutt, and tournament MVP Rick Fox cutting down the nets in Charlotte. This was the first time I got to see nets get cut down in person and I have since been obsessed. Both teams would make it to the Final Four three weeks later, with the Heels being upset by Kansas before Duke pulled off an unbelievable victory over undefeated UNLV, followed by beating KU in the finals for the Devils' first national title.


#9: 1994 game in Chapel Hill - #2 Carolina 89 #1 Duke 78. This game was also on as part of ESPN Classic's countdown this week. 1 vs 2 with a ton of hype in a matchup of the past three NCAA champions and an eye toward gaining the number one seed in the East Region. The talent in this game is off the charts for both sides, but all I can remember is the unbelievable performance by the Duke Team Barber. Seriously, Marty Clark, Cherokee Parks, and Chris Collins all three had ridiculous bowl cuts. Duke eventually lost in the national title game to Arkansas and the Heels...um...yeah...anyways.


#8: 1992 game in Chapel Hill - #9 Carolina 75 #1 Duke 73. The Montross Blood Game. An ugly defensive struggle in which Derrick Phelps hit two free throws for the final margin. As a nine year-old, I was ready to go GI Joe on every Dookie in sight. I was also up well past my bedtime no doubt. Duke avenged this defeat twiceover, including a blowout in the ACC Tournament final before my young eyes and eventually won its second consecutive national title. Man, that team was sick.


#7: 2002 ACC Tournament in Charlotte - #3 Duke 60 Carolina 48. What? A game the Heels lost? You bet. This was the last game of the 8-20 season under Matt Doherty. The Heels had been destroyed five days earlier at Cameron Indoor Stadium by the defending national champs and most expected a similar performance in the tournament quarterfinal. Instead, Coach Doherty used a stall tactic of milking every bit of the shot clock to limit the number of possessions. From the last row of the Charlotte Coliseum, we watched as the Heels hung in it for 36 minutes. An inopportune turnover dashed any hopes of an upset and, mercifully, the nightmare season ended. But, I distinctly remember discussing with the boys that one day soon, we'd be kicking Duke's butt again. It was the low of lows in my four-year college basketball journey.


#6: 2006 game in Durham - #23 Carolina 83 #2 Duke 76. Psycho T dropped 27 on the road and the Baby Heels pulled off a shocker on the Senior Day for JJ Redick and Shelden Williams. The win also spawned this from The Blue Team.

#5 2003 game in Chapel Hill - Carolina 82 #10 Duke 79. Matt Doherty's last regular-season home game turned into his first Battle Royal after a hard foul by Dahntay Jones on Raymond Felton. Coach Doherty and Duke assistant Chris Collins nearly came to blows, leading to Duke scrub Andre Buckner shoving Doherty and a melee. The Heels hit a ton of threes to combat the lack of a big man and Jones' halfcourt heave was a half-second too late. Carolina students rushed the court and I had to hold up a crying roommate. This was the first win over Duke at home for every four-year student in attendance. Shockingly, the seniors did not claim every available ticket for the game, leaving a small number the Monday morning after ticket distribution. Therefore, the suitemates and I camped out in the twenty-something degree night to claim our tickets, and I actually slept on the ticket window counter. We can each proudly say that we did not miss a Carolina/Duke home game in our four years at school thanks to this frozen adventure. We were also each able to bring our fathers to this game, which made the victory 100x more special. There is truly nothing like sitting on the last row of the Dean Dome and watching a victory like that with your Dad and your best friends. Nothing.

#4 1995 game in Durham - #2 North Carolina 102 Duke 100 (2OT). Coach K is missing from the Duke sideline and the Blue Devils had their version of an 8-20 season without him. On the other hand, the Heels featured Rasheed Wallace, Jerry Stackhouse, Jeff McInnis, and 1993 Final Four MOP Donald Williams on a team that would notch a one-seed in the NCAA Tournament and make the Final Four. Naturally, the Heels jumped out to a big lead, lost the lead, and ended up in overtime against a vastly overmatched Duke squad. After Serge Zwicker missed the front end of a one-and-one, Duke's Jeff Capel drove just past halfcourt and launched the most famous shot in this storied rivalry (at least from the Duke perspective - anyone else think 8 points in 17 seconds and Walter Davis' shot make this look average?) and Dickie V absolutely loses his mind. The Heels eventually won in the second overtime thanks to Jeff McInnis' heroics. Of course, this game also featured The Dunk. I mean, seriously. On a related note, enjoy these dunks as well. Thank you David and Danny.

#3 1998 series - Wow. Just a memorable three games by these two squads. First, the Tar Heels won a 1 vs 2 matchup in Chapel Hill 97-73. The hype prior to the game was off the charts, but the contest itself ended up becoming a route late in the second half. Antawn Jamison had 35 & 11 on 14-20 shooting, despite only touching the ball for like 34 seconds total. Duke won the rematch in Durham on the last day of the regular season 77-75 to earn a share of the league title. The Heels missed four free throws late that would have tied the ballgame. On a sidenote, I listened to this game on my Walkman, sharing an earbud with Erich on a camping trip on South Mountain. Somehow we did not get in trouble for disappearing for two hours or bringing an electronic device on the excursion. Finally, the rematch in the ACC Tournament Final in Greensboro the next Sunday was set to decide who would earn the one-seed in the East Region. The Heels prevailed 83-68 behind 27 & 18 from Jamison and a hot shooting performance by senior Shammond Williams, who then led the Tar Heel pep band in the fight song following the game. What made this particular season unique was the fact that the Blue Devils were ranked #1 all three times the two teams played. Duke suffered a shocking loss in Charlotte to Providence the following week and the Heels made the Final Four where they...awww, nevermind. Next game please...

#2 2005 game in Chapel Hill - #2 Carolina 75 #6 Duke 73. The Devils had survived a ridiculously intense defensive struggle in Durham a month earlier, a game that ended after the Heels could not get off a shot to win the game (a meltdown that changed the season - thank you Raymond Felton). A back-and-forth game eventually saw Duke take a 73-64 lead with just over three minutes remaining. Senior Day seemed ruined...until The Comeback (go ahead, I'll give you five minutes to click the link, watch the finish, and dry your eyes). Jawad, Marvin, and Sean all converted buckets to cut the lead to 73-71. Eventually, Raymond Felton hit a free throw and tipped his missed second free throw to Marvin Williams who converted a three-point play to put the Heels ahead 75-73. Subsequent misses by Redick and Daniel Ewing allowed the home team to survive and the senior class of Melvin Scott, Jawad Williams, CJ Hooker, Jackie Manuel, & Charlie Everett to go out on top as ACC Champions (and eventually, National Champions). An emotional victory, complete with tears of joy, lots of man hugs, and, eventually, a dash to Franklin St. How does one possibly top this?

#1 The Next Game. You see, this is what is so great about the Carolina/Duke rivalry. There's always another great game or great moment that is to come. The players change, the coaches (eventually) change, and the results change, but the stakes never do. It's always the biggest game of the regular season and always played with tremendous passion. Carolina is Carolina because of Duke, just as Duke is Duke because of Carolina. The true fans understand this and appreciate the other institution and respect the other team for making them better. What makes Carolina/Duke so much fun is the anticipation of the Next Game because of the unknown - all you know is that it will be as fun and intense as college basketball can be.

Rah Rah Car-o-lina-lina...go to hell Dook.