Duke Basketball: Blue Devils may need floor slap from Zion to beat UNC

When the Duke basketball team hosts UNC tonight, a potential two-hand floor slap has the potential to blow the roof off Cameron Indoor Stadium.

To any Duke basketball fan who attacks each and every day by jumping out of bed and slapping the floor with both hands, the expression of your fandom deserves applause; however, you should put an end to the routine.

Because the first rule of floor-slapping is “Don’t plan floor slaps.”

The Blue Devils’ signature act, which signals the need for a huge defensive stand and is typically reserved for heart-pounding late moments of epic games, began in the 80s when now-72-year-old head coach Mike Krzyzewski was still in his 30s. It has evolved over the years and has even led to mocking by opposing teams stemming from their jealousy.

Floor slaps fuel the souls of Duke players and fans alike; however, when they either happen too often, require planning during a timeout, or come while playing a zone — as was the case last season — they lose their thunder and become the butt of jokes. But when they spontaneously happen at just the right time — and work — they instantly earn a spot on any slideshow of the program’s iconic images.

And there is no template for how they should look.

Out of a timeout prior to the final defensive stand during the championship game against Georgia Tech at the 1986 ACC Tournament, the entire Duke lineup slapped the floor — actually, at that time, the infant tradition called for more of a two-hand touch than a two-hand slap.

Twelve years later, courtesy of Steve Wojciechowski on his Senior Day to help seal a 16-point comeback win at home against UNC, the floor slap was a one-man show. And on that glorious day, with just under a minute to play after the Blue Devils had taken a 77-75 lead, Wojo’s slap of the floor turned into four consecutive two-hand poundings of the court within the span of two seconds.

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Staying on the topic of home wins over Tar Heels, fast-forward to the present day.

Tonight at 9 p.m. on ESPN, No. 1 Duke (23-2; 11-1 ACC) will host No. 8 UNC (20-5; 10-2 ACC) in the 249th edition — first of this season — of the most intense rivalry on the planet (the Tar Heels lead the all-time series, 137-111, but the Blue Devils have won seven of the past 11 meetings and 31 of the past 47).

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And this epic event that is the Super Bowl of college basketball’s regular season, which will likely set college basketball records for viewership and will cost fans looking for a ticket at the last minute in excess of $3,000, could call for a floor slap by one or more Blue Devils.

So far this season, the floor-slap count remains at zero.

And Coach K Court may be thankful that freshman Zion Williamson — a 6-foot-7, 280-pound beast who is the best player in the country and the most powerful player in Duke basketball history — has thus far refrained from putting a dent in it. After all, if he was to slap the floor, it would likely be the most emphatic and vicious slapping of a floor in history.

And that may be exactly what the Blue Devils need to beat the Tar Heels.

Or maybe — hopefully — Duke will easily cover the 9.5-point spread and floor-slapping won’t be necessary (though Zion could still do so in celebration just to reward the Cameron Crazies for camping out for more than a month just to get into the game).

But past first games of the season between the rivals suggest that the outcome will still be in doubt with a minute to play.

So if a floor slap does spontaneously happen — whether solely from the hands of one Blue Devil, from the entire group on the floor, or even from Coach K himself, which has happened before — expect your TV to shake if you are watching from home. If you are lucky enough or wealthy enough to witness it in person, expect to be able to say that you were inside Cameron when it reached its top decibel level in history.

And if a floor slap should happen — sticking with the first rule, this article is only intended to suggest it, not plan it — expect it to fulfill its purpose by leading to a Duke victory.

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That being said, if it is Zion who acts as the two-hand jackhammer, expect your bedtime to be pushed back at least an hour due to the stoppage in play that will be required to repair the floor.

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