In a clash that's become as predictable as a foggy San Francisco morning, the Duke Blue Devils are slated to spar with their fierce rival, the North Carolina Tar Heels, in what's shaping up to be a nail-biter at the ACC Tournament semifinals. The upcoming match, which seats fans at the edge at Spectrum Center in Uptown Charlotte, follows North Carolina's edge-over, a win against Wake Forest at 68-59, propelled by RD Davis and his noteworthy 23-point game, as reported by WCNC.

Meanwhile, the Blue Devils surged past Georgia Tech with a 78-70 victory, a game that saw Duke guard/forward Isaiah Evans take charge in an impressive second-half comeback; however, eyebrows are raised, questions linger over the health of freshman standout Cooper Flagg who suffered an ankle injury, casting doubt on Duke's national title aspirations, as chronicled by USA Today's DukeWire.

The stakes are also high for the Tar Heels, who, after a regular-season record of 20-12 and suffering a loss with Brown out due to a re-dislocated shoulder, need a win in their pocket to punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament—a feat made all the more challenging given Duke's triumph in both regular-season match-ups; in Durham they bulldozed for an 87-70 score, later in Chapel Hill they came back to erase a Tar Heel lead for an 82-69 finish, information detailed by WSOCTV.

The anticipation swirls ahead of Friday's game, which tips off at 7:00 p.m., broadcasted on either ESPN or ESPN2; fans are reminded of the 2019 skirmish in the ACC Tournament, when Duke claimed a slim 74-73 victory buoyed by a magnificent 31-point wonder by Zion Williamson—and while history may or may not repeat itself, it's evident that both teams are ready to leave it all on the hardwood for a chance to advance, for a shot at glory in the storied hoops landscape, "Duke Wire" from USA Today reminded us of the last ACC confrontation.