Duke basketball: North Carolina giving Blue Devils bulletin board material

There has been bulletin board material handed out to the Duke basketball players this week. 

Finding the right motivation in a marquee game is what athletes are always looking for, and the Duke basketball team received some unprovoked motivation ahead of the Final Four.

In case you are living under a rock and have not heard, the Duke Blue Devils will be playing the North Carolina Tar Heels in the NCAA Tournament for the first time with the right to go to the National Championship Game in the balance.

The two programs split the regular-season meetings this season with each program winning on the opposing team’s home floor.

North Carolina spoiled the final home game in the career of Mike Krzyzewski with a victory inside Cameron Indoor Stadium in the regular-season finale against the Blue Devils in spite of the celebratory atmosphere for the Hall of Famer.

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However, Tar Heel star center Armando Bacot was asked this week about how difficult it is to prepare for the high-powered Duke offense, and the All-ACC big man had an interesting answer.

“No challenges for real,” Bacot confidently said.

You can bet that will be pinned on the bulletin board outside of the Duke locker room in New Orleans.

“Guarding Paolo [Banchero] getting downhill is kind of tough,” Bacot admitted.

The Blue Devils posted 87 points in their victory over the Tar Heels and 81 points in their defeat against North Carolina this year.

North Carolina guard sends message to Duke basketball center

Armando Bacot was not the only North Carolina player to send shockwaves through the Duke locker room this week as Tar Heel guard Caleb Love made an interesting comment on Twitter about his center.

FOX College Hoops tweeted out a question to fans on whether they would want Bacot or Duke center Mark Williams on their roster, and Love did not mince words.

The trash talk between the rivals always picks up in the regular season, but the Blue Devils seem oddly quiet for this postseason matchup while the Tar Heels have no fear of their words coming back to haunt them.

Tipoff between Duke and North Carolina is slated for approximately 8:49 p.m. from the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.