DURHAM, N.C. — NCAA basketball rivalry week continues on Thursday night with No. 18 Duke entertaining No. 8 North Carolina at Cameron Indoor Stadium in one of the oldest rivalries. Another highlighted NCAA basketball showdown set for Thursday night is the Pac-12 matchup between No. 5 Oregon and No. 10 UCLA. Both games will be televised live nationally on ESPN and are also available to stream on the ESPN App. The ESPN3 schedule will also provide selected streaming coverage of games. Follow live Gamecast on the NCAA official website.
DUKE v NORTH CAROLINA: 8:00 pm ET
When this battle tips off on Thursday, it will be the 243rd edition of what has been described as “college basketball’s best rivalry.”
The Blue Devils (18-5, 6-4 ACC) enter this game on a three-game winning streak and have won four of the last five outings overall.
The Tar Heels (21-4, 9-2 ACC), meanwhile, have won two straight and beat No. 20 Notre Dame 83-76 on Sunday in their rescheduled game that had to be relocated from North Carolina‘s campus because of a water shortage on Saturday.
Duke has won four of the last five meetings against North Carolina in this series and three of the last four games at home.
TAR HEELS IN GOOD FORM
Justin Jackson of North Carolina on the floor
UNC, which has won nine out of the last 10 games overall and sits atop the Atlantic Coast Conference Standings, is averaging 87.8 points per game and shooting 37.5-percent from 3-point range.
Justin Jackson, who sits sixth in scoring in the ACC, leads North Carolina with 18.6 points per game, while Joel Berry II is scoring 14.9, Isaiah Hicks is putting out 12.8 and Kennedy Meeks averaging 12.6 points and 9.4 rebounds per contest.
DUKE START FAVOURITE AT HOME
The Blue Devils start as 2-point favourite to beat the Tar Heels, according to the bookies, with the game’s over/under sitting at 160.5.
Sophomore Luke Kennard leads five Duke players averaging in double-digit scoring this season with 19.8 points per game to go with 5.6 rebounds.
Grayson Allen is scoring 15.8 points, Jayson Tatum is averaging 15.8 points and 6.9 rebounds, Amile Jefferson is collecting 12.0 points and 9.2 rebounds, while Frank Jackson is scoring 10.2 points per battle this season.
LAST TIME OUT
North Carolina and Duke split their two encounters last season with the Blue Devils winning 74-73 on the road on Feb. 17 before the Tar Heels returned the favour at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Mar 5.
UCLA v OREGON- PAC-12 BATTLE: 10:00 pm ET
At Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, California, 10th-ranked UCLA will play host to an inform Oregon setup that is currently playing confidently.
Point guard Manu Lecomte of Baylor Basketball at the FT line
The Ducks (21-3 overall, 10-1 Pac-12) who are half-a-game behind Arizona in the conference standings, have won two in a row and come into this contest on the back of an 85-58 win over then-No.5 Wildcats on Saturday.
The Bruins (21-3, 8-3) have also won two straight and routed Washington 107-66 last time out on Saturday night.
Lonzo Ball of the UCLA Bruins college basketball team
OTHER NCAA BASKETBALL GAME TO WATCH
Elsewhere on Thursday night, No. 1 Gonzaga (24-0, 12-0 WCC) will aim to extend its undefeated streak this season to 25 games against Loyola Marymount on the road.
The Bulldogs are the only remaining Division I men’s basketball team left this season.
Also on the night, No. 16 Purdue (19-5, 8-3 Big Ten) will travel to face Indiana (15-9, 5-6 Big Ten), while No. 7 Wisconsin goes to Lincoln, Nebraska to face the Cornhuskers.
NCAA BASKETBALL TOP 25
Schedule, Stream and TV Channels
Thursday, February 9, 2017
No. 16 Purdue at Indiana 7:00 PM ESPN2, WatchESPN
No. 8 North Carolina at No. 18 Duke 8:00 PM ESPN, WatchESPN
No. 25 SMU at Temple 9:00 PM ESPN2, WatchESPN
No. 5 Oregon at No. 10 UCLA 10:00 PM ESPN, WatchESPN
No. 1 Gonzaga at Loyola Marymount 10:00 PM
Portland at No. 20 Saint Mary’s 10:00 PM
FULL STREAMING ESPN3 SCHEDULE
Central Connecticut State vs. Fairleigh Dickinson 5:00 PM ESPN3
Kennesaw State vs. Stetson 7:00 PM ESPN3
Albany vs. Binghamton 7:00 PM ESPN3
Lipscomb vs. Florida Gulf Coast 7:00 PM ESPN3
The Citadel vs. East Tennessee State 7:00 PM ESPN3
NJIT vs. North Florida 7:00 PM ESPN3
Hartford vs. UMBC 7:00 PM ESPN3
Mercer vs. VMI 7:00 PM ESPN3
USC Upstate vs. Jacksonville 7:00 PM ESPN3
Chattanooga vs. Furman 7:00 PM ESPN3
Samford vs. Wofford 7:00 PM ESPN3
Maine vs. UMass Lowell 7:00 PM ESPN3
Milwaukee vs. Wright State 7:00 PM ESPN3
Green Bay vs. Northern Kentucky 7:30 PM ESPN3
Youngstown State vs. UIC 8:00 PM ESPN3
Saint Peter’s vs. Quinnipiac 8:00 PM ESPN3
Northwood vs. Grand Valley State 8:00 PM ESPN3
Above the Rim Cam: No. 8 North Carolina at No. 18 Duke 8:00 PM ESPN3
In Spanish – No. 8 North Carolina at No. 18 Duke 8:00 PM ESPN3
Cleveland State vs. Valparaiso 8:00 PM ESPN3
Sam Houston State vs. Lamar 8:30 PM ESPN3
Rio Grande Valley vs. Grand Canyon University 9:00 PM ESPN3
Long Beach State vs. UC Riverside 10:00 PM ESPN3
New Mexico State vs. CSU Bakersfield 10:00 PM ESPN3
In Spanish – No. 5 Oregon at No. 10 UCLA 10:00 PM ESPN3
Nivea Above the Rim Cam – No. 5 Oregon at No. 10 UCLA 10:00 PM ESPN3
Pasch and Walton Cam – No. 5 Oregon at No. 10 UCLA 10:00 PM ESPN3
