Major Signs Clear After UNC’s Season Finale Loss to Duke

North Carolina went head-to-head with Duke in the regular season finale. Unfortunately for UNC, they had a second-half collapse, which gave the Blue Devils a runaway victory. A 24-4 run in 10 minutes in the second half put the Tar Heels away.

UNC defeated the Blue Devils in the first matchup between the two this season, but was unable to complete the season sweep. This game was a different story for the Tar Heels, as they had no Caleb Wilson, which changed the game significantly.

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Here are a few clear takeaways from UNC’s loss in the season finale.

UNC Could See Duke Again Soon

UNC went through two battles with the Blue Devils this season, but the historic rivalry may see a third game this season. The top four seeds in the ACC receive a double bye in the conference tournament, which the Tar Heels and the Blue Devils both earned.

The Blue Devils finished as the one seed, and UNC got the fourth seed. With how the seeding played out, if both teams win their quarterfinal matchup, then the two will meet in the semifinals.

A regular season game between the two is always intense, so a conference tournament game would be at an all-time high. It is very likely these two teams will see each other again this Friday in the ACC Tournament semifinals.

UNC Can Still Be Competitive Without Wilson

It was not a pretty showing for UNC against the Blue Devils, but they can still be a highly competitive team without Wilson. The Tar Heels were 5-1 in the six-game stretch without Wilson going into last weekend's matchup versus the Blue Devils.

UNC is still a good team without Wilson, and the rest of the team can prove that this week. There is no doubt that the chances of the Tar Heels making a championship run significantly decreased with the Wilson injury, but there is still a shot.

Henri Veesaar and Seth Trimble have enough talent to carry the team, along with the UNC role players. All the role players will definitely have to step up, but the talent is there. Do not forget, UNC was only down five points to the Blue Devils at halftime. This week will be a huge test to see how far the Tar Heels can go in the NCAA Tournament.

Rebounding Is a Problem

Rebounding is a massive problem for the Tar Heels. They got outrebounded 42-29 against the Blue Devils, including allowing 18 offensive rebounds. Cameron Boozer grabbed 15 rebounds by himself.

Veesar, Jarin Stevenson, and Zayden High all have to step up on the glass, but it is not all on the big men. The UNC guards have to do a better job of skying in for rebounds and helping out their teammates down low.