No. 1 Duke gets revenge on North Carolina with victory in regular-season finale

In the first half against UNC, Duke guard Caleb Foster appeared to suffer a lower leg injury. He did not return to the game and was seen with a walking boot on his foot. He wasn't the only player with one on Duke's bench. That's because starting center Patrick Ngongba II, who was listed as questionable coming into this game, didn't play. He was also seen with a walking boot on his foot.

There is no indication of how serious Foster's injury is. If Foster is out, Duke could turn to Cayden Boozer to be Foster's replacement in the starting lineup. Boozer looked very good in the second half vs. UNC. He finished with seven points, five rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes.

FINAL: No. 1 Duke 76, No. 17 North Carolina 61

In the first meeting between Duke and North Carolina, Wilson was special. Does that mean UNC wins this game if he plays today? Probably not. But it's definitely more competitive. Duke dominated on the glass and in second-chance points. Both of those departments are Wilson's strengths because of his motor and hustle. UNC has had a chance to see what its team looks like for a little over a month without Wilson in the lineup, so today wasn't new. But it was a reminder that the ceiling of what UNC can do against an elite team in March will be drastically lower without Wilson in the lineup. It's more so a testament to how good Wilson was for UNC.

Don't count out UNC, yet. But this was a reality check for UNC's roster.

FINAL: No. 1 Duke 76, No. 17 North Carolina 61

If there was even a sliver of doubt about who was going to win National Player of the Year, all doubt should be erased after Boozer's latest performance. He just closed out one of the best regular seasons by any freshman with a standout performance in a marquee rivalry game. Boozer finished with 26 points, 15 rebounds and five assists. Per CBS Sports research, Boozer is the first Duke player with at least 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a game vs. UNC since Loul Deng did it in 2004. 

What makes Boozer special is his passing, basketball IQ and his feel for the game. Even when UNC sent double-teams at him, he didn't even flinch. Boozer is one of the greatest winners in high school basketball history. That has translated to the college level. It would be shocking if it didn't translate to the next level, too.

FINAL: No. 1 Duke 76, No. 17 North Carolina 61

No. 1 Duke cruised to a 76-61 win over No. 17 North Carolina on Saturday, avenging a loss suffered against the Tar Heels earlier this season. Since that loss, the Blue Devils have won eight consecutive games and will be the No. 1 seed in next week's ACC Tournament. Despite the loss, North Carolina earned the No. 4 seed in the ACC Tournament and will receive a double-bye.

North Carolina and Duke could be on a collision course to face each other again in the semifinals if both teams win their opening round matchup.

Duke (29-2, 17-1 ACC) completed one of the most dominant regular seasons in program history. The Blue Devils picked up their 11th win against an AP-ranked team this season, which is tied for the most all-time with Kentucky (2002-03) and Indiana (1992-93). Duke also tied the ACC record (29) for the most regular-season wins.

Duke star Cameron Boozer, the frontrunner to win national player of the year honors, had another strong performance and finished with 26 points, 15 rebounds and five assists. Per CBS Sports research, Boozer is the first Duke player with at least 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a game vs. UNC since Loul Deng did it in 2004. 

Boozer also has at least 10 points, five rebounds and two assists in all 31 games this season. That's the longest streak by any Division I player in the last 20 years.

Despite the win, Duke did see starting guard Caleb Foster leave with a foot injury in the first half. He did not return to the game and was seen on the broadcast with a walking boot on his foot.

North Carolina (24-7, ACC 12-6) had won five of its last six games since star forward Caleb Wilson went down with an injury. However, UNC was without Wilson again and will be without him for the remainder of the season after he suffered a thumb injury in practice earlier this week.

The Blue Devils took control in the second half by dominating on the glass. Duke out-rebounded UNC and created more chances off turnovers and on second-chance opportunities. 

LATE 1H: No. 1 Duke 71, No. 17 UNC 50

Duke is running away with this game and Cameron Boozer is a huge reason why. Per CBS Sports research, Boozer is the first Duke player with at least 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a game vs. UNC since Loul Deng did it in 2004. He also has at least 10 points, five rebounds and two assists in all 31 games this season. That's the longest streak by any Division I player in the last 20 years.

Duke is on an 18-2 run the last six minutes. The lead is up to 19 points. Duke has 13 second chance points.

EARLY 2H: No. 1 Duke 58, No. 17 North Carolina 44

Here comes Duke. The Blue Devils are on an 11-0 run over the last 2:31 and have held UNC without a point for almost four minutes to take their largest lead of the game. Duke is shooting an impressive 5 of 9 from the 3-point line during the first seven minutes of the second half. They're also generating more second-chance looks and forcing turnovers. That's been the difference.

EARLY 2H: No. 1 Duke 50, No. 17 North Carolina 44

With Foster out for the remainder of the game, Duke is going to rely on Cayden Boozer down the stretch. In the first four minutes of the second half, he has done just that. He has knocked down both of his shot attempts and is up to five points. Duke is holding on to a six-point lead at the first media timeout of the second half.

Duke guard Caleb Foster will miss the remainder of the game due to a foot injury suffered late in the first half. With Foster out, Duke will have to rely more on Cayden Boozer in the second half. Foster has started 29 games this season for the Blue Devils and is averaging 8.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists.

The ESPN broadcast just showed Foster with a walking boot on his foot.

HALFTIME: No. 1 Duke 34, No. 17 North Carolina 29

No. 1 Duke leads No. 17 North Carolina 34-29 at halftime of the final game of the regular season for both programs. The Blue Devils are looking to avenge a loss earlier this season to North Carolina and are riding a 31-game home win streak. Since that loss against its in-state foe, Duke is riding a seven-game winning streak.

The Blue Devils have already wrapped up the ACC regular season title and the No. 1 seed in next week's ACC Tournament. What's on the line between now and Selection Sunday is the No. 1 overall seed in the field. North Carolina is in position to earn the No. 4 seed in the ACC Tournament, which would secure a double-bye.

Duke and North Carolina are both without a key player for this game. UNC star forward Caleb Wilson, a projected top-five pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, will miss the remainder of the season after he suffered a broken right thumb in practice earlier this week. Duke is without starting center Patrick Ngongba II. He was not in the starting lineup and was listed as questionable in the ACC injury report.

In Ngongba's absence, Duke forward Maliq Brown has stepped up. He finished the first half with 10 points and three steals, while National Player of the Year frontrunner, Cameron Boozer, scored 12.

North Carolina's offense has come from its starting lineup. The Tar Heels have zero bench points, but four of their five starters have scored at least six points. That includes nine points from star big man Henri Veesaar.

LATE 1H: No. 1 Duke 32, No. 17 North Carolina 22

It doesn't appear that Ngongba is going to play tonight, so Brown should be getting a majority of the minutes at center. He is one of the best "glue guys" in college basketball. He has 10 points, two rebounds, three steals and a block. He can do a little bit of everything. It's why Duke has been able to keep its lead at double digits for most of the first half.

Something to keep an eye on is the status of Duke guard Caleb Foster. He appeared to turn his ankle a few minutes ago.

MID 1H: No. 1 Duke 24, No. 17 North Carolina 15

The story of the last few minutes of this game is both teams going cold from the field. Duke is 1 of 9 from the floor, while North Carolina isn't much better (1 of 7) over the last few minutes. UNC has zero bench points, while Duke has just two. Duke has forced five turnovers and has seven points off them.

EARLY 1H: No. 1 Duke 17, No. 17 North Carolina 13

If North Carolina is going to pull off an upset over No. 1 Duke, Seth Trimble will need to replicate his performance from the first meeting. He is up to six points early (3 of 4 from the field). UNC is shooting 6 of 10 from the floor as a team, but Duke has attempted seven more field goals through the first eight minutes.

EARLY 1H: No. 1 Duke 11, No. 17 North Carolina 9

We have reached the first media timeout at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke has jumped out to an early 11-9 advantage over UNC, thanks to six quick points from Maliq Brown, who is starting in place of the injured Patrick Ngongba II. Duke star Cameron Boozer has two assists already. His elite passing has already been on display in the first five minutes with some cross-court passes. UNC is sending double teams at Boozer. That will be something to monitor, especially without Caleb Wilson in the lineup.

Duke star big man Patrick Ngongba II was not in the starting lineup. According to the ESPN broadcast, Duke has not officially ruled him out for the game. He was listed as questionable in the ACC injury report.

1. Duke

• Caleb Foster
• Isaiah Evans
• Dame Sarr
• Maliq Brown
• Cameron Boozer

17. North Carolina

• Derek Dixon
• Seth Trimble
• Luka Bogavac
• Jarin Stevenson
• Henri Veesaar

Duke enters the game 14-0 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The last time Duke lost at home was to North Carolina in the regular-season finale in 2024. With that victory, UNC clinched the outright ACC title. North Carolina was also the only other ACC team (18-0) to finish the regular season undefeated at home.

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With Wilson out, the focus shifts back to the frontcourt. Wilson is by far UNC's most talented player, so others will have to step up if the Tar Heels want to make a run in March. Since Wilson's injury, North Carolina has started Jarin Stevenson and Henri Veesaar in the frontcourt. Stevenson, a transfer from Alabama, has already delivered big moments this season. He scored a team-high 19 points against Pitt, which came days after Wilson suffered the initial injury. Keep an eye on Stevenson against Duke.

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Entering the final weekend of the regular season, Duke star Cameron Boozer is running away with National Player of the Year honors. He is the consensus favorite to win the award and could become the latest freshman to claim college basketball's top individual honor. Boozer is averaging 22.6 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists this season. He would become the second consecutive Duke freshman (Cooper Flagg) to win the award.

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Just over 24 hours before tipoff, North Carolina announced that star forward Caleb Wilson would miss the remainder of the season after suffering a broken thumb in practice. It's a devastating blow for the short- and long-term future of UNC basketball. Wilson was outstanding in the first matchup against Duke, and others will have to step up in his absence. Duke should be able to finish the regular season at home with a win over its in-state rival. In both of Duke's losses this season, late-game blunders proved costly. The Blue Devils have not lost at home this season, and I expect that to continue this weekend. Still, even without Wilson, UNC keeps the game relatively close and covers the 16-point spread. Pick: UNC +16

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Duke's aspirations of being the No. 1 overall seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament will be hanging in the balance when the top-ranked Blue Devils host No. 17 North Carolina on Saturday. With a loss, Duke would likely drop behind Michigan and Arizona in CBS Sports Bracketology and be the No. 3 overall seed.

Either way, the Blue Devils are likely to play in the East Region and to open the tournament in Greenville, South Carolina. But earning the No. 1 overall seed is nonetheless a badge of honor that Duke could add to what will be a long list of 2025-26 accolades.

Duke is already the outright ACC champion, and star freshman Cam Boozer is the favorite to win the Naismith Award. Fourth-year coach Jon Scheyer may also find himself collecting some Coach of the Year hardware. This is shaping up to be the Blue Devils' second No. 1 seed under Scheyer, but it would be his first time earning the No. 1 overall seed. 

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With Wilson out, the focus will shift back to the frontcourt. Wilson is by far UNC's most talented player, so others will have to step up if the Tar Heels want to make a run in March. Since Wilson's injury, North Carolina has been starting Jarin Stevenson and Henri Veesaar in the frontcourt.

Stevenson, a transfer from Alabama, is averaging 7.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 25 minutes per game. During his first two seasons with the Crimson Tide, Stevenson averaged just under 19 minutes per game and made 27 starts in his career. This season at UNC, Stevenson has started 22 games and has found a more consistent role.

The good news for North Carolina is that Stevenson has stepped up in big moments on the biggest stage in the sport. In 2024, Stevenson came off the bench and scored 19 points in Alabama's win over Clemson in the Elite Eight. Stevenson's best game this season came right after Wilson's injury when he scored a season-high 19 points in a win over Pitt.

North Carolina star Caleb Wilson will miss the remainder of the season after breaking his right thumb during a non-contact drill in practice on Thursday, the school announced on Friday. Wilson was recovering from a left-hand fracture suffered during the first half of the Tar Heels' 75-66 road loss against Miami last month, and there was optimism he could be returning soon.

Wilson, who is a top-five projected pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, ends his freshman season averaging 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists. In his final game against Miami, he scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds in 26 minutes of action.

The 19.8 points per game Wilson averaged is the most all-time by a North Carolina freshman. Wilson scored at least 20 points in 17 games this season, which is also a program record for a freshman. Wilson also finished with 11 double-doubles in 24 games.

UNC star Caleb Wilson out for remainder of season after suffering broken right thumb in practice

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