CHAPEL HILL - North Carolina will close out the regular season against Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium for the first time since its memorable win in Coach K’s final home game in 2022.

That season, the Blue Devils earned the outright ACC title, and they will have a chance to earn a share on Saturday, when the Tar Heels make the eight-mile trek to Durham.

Seventh-ranked UNC (24-6, 16-3 ACC) currently holds a one-game lead in the league and has clinched at least a share of the title. But a win for No. 9 Duke (24-6, 15-4 ACC) would put it tied atop the standings as the regular season concludes.

The Blue Devils enter its Senior Night winners of eight of its last nine games, and have won six consecutive games on its home floor. Duke is playing its best basketball of the season, the Tar Heels are saying, and a big reason for that elevated play is its backcourt.

“The guard play has been really good for them,” UNC guard RJ Davis said Thursday in a press conference at the Smith Center. “Obviously, we know Filipowski is really good the way he does, but I feel like from (Jeremy) Roach to (Jared) McCain and (Tyrese) Proctor, they really have done a good job of controlling the game and stepping up when needed.”

The trio is averaging 38.1 points per game this season with Roach and McCain establishing themselves as one of the best backcourts in the ACC down the stretch.

Roach paces the backcourt, scoring 14.3 points per game on 49.3 percent shooting, including a career-high 44 percent conversion rate from three-point range, the highest in the ACC.

McCain, whose recent surge includes a season-high 35-point outing in a win at Florida State on Feb. 17, has cemented himself as the ACC Freshman of the Year favorite, averaging 13.4 points and 4.9 rebounds.

He joins Roach as one of three Blue Devils to shoot 40 percent or better from three at 40.6 percent, helping Duke rank first in the league from beyond the arc at 38 percent.

McCain is the only freshman in the country shooting at a 40-percent clip from beyond the arc with over 65 three-point field goals and leads all ACC freshmen in offensive rating.

“Jeremy Roach is having another terrific season. I think he leads the ACC in three-point shooting percentage in conference games,” UNC Coach Hubert Davis said. “McCain, he’s shooting the ball extremely well. Their guard play [has been good]. They can defend, they can shoot, they can penetrate, [and] distribute.”

Despite the loss on Feb. 3, flashes of their growth could be seen in their first matchup in Chapel Hill, where Roach and McCain combined for 43 points, including a season-high nine made field goals for the freshman McCain.

“McCain’s been amazing all year, but I think after our game, we gave him a confidence boost even more to fully get into his full self,” said Armando Bacot. “When you’re a freshman, it’s tough early on, even midway through the ACC, but I think we’re starting to see how great of a player he is.”

Bacot also referenced the Blue Devils’ presence on the defensive end, and their uptick in defending at the rim as a reason for their improved play.

Since its loss to the Tar Heels, they have held eight of nine opponents under 70 points, making their 66.7 points allowed per game the third-best in the ACC.

Saturday will mark the ninth matchup in the last 20 years in which North Carolina and Duke face-off in the regular season finale with the Tar Heels having a chance to either claim a share of or an outright ACC title.

UNC is 8-0 in those matchups, most recently defeating the Blue Devils on March 9, 2019 for a share of the championship with Virginia.

While Duke enters the rivalry matchup with momentum and improved play, the Tar Heels possess the ACC’s longest winning streak at five games, while sitting atop the league in scoring at 78.4 points per game.

And with a big matchup on the horizon, head coach Hubert Davis believes in his team, particularly his backcourt.

“They’re playing at a high level, but I feel like our guards are playing pretty well also,” said Davis. “It’ll be a good matchup.”

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