Duke vs. UNC Predictions: Harrison Barnes and More Tar Heels Who Will Shine

Now that the NFL season is over, it’s time for college basketball to play a more prominent role on the national sports scene. There’s no better way to start generating that interest than a rivalry game between Duke and North Carolina on Wednesday night.

Here are three Tar Heels who will dominate the clash, leading to an important ACC victory for North Carolina.

Harrison Barnes

Barnes made the right decision to return to North Carolina for another season. He’s developed into a much more efficient player in basically every aspect of the game and will lead the charge in the team’s run for a national title.

He’s been playing really well as of late with at least 13 points in six straight games and 10 of the past 11. That streak shouldn’t have much trouble getting extended against a Duke team which continues to struggle on the defensive end.

It’s important for Barnes to keep being aggressive as the games become more filled with pressure in the coming weeks, starting on Wednesday. As long as he does, he’ll dominate.

Tyler Zeller

As a senior, Zeller knows everything about these rivalry games. He had two solid performances in last year’s games, including a 24-point, 13-rebound outing at Duke. The Blue Devils simply don’t have an answer for his combination of size and skill in the paint.

What makes Zeller such a tough matchup for ACC foes is that he continues to improve. He keeps adding new moves to his repertoire and it’s impossible to outwork him on the interior, and that opens up more space for guys like Barnes to get easy looks.

Duke’s strength is in the backcourt with Austin Rivers and Seth Curry. The Blue Devils don’t have as much talent down low and it will take more than two Plumlee brothers to slow down Zeller.

Reggie Bullock

While North Carolina’s frontcourt dominance will put the team in a position to win, the Tar Heels will need some outside shooting to finish the job. That’s where Bullock, who is averaging nearly two threes per game, will come into play.

Bullock has been consistent since moving into the starting lineup, scoring exactly 11 points in three of his four starts. And when push comes to shove, that’s all North Carolina needs from him to win games. He doesn’t have to score in bunches, but he can’t be invisible either.

It should be an exciting game between two conference powers, but Bullock and Co. will do enough to defend their homecourt advantage.