March Madness: Duke-UNC Rivalry Reaches New Heights in Final Four Face-Off

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Sory Kaba currently has the 7th-highest xG (4.9) of any player in the #sldk so far this season, despite scoring just 2 goals for @fcmidtjylland. ๐Ÿ“Š

He has underperformed his xG (scored less than expected) more than any other player. ๐Ÿ“‰

#CCFC | #Midtjylland

BBC Sport Wales @BBCSportWales

Cardiff City are looking to bring in Guinea international Sory Kaba on loan from Danish club Midtjylland โšฝ๏ธ

Read more ๐Ÿ‘‡ #BBCFootball

๐Ÿ”ฅ 23-year-old #FCCincy forward Brenner’s 2022 stats (& rank among other #MLS players):

๐Ÿ”ธ 18 goals (98th percentile)
๐Ÿ”ธ 12.2 xG (97th)
๐Ÿ”ธ 35 shots on target (97th)
๐Ÿ”ธ 22.8% conversion rate (94th)
๐Ÿ”ธ 133 touches in opp. box (98th)

He’s highly sought after by #NFFC. โšก๏ธ

Tom Bogert @tombogert

Sources: Nottingham Forest have made a bid to sign FC Cincinnati forward Brenner. Offer was a loan with purchase obligation. Cincy countered. Two days left in transfer window.

Brenner sat out of training today as he hopes to make the move.

Forest are 13th in the Premier League.

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What better way to cap off one of the greatest coaching careers in any sport than perhaps the biggest rivalry of any sport? On Saturday, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski will lead the #2 seed Blue Devils against first year head coach, and long-time assistant, Hubert Davis and the #8 seed North Carolina Tar Heels.

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MARCH 31: (L-R) Head coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils talks with head coach Hubert Davis of the North Carolina Tar Heels (Photo by Jack Dempsey/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

The famous (and often infamous) Tobacco Road rivalry, made intense by the long-standing strength of these two schools and programs – separated by just 10 miles – will see the Coach K era end the only way that it could: Duke vs UNC in the Final Four in their first ever NCAA Tournament matchup.

Duke looking for the perfect end to a strong season

Duke came into the NCAA Tournament this year on the heels (not Tar Heels) of a disappointing loss to Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship. While many people, expert and casual alike, felt that Duke had been overseeded in the #2 spot in the West Region, they have significantly outlasted any team that pundits would have placed above them. (Not having to play Gonzaga for a second time this season certainly helped, but thatโ€™s neither here nor there.)

Duke boasts a starting lineup that could see all five players taken in the first round in the upcoming NBA draft, with three of them likely gone before the lottery ends at the 14th pick, and one, in Paolo Banchero, who could very well be taken first overall. Oh yeah, and the best college basketball coach ever (did I mention that yet?). Theyโ€™ve been dominant all year with just a couple minor slip-ups in the regular seasonโ€ฆ nothing new.

UNC building momentum at the right time

In what seemed like a very weak season for the consistently-dominant ACC, North Carolina struggled early on, but began to find a rhythm late in the season before also losing to eventual ACC Champ Virginia Tech. They are led by junior big Armando Bacot, who finished second in ACC Player of the Year voting, as well as Oklahoma graduate transfer Brady Manek, and the lockdown defense of senior guard/forward Leaky Black.

While UNC flew under the radar coming into this yearโ€™s NCAA Tournament with respect to their usual top-tier performance, they are smoldering hot and playing with a ton of confidence. They were hugely impressive in their win over Cinderella surprise-package St. Peter’s, to get to this stage. To say they relish the opportunity to knock Duke out of the tournament and send Coach K packing for retirement would be a drastic understatement.

Saturday showdown

As for the game itself, itโ€™s clear that the edge in pure talent lies significantly in Dukeโ€™s favor. As we know well, though, that can mean next to nothing on the stage of the NCAA Tournament. Also, UNC already beat Duke this yearโ€ฆ in the last game of the regular seasonโ€ฆ at Dukeโ€ฆ on senior night.

DURHAM, NC – MARCH 05: Brady Manek #45 of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts during their game against the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 5, 2022 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)

The Tar Heels harbor no fear toward the NBA-caliber talent of the Blue Devils. Long story short: If Bacot and UNC can control the tempo and significantly outrebound Duke, they can send them home. If Duke is able to run the floor and let their talent and athleticism take over in open space, adios Tar Heels.

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โšพ๏ธ Our @beisboldecaribe ๐™ฅ๐™ง๐™š๐™ซ๐™ž๐™š๐™ฌ:

๐Ÿ“บ All eyes on Venezuela
๐Ÿ‡ป๐Ÿ‡ช #LeonesDelCaracas book final spot
๐ŸŒŽ All 8 teams analyzed
๐Ÿ‘€ Most exciting players to watch
๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ด Can #TigresdelLicey make history?

๐Ÿ“ @jesusalfredoSP

#SerieDelCaribe2023
https://thegeniusplaybook.com/serie-del-caribe-preview-leones-del-caracas-book-final-spot/

Sory Kaba currently has the 7th-highest xG (4.9) of any player in the #sldk so far this season, despite scoring just 2 goals for @fcmidtjylland. ๐Ÿ“Š

He has underperformed his xG (scored less than expected) more than any other player. ๐Ÿ“‰

#CCFC | #Midtjylland

BBC Sport Wales @BBCSportWales

Cardiff City are looking to bring in Guinea international Sory Kaba on loan from Danish club Midtjylland โšฝ๏ธ

Read more ๐Ÿ‘‡ #BBCFootball

๐Ÿ”ฅ 23-year-old #FCCincy forward Brenner’s 2022 stats (& rank among other #MLS players):

๐Ÿ”ธ 18 goals (98th percentile)
๐Ÿ”ธ 12.2 xG (97th)
๐Ÿ”ธ 35 shots on target (97th)
๐Ÿ”ธ 22.8% conversion rate (94th)
๐Ÿ”ธ 133 touches in opp. box (98th)

He’s highly sought after by #NFFC. โšก๏ธ

Tom Bogert @tombogert

Sources: Nottingham Forest have made a bid to sign FC Cincinnati forward Brenner. Offer was a loan with purchase obligation. Cincy countered. Two days left in transfer window.

Brenner sat out of training today as he hopes to make the move.

Forest are 13th in the Premier League.

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