We are officially into the dog days of summer. The college basketball season has been over for months, all the roster movement for next year is complete, and we're through the NBA Draft process and Summer League already.
We've got to have something to occupy our time. And what's better than looking back on euphoric Duke moments? How about euphoric Duke moments that coincided with Tar Heel tears?
Yeah, that's the good stuff. Better than a morning cup of coffee or an afternoon nap.
There's no better rivalry in college basketball than Duke-UNC, and there have been plenty of memorable moments. None have been better than when North Carolina fans are forced to go full surrender cobra.
Let's hop in the time machine and take a look at some of the best moments.
5 stunning Duke wins over UNC that left Tar Heel fans in shambles
1968: The Fred Lind game
Nothing stings worse than when a little-used backup comes in and absolutely torches your team. North Carolina got the full effect of that in March of 1968 when Duke's Fred Lind came off the bench and swung the matchup in Durham.
Famously, Lind had scored just 12 points all season long prior to this matchup. He scored 16 against North Carolina and came up with clutch play after clutch play to earn the victory.
Lind hit a pair of free throws at the end of regulation to force overtime, hit a jumper with under 10 seconds left in the first overtime to force a second, and then hit a hook shot, blocked a shot, and corralled several clutch rebounds in overtime three to lift Duke to an improbable win. Duke students carried Lind off the court on their shoulders after the game.
1975: Unranked Duke upsets #8 North Carolina
Played at a neutral site in Greensboro, not many gave Duke a chance of upsetting Dean Smith's powerful No. 8-ranked Tar Heels.
But the Blue Devils fought and fought and fought. The game went to overtime, and a Tate Armstrong and-one that he converted at the free-throw line was enough to lift Duke to a 99-96 upset win.
1981: Coach K's first win over UNC
Coach K inherited a rebuilding job at Duke when he took over for the 1980-81 season, and Dean Smith provided the litmus test for what he wanted his Blue Devils to become. Having already lost to the Heels twice during the regular season, Duke entered the regular season finale with little hope of pulling an upset.
Duke was just 14-11 coming into the game and facing the No. 11 Tar Heels, the outcome looked to be a foregone conclusion. It was a back-and-forth affair, but it appeared that UNC's Sam Perkins had won the game for his team after hitting a pair of free throws with just two seconds to play.
But Duke's Gene Banks banked in a shot at the buzzer to force overtime, where the Blue Devils ultimately prevailed.
1984: The ACC Tournament surprise
In one of the biggest upsets in the history of the ACC Tournament, Duke pulled off a stunner against North Carolina in 1984. The Heels had gone undefeated in ACC play, winning the regular season crown by five games. They had lost just once all season long coming in and were heavy favorites to capture the tournament title.
Duke had come up agonizingly short in the regular season meetings against the Heels, and they scored their revenge with a 77-75 win in Greensboro over Michael Jordan and UNC.
This was one of the springboard moments for Mike Krzyzewski's program.
2012: Austin Rivers' dagger in Chapel Hill
In a battle of Top 10 teams, North Carolina was a slight favorite on their home floor in February. The Tar Heels led by 10 points with just over two minutes to play and looked to be cruising to the win.
Austin Rivers had other plans.
Rivers led Duke to an improbable rally with 29 points, outdueling fellow 5-star freshman Harrison Barnes, and he hit one of the most memorable shots in Duke history.
It doesn't get any better than a game-winning three at the buzzer in front of a stunned Dean Smith Center:
