Duke and North Carolina are one weekend closer to the ultimate matchup.
The schools have combined for 11 national championships and 36 Final Four appearances, but somehow the Blue Devils and Tar Heels somehow have never met in the NCAA Tournament.
Could that change in 2019? After all, North Carolina and Duke are both 1-seeds, and the schools advanced to the Sweet 16 in the same season for the 15th time.
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Both teams will try to take one step closer to that dream matchup on Friday. North Carolina takes on No. 5 Auburn in the Midwest Region semifinal at 7:29 p.m. ET. Duke faces No. 4 Virginia Tech in the East Region semifinal at 9:39 p.m.
For those wondering how in the world these two blue bloods have never crossed paths in the NCAA Tournament, here’s a look at those previous seasons in which both teams reached the Sweet 16.
One lost in the Sweet 16
In 11 of those seasons, either North Carolina or Duke lost in the Sweet 16. At least one of the two schools entered the tournament as a 1-seed in nine of those 11 seasons. The only years that was not the case were 1989 and 1990.
This season, both teams are in the Sweet 16 as No. 1 seeds for the first time since 2005. Duke lost in the Sweet 16 to Michigan State. North Carolina defeated Illinois in the title game for the first of three national championships under Roy Williams.
Here’s a look at those seasons where one team lost in the Sweet 16.
Including this year, the committee has put the Tar Heels and Blue Devils on opposite sides of the bracket to offer the tease of a national championship game in seven of those 12 seasons.
| Year | UNC | Duke | Same side of bracket? |
| 1986 | Sweet 16 | Final Four | No |
| 1987 | Elite Eight | Sweet 16 | No |
| 1989 | Sweet 16 | Final Four | No |
| 1990 | Sweet 16 | Runner Up | Yes |
| 1992 | Sweet 16 | Champion | No |
| 2000 | Final Four | Sweet 16 | Yes |
| 2005 | Champion | Sweet 16 | Yes |
| 2009 | Champion | Sweet 16 | Yes |
| 2011 | Elite Eight | Sweet 16 | Yes |
| 2015 | Sweet 16 | Champion | No |
| 2016 | Runner Up | Sweet 16 | No |
| 2019 | Sweet 16* | Sweet 16* | No |
One lost in the Elite Eight
Duke and North Carolina reached the Elite Eight in 1988 and 1998.
In 1988, Arizona beat North Carolina 70-52. Duke advanced to the national championship game before losing to Kansas 66-59.
In 1998, Kentucky beat Duke 86-84 in the regional final. North Carolina lost 65-59 to Utah in the following round.
One lost in the Final Four
Most fans on both sides know the answer to this trivia question.
Duke and North Carolina both reached the Final Four in 1991, where they joined Kansas — coached by Roy Williams — as undercards to defending national champion UNLV.
Duke upset UNLV 79-77 in one national semifinal, and legendary North Carolina coach Dean Smith was ejected in the following game in a 79-73 loss to Kansas.
Duke beat Kansas 72-65 in the national championship game.
Odds it happens this year
At the very least, VegasInsider.com likes both 1-seeds to get back to the Final Four. Duke is a 5/8 favorite to win the East Region, and North Carolina is a 27/20 favorite to win the Midwest Region.
Duke has the best odds to reach the national championship game at 11/4. North Carolina is fourth at 7/1, behind Gonzaga 17/4 and Virginia 9/2.
So if there was a year to get that dream matchup once and for all, then this would be it.
