Here are three things to look for in the third meeting between two of the top teams in the ACC.
Tatum vs. Hicks II
North Carolina senior forward Isaiah Hicks didn’t play in the first matchup between the two teams. In his absence, Blue Devil first-year Jayson Tatum — who Hicks would have been matched up with — scored 19 second-half points to help Duke secure a win.
The second meeting saw Tatum limited to just 13 points on 4-of-13 shooting. Hicks, in his last game in the Smith Center, tallied 21 points and nine rebounds.
It will be interesting to see who gets the better of the other Friday. Both players are coming off great performances — Hicks scored 19 against Miami on Thursday and Tatum had 25 in Duke’s quarterfinal win over Louisville.
Back on track
UNC junior wing and ACC Player of the Year Justin Jackson has had a rough stretch shooting from beyond the arc as of late. He made just two of his last 13 attempts to end the regular season, and went 2-for-7 from three against the Hurricanes on Thursday.
North Carolina was able to weather Jackson’s 1-for-7 performance against Duke on March 4 thanks to the play of Joel Berry, but the Tar Heels will likely need him to tighten things up a bit if they hope to advance past the Blue Devils and into Saturday’s final.
