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What to watch for as UNC men's basketball takes on Duke in the ACC Tournament semifinals

North Carolina wing Justin Jackson (44) attempts to pass around a Duke double team Saturday night.

North Carolina wing Justin Jackson (44) attempts to pass around a Duke double team Saturday night.

Here are three things to look for in the third meeting between two of the top teams in the ACC.

Tatum vs. Hicks II

North Carolina senior forward Isaiah Hicks didn’t play in the first matchup between the two teams. In his absence, Blue Devil first-year Jayson Tatum — who Hicks would have been matched up with — scored 19 second-half points to help Duke secure a win.

The second meeting saw Tatum limited to just 13 points on 4-of-13 shooting. Hicks, in his last game in the Smith Center, tallied 21 points and nine rebounds.

It will be interesting to see who gets the better of the other Friday. Both players are coming off great performances — Hicks scored 19 against Miami on Thursday and Tatum had 25 in Duke’s quarterfinal win over Louisville.

Back on track

UNC junior wing and ACC Player of the Year Justin Jackson has had a rough stretch shooting from beyond the arc as of late. He made just two of his last 13 attempts to end the regular season, and went 2-for-7 from three against the Hurricanes on Thursday.

North Carolina was able to weather Jackson’s 1-for-7 performance against Duke on March 4 thanks to the play of Joel Berry, but the Tar Heels will likely need him to tighten things up a bit if they hope to advance past the Blue Devils and into Saturday’s final.

Containing Kennard

The Tar Heels and Blue Devils have split the season series, but Duke guard Luke Kennard has shown in both games that he could be the best player on the floor at all times.

In the first contest, Kennard overcame a slow start to put up 20 points on UNC. In the second, he led all scorers with 28 points on 9-of-17 shooting.

Kennard should be motivated by his team’s loss on Saturday, as well as by the fact he finished fourth in voting for ACC Player of the Year — an award a lot of people thought he deserved over Jackson.

@jbo_vernon

sports@dailytarheel.com

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