North Carolina basketball hosts Duke Saturday to close out the regular season, with the Blue Devils entering as a top-five team while the Tar Heels fight for a tournament spot.
Facing this challenge, North Carolina brought football star power to ESPN’s “College GameDay.” New Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick attended for his first Duke-UNC experience as a Tar Heel. NFL Hall-of-Famer and former North Carolina football standout Lawrence Taylor also made a special appearance.
NFL legends add to Duke vs. UNC rivalry hype
Belichick called Taylor the best defensive player in NFL history, something he has stated previously.
Taylor energized the North Carolina crowd with his prediction.
“I’m looking for Carolina to kick some a– today,” Taylor said.
“I’m looking for Carolina to kick some a– today.”
UNC alum Lawrence Taylor didn’t hold back on his thoughts about Duke in front of Bill Belichick
Belichick discussed his plans to bring back program legends to inspire current players while building his version of the Tar Heels football program.
North Carolina enters the game 20-11 and 13-6 in conference play. Duke comes in at 27-3 and 18-1 in ACC play.
The Tar Heels likely need to beat the Blue Devils to secure a March Madness berth, while Duke is positioned for a No. 1 seed.
Belichick-Taylor relationship, explained
Belichick worked for the Giants for a decade in various roles, including defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. He served as special teams coach and linebackers coach in 1981 when New York drafted Taylor from North Carolina.
Belichick coached Taylor from 1981-90, winning two Super Bowl championships together in Super Bowls 21 and 25.
During this period, Taylor made 10 straight Pro Bowls and earned eight First-Team All-Pro selections. He won three Defensive Player of the Year awards and one Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
When is Duke vs. UNC?
- Date: March 8
- Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Duke-UNC tips off at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, with Dan Shulman and Jay Bilas calling the game.
Earlier this season, Duke defeated North Carolina 87-70 in Durham. The Blue Devils have won seven straight games and 23 of their last 24 overall.
How to watch UNC-Duke today
- TV channel: ESPN
- Live stream: Sling
UNC vs. Duke will air live on ESPN, with Dan Shulman (play-by-play), Jay Bilas (analyst) and Jess Sims (reporter) on the call.
Viewers can also stream the game live on Sling, which offers channels like ESPN, TBS, TNT, NFL Network, FS1 and more for sports fans.
"I'm looking for Carolina to kick some a– today." 😂
UNC alum Lawrence Taylor didn't hold back on his thoughts about Duke in front of Bill Belichick 👀 pic.twitter.com/MDhHqfYmDS
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) March 8, 2025
