Nothing like a conference rivalry matchup to instantly turn up the heat in the Sweet 16. Duke and UNC split their two games this season, each winning at home. The Tar Heels’ victory was a low-scoring overtime affair, 53-46, as only two of the 20 total players reached double figures.

The stage is set for a potentially epic Elite Eight showdown as No. 1 seed Duke and No. 2 seed Alabama will face off Saturday with a spot in the Final Four on the line. Both teams reached 100 points in their Sweet 16 victories and are brimming with the high-end talent necessary to create a compelling March Madness showdown.

There has been a lot of talk about this year’s men’s NCAA Tournament being chalky. Whether it is because of NIL and the transfer portal, as some have suggested, or it’s a random occurrence, there haven’t been as many upsets and Cinderella runs this year.