UNC lost in the first round of this year's NCAA tournament, and former UNC star Tyler Hansbrough still holds the Tobacco Road rivalry dear and hopes Duke loses in the Elite Eight.

The Tar Heels seized control early, but Duke settled in and outscored North Carolina by a 47-27 margin in the final 34 minutes.

BOTTOM LINE: No. 7 Duke takes on No. 12 North Carolina in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils have gone 17-4 against ACC teams, with an 11-3 record in non-conference play. Duke averages 73.8 points while outscoring opponents by 16.7 points per game.

Oluchi Okananwa recorded her third double-double of the season to lead ACC Tournament champion Duke past North Carolina 47-38 and into the Elite 8 of the women’s NCAA Tournament

Lexi Donarski splashes a trey for North Carolina vs. Duke.

Elite Eight picks, predictions, odds for Alabama vs Duke East Region NCAA Tournament March Madness game on Saturday, March 29, 2025. Who wins game?

Duke did it all, making one of the six or seven best teams in the country look completely helpless. Alabama kept it relatively close until the final five minutes, but the outcome was never really in doubt,

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.

It’s the Duke Blue Devils vs Alabama in the March Madness bracket. Here’s our prediction, pick for the 2025 NCAA Tournament basketball game.