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Louisville-North Carolina, Duke-Syracuse preview features two matchups of Hall-of-Famers

Louisville v North Carolina

CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 29: (R-L) Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels smiles as he talks with head coach Rick Pitino of the Louisville Cardinals during the 2008 NCAA Men’s East Regional Final at Bobcats Arena on March 29, 2008 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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No. 7 Louisville at No. 8 North Carolina, 9:00 p.m. (ESPN)

There are six active Hall of Fame head coaches in the collegiate ranks today. Four of them are coaching tonight. Two of them will be squaring off with each other in the Dean Dome in what promises to be a terrific games with a ton on the line.

The Tar Heels are currently sitting all alone in first place in the ACC, a game ahead of Duke and Louisville. A win on Wednesday would put UNC in a position where it seems very unlikely that they’ll finish behind Louisville and, barring upset losses at either Virginia or Pitt, given them a chance to lock up the outright ACC regular season title when they host Duke in the season finale. An ACC regular season title might be enough for the Tar Heels to lock up the No. 1 seed in the South. That would be a nice present, even if the games aren’t going to be played in state.

The game itself should be fascinating. Rick Pitino is one of the greatest defensive coaches to ever live, as his team’s have been in the top five of KenPom’s defensive efficiency rankings each of the last seven seasons and nine of the last ten years. The question with his group is going to be whether or not they are able to score enough points to keep pace with the Tar Heels, who feature ACC Player of the Year favorite Justin Jackson alongside a big, veteran front line and a point guard in Joel Berry II who is the engine of that fast break.


  • PREDICTION: UNC’s ability to get to the offensive glass combined with the presence of Jackson, who has been unstoppable in ACC play, is enough to get the Tar Heels to cover (-5.5)
Duke v Syracuse

SYRACUSE, NY - FEBRUARY 14: Head coach Jim Boeheim of the Syracuse Orange shakes the hand of Head coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils after the game on February 14, 2015 at The Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York. Duke defeats Syracuse 80-72. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)

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Four more games to watch


  • No. 10 Duke at Syracuse, 7:00 p.m. (ESPN): The other two Hall of Fame coaches in action tonight square off in the Carrier Dome in front of what could end up being as many as 30,000 Syracuse fans. It’s a must-win for the Orange, who are still in the NCAA tournament picture despite a 16-12 record and a trio of horrid losses. PREDICTION: I think Syracuse wins outright, so I’m on the Orange (+4)
  • Minnesota at No. 24 Maryland, 8:30 p.m. (BTN): Maryland’s bid for the Big Ten regular season title isn’t completely shot, but the Terps are a game behind both Wisconsin and Purdue. They need this win, but the Gophers have proven to be tough, better than we’ve expected. PREDICTION: Maryland (-4.5)
  • No. 22 Butler at No. 2 Villanova, 9:00 p.m. (FS1): It seems like Butler hasn’t been right for weeks, and tonight they make the trek to Philadelphia to face off with the Wildcats. They play in The Pavilion, and no one on this Villanova team has ever lost a game in that building. PREDICTION: Villanova (-10)
  • No. 6 Oregon at California, 9:00 p.m. (ESPN2): This is a game that Cal desperately needs, not because the Bears are in real danger of missing the NCAA tournament but because they need an elite on their profile to avoid getting stuck somewhere in that 8-9 game. PREDICTION: Oregon (-4)