Feb. 10, 2026, 8:01 a.m. ET
North Carolina is coming off an emotional win over Duke and now turns its attention to Miami.
The 11th-ranked Tar Heels stunned No. 4 Duke 71-68 in a thriller at the Dean E. Smith Center, a game that had just about everything. North Carolina senior guard Seth Trimble drilled a corner 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left for the game-winner, capping a furious comeback and setting off bedlam. The Tar Heels trailed for 37:39 and didn’t take their first lead until Trimble’s shot. Moments later, fans flooded the court and, in a familiar scene when UNC beats Duke, poured onto Franklin Street.
The celebration was still going Sunday morning, but the turnaround is quick. North Carolina heads back on the road this week for a Tuesday night matchup at Miami at 7 p.m.
The Tar Heels (19-4, 7-3 ACC) and Hurricanes (18-5, 7-3 ACC) meet with sole possession of third place in the ACC on the line, and a packed Watsco Center is expected. Miami, led by first-year head coach Jai Lucas, is enjoying an immediate resurgence and could play spoiler to UNC, especially coming off beating its archrival.
UNC has won three straight in the series, including a 92-73 blowout in Chapel Hill on March 1 last season. The Tar Heels also took their last trip to Coral Gables, edging the Hurricanes 75-72 exactly two years ago Tuesday.
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Here are three things to know about Miami.
One of the Best Stories in College Basketball Right Now
The Hurricanes are coming into the game with a 18-5 overall and are tied in firth place in the ACC with the Tar Heels with a 7-3 conference record. It’s one of the biggest turnaorunds in college basketball this season as the Hurricanes were 7-24 and finished in last place with a 3-17 ACC record.
Miami has the Youngest Head Coach in the Power Four
A large part of the turnaround should be credited to first-year head coach Jai Lucas, the son of former Maryland All-American guard and longtime NBA head coach John Lucas. Jai Lucas was an assistant at Texas and the lead recruiter at Kentucky before he was hired by Jon Scheyer at Duke when Scheyer became head coach in 2022.
Lucas was the first assistant coach hired at Duke in 30 years who was not a Duke alumnus. He was promoted to associate head coach in 2023 and served in that role until he was hired by Miami.
The Hurricanes have a Formidable Frontcourt
Malik Reneau has been one of the best players in the ACC this season, averaging 20.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. The Indiana transfer is a three-level scorer, shooting 56.5% from the field, 34.6% from 3-point range and 79.4% from the free-throw line. He also is effective at drawing contact, averaging 6.2 fouls drawn per 40 minutes, the fifth-best mark in ACC games.
Ernest Udeh is a traditional 6-foot-11 center. He is averaging 6.9 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. He ranks second in the ACC in rebounding, with Duke’s Cameron Boozer the only player averaging more.
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