‘What dreams are made of.’ Duke turns attention to rivalry game at UNC
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Duke beat Boston College 67-49 and shifts focus to rivalry game at UNC Saturday.
- Duke readies freshmen Cameron and Cayden Boozer for first Smith Center visit.
- Players expect a defensive test from UNC’s fast pace and Caleb Wilson.
Duke guard Caleb Foster will be going to North Carolina’s Smith Center for the third time Saturday, again prepared for 40 minutes of the most intensity college basketball can create.
“It’s what dreams are made of,” Foster said Tuesday after the No. 4 Blue Devils’ 67-49 win over Boston College. “That’s all I can really say. It’s what dreams are made of.
“I can’t wait. It’s going to be an exciting environment. I mean, the game speaks for itself. The history of the game. The amazing players who have played in it.”
The Blue Devils took an 82-69 win over the Tar Heels a year ago in the regular-season finale. They also beat the Heels in the ACC Tournament in Charlotte on their way to a conference championship.
But both teams have new and different casts. For Duke, the Boozer twins, Cameron and Cayden, will be competing in their first games in the Smith Center. For UNC, Caleb Wilson and others will get their first taste of the rivalry.
Duke freshman Cayden Boozer said Tuesday he has never been in UNC’s arena. But freshman Nikolas Khamenia has, saying he took a recruiting visit to UNC and took in a game at the Smith Center.
His impression?
“It’s a big gym,” he said.
And Saturday’s game?
“It’s going to be exciting.” he said. “Obviously we’re happy we got the win today, and we’re going to enjoy it, then come back in a couple of days and lock in and get prepared.”
To a man, the Duke players said their only focus was on beating Boston College. Get that one first, then turn the page. Then get ready for all the hype of a Duke-Carolina game.
“It wasn’t hard to do, to look only at today and not look at the future,” Khamenia said. “Our mindset was to be locked in on this game, specifically, and I think the way we started the game showed that.”
Duke scored the first 13 points before BC got on the board. Cameron Boozer’s early 3-pointer, then a steal and dunk in the opening minute of the game were energizers and the Devils led by 15 points at halftime.
“That dunk, I didn’t know he had bounce like that,” Cayden Boozer joked of his brother.
The Eagles, a low-possession team, shot 38.5% from the field and were 5-of-20 on 3-pointers as the Blue Devils again tightened the vise on an opposing team.
“I feel like we’re in a good place defensively,” Cayden Boozer said. “Holding them to only 49 points is an impressive feat.”
The Blue Devils’ defense will be tested Saturday against the No. 14 Tar Heels, who are averaging 83 points a game, like a fast pace and will try to establish it. UNC whipped Syracuse on Monday, 87-77, although allowing a huge lead to shrink in the second half.
Duke’s Maliq Brown, who could draw the defensive matchup with UNC’s Wilson, said he’s expecting an “incredible” game Saturday.
“Obviously, you come to Duke to play in these kinds of games in that kind of environment and on the biggest stage,” Brown said. “Obviously, it’s a rivalry with two crazy, great fan bases. You hear about it all the time, before the season, after the season, and there’s always a debate.”
Foster, who grew up in Charlotte, said he has a lot of memories of the Duke-UNC series.
“There’s Austin Rivers hitting that game winner,” he said of the 2012 game in Chapel Hill that Duke won, 85-84. “I mean, they’re just amazing games.”
