Duke vs. UNC Final Four matchup has major rivalry stakes for Coach K

As Mike Krzyzewski and the Duke Blue Devils get set to face the North Carolina Tar Heels in the Final Four, Coach K faces some interesting rivalry stakes.

The Duke Blue Devils and the North Carolina Tar Heels are getting prepared for a pretty big rivalry matchup. For the first time ever, Duke and North Carolina will meet up in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

That would be fascinating regardless of what round of the NCAA Tournament it took place in, but this meeting will be in the Final Four.

The stakes are pretty high here. Whichever team wins will advance on and compete in the national championship game. Whoever loses will then go home and have to watch their rival attempt to win a title.

Pretty big deal, right?

To make things even more interesting, this matchup has even higher rivalry stakes than just that. As it turns out, Mike Krzyzewski adds another level of interest to this meeting between the Blue Devils and Tar Heels.

Final Four: Duke vs. North Carolina has major rivalry implications for Mike Krzyzewski

As Bryan Ives points out on Twitter, this will be Coach K’s 100th time facing off against North Carolina. So far, he has won one more game against the Tar Heels than he’s lost.

That means if Duke wins this Final Four meeting, Krzyzewski will be able to retire with a winning record over his rival. Should the Tar Heels come out on top, Coach K will have only been able to tie his rival throughout his career and his final meeting with North Carolina would be a loss.

No big deal, right?

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