Maybe Duke did have a chance after all...

Okay, so I said Duke had absolutely no chance to beat Carolina... unless they made lots of threes. As it turns out, even though Duke did win the game, I was correct. And if you don't believe me, feel free to read the post below.

Austin Rivers with the buzzer beater - Photo courtesy Google Images

Actually, I was as correct as anybody could ever be, considering Duke got badly outplayed and really should have lost had it not been for the aid of 14 three-pointers, plus the greatest trey in Duke basketball recent history.

By my estimation, this was the greatest Duke-UNC game of all time. There have been some great ones no doubt. Certainly many great ones occurred long before I was born, but I am a pretty vigorous studier of the history of the game, especially when it comes to Duke. Plus, I have been to about 10 Duke-UNC games in my life. I was even at the previously considered "best game" in 1995 when Jeff Capel hit a half-court buzzer beater to send the game into overtime, before Carolina won in double OT.

Obviously the best game in the rivalry depends on which shade of blue you prefer, but for those of us rocking royal blue today in honor of last night's miracle performance, this was undoubtedly the best game ever in the storied history of the rivalry.

So I've been talking for a while now and haven't even mentioned the guy who hit the shot... Austin Rivers. Wow, 29 points and six threes in his first (and probably last) visit to the Dean Dome. On a team full of veteran guards like Seth Curry and Andre Dawkins, it was the freshman Rivers who put the team on his back throughout the game and especially down the stretch when Duke trailed by double-digits.

That team from Chapel Hill will be out for blood (royal blue blood) when they come to Cameron Indoor in March, so I am a little worried. But this time, I am not going to say Duke has no chance.

And yes, I will be at that game.