Locked On ACC - Daily College Football & Basketball Podcast - Battle of the Blues for All the Marbles

Episode Date: March 9, 2024

In this episode, Candace and Kenton discuss the importance of this battle of the blues and the ACC tournament for men and women. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Well, at 6.30 tonight we'll have the regular season ACC champions. UNC and Duke will face off in Cameron. What will that mean for both programs as they headed to the ACC tournament? We'll talk about that all here in today's episode of Locked on ACC. You are Locked on ACC, your daily podcast on the Atlantic Coast Conference, part of the Locked on podcast network, your team every day. Good on everybody. Welcome to today's edition of Locked on ACC. I'm your host, Keynes Cooper, joined by Kenton Gibbs of Locked on. Locked on Wolfpack. Each and every day, you can find us wherever you listen to the podcast. Make sure you download, subscribe to the pod from any of your audio spaces, as well as our YouTube channel where you can leave comments, join our community,

and really kick things off. On today's episode, we are going to talk through some UNC Duke, as I mentioned, but we'd be remiss if we did not tell you about every new potential hire that can feel like a high-stakes wager for your small business, LinkedIn jobs, helps you find those right people for your team faster, and for free. But it was your job for free at LinkedIn.com slash lockdown college terms and conditions do apply. All right, Kenton, it might not be your favorite topic as there's two teams that you could do with or without. But UNC Duke are facing off today at 630 for those who are really into college hoops for a chance to be the regular season champions outright for Carolina or share with Duke.

So there's that. But beyond that, ACC tournament is around the bin. And I just know you're excited because you feel like there's going to be a big. It's still from those wolf pack. But let's talk about the heels and the Blue Devils right now. It's a 199th time. It's 133 third time they're meeting. Points are damn near the same.

The energy is the same. It's always throughout the record books. How are you feeling about this particular matchup going into Cameron Indoor? First thing, first, I got more faith that my dad is coming back from getting that guy in the milk. Then I got faith in NC State pulling all. of bed still here. But more importantly, this Battle of the Blues, this is what the Battle of the Blues is about.

Battle of the Blues is not about, it's never about the first game. Nobody ever remembers the first game. Let's just be honest, unless it's like an immense blowout one way or other. But second of all, this is what the Battle of the Blues about because all of the Marbles are being played for.

Nobody likes sharing a championship. It's an American for Christ's sake. We don't, in the major American sports, did you know that none of them can end in the United States? the tie anymore, not a single one. Football, basketball, baseball, hockey, came into the tie. Somebody needs to come out on top.

So to end the season, potentially tie your rivals for the regular season championship. You know, everybody describes the ties as kissing a hot girl that happens to be your cousin. It's a, you don't want to do it. You don't want to do it. It's gross.

You just don't want it. So, this matchup here, again, the pageantry, the rivalry, another chapter. And just such a robbery that it means so much nationally and to the ACC, just another great chapter loading. Yeah, 100%. I think, you know, with Armando Beacob being in year five, having it be his last year, like actually, truly, he'll be gone. RJ Davis having the season that he's had in Duke, sort of flying under the radar, having good moments, you know, quality wins. But it's definitely not been the Duke of Old, right?

they're not the national powerhouse. They don't have that one player who stands out that people have come to love to hate. You know, it's just not the same Duke, but still a very good Duke team. They have, to me, they have the advantage because they got to play, have some pride about them. They got to win this one. I think the nation has come to hate Kyle Filipowski in a very, very, the court storming thing was like, it was bad.

But when he played the next game after they said, oh, we think that he has a high ankle sprain or we think that it's a knee thing. And it's like, he just missed the drama class that day because he didn't learn that if you're going to sell it, you got to sell it. And if you go sell it, you can't play right after it and not only play right after, but play Louisville, the worst team in college basketball. It's like trying to collect a workers' comp settlement. And then, you know, going into powerlifting competition the next day, you're going to look crazy every time.

Every time. I guess I could agree there. But for me, Duke, like, you don't have to play for Kyle, who this has to be the last year, because ain't no need for you to come back. You have to play for Jeremy Roach, who's about to get himself ready to go over to Argentina. Like, you have to have some pride about you in order to go out one good time for your top players, no? Say, buddy better learn some of Los Santos. That's crazy.

That's crazy. But with that being said, you know, I really do think, I don't think that this will be the last time. I mean, obviously, it's Duke, North Carolina. We just saw the Duke picked up one of the biggest, literally, biggest recruits in the next class, five-star, seven-one center. That's a part of the Basketball Africa. That's part of the Basketball Africa program with the NBA. You know, I don't think that this is going to be the last time that we see this rivalry mean a ton.

However, this is a moment where, again, every time you can win a championship, and you can say we be jawful. We didn't beat Virginia for this championship. We didn't beat Louisville. We didn't be NC Stank, as Theo, as Pinson refers to state that. We didn't beat them for. We beat you. We walked into your trap in Camden Indoor Stadium,

and we took over your track in Cameron Indoor Stadium. This is going to be one of those games. It feels like we're setting up for a battle of the Blues for the ages. Does it feel like that? because to me it's hard to really ever come back from the Coach K finale in Cameron Indoor and how Armando did that. Like, mind you, you want to beat your rival every single time, but it just doesn't have the same luster to me because it's like you did the unthinkable. Not only did you beat them at home, Coach K's last big one where all of his alumni were in that building. Very lame, by the way.

Then he did it in the final four, right? So I think that's where I'm having a hard time feeling like this is so serious because how much do regular season championship matter? Of course, it matters and all the things. But this to me is just another game to where you're having it. You hate the guys, you know, on the other side of the court. So you might as well just beat them if you could. But, you know, don't, don't stress yourself out. Well, as McMill said, it's levels to this, right?

It's levels to this. No. Hey, hey, hey, hey, reference on the show. Not right now. I ain't got done to do me. Hey, got a little bit, okay? The dream is turning into it, and in fact, nightmare. Now, it's like I said about the Miami and Florida State football rivalry, right?

It's a great robbery. It's one of the most stories in all of college football. It's not Michigan-on-Han state. It's the same thing, right? This is a very big chapter in the Battle of the Blues. It's not to putting Coach K out his misery like that. It's not to sending them off the pastor with a, hey, buddy, go ahead and take a hell in the in the, your last game in Cameron,

and we're going to get you another L in the final four. So your last games ever, your last ACC game ever, and your last game coaching ever, your last tournament game ever, both going to be L's to the dirty foot club. Ooh, hate it. So Carolina comes into this game 24 and 6 on the season. Duke Blue Devil, same 24 and 6, right?

16 and 3 for the ACC, 15 and 4. for Duke. I mean, you can't write the script better than that. Again, they'll play at 630. It's minus five and a half for Duke, right? The under is 150. Do you feel like it's going to be a low scoring game, high defensive, you know, optane from Cormec, Ryan and Company and Harrison Ingram? Or do you think that it's going to be bucket after bucket? I will say the same thing I said about the first one. If Duke wants a shot, they've got to slow it down, make this a half court.

you know, this needs to be ugly, nasty. We need to clog up the lane and we need to make every bucket hard type of game. If it is a track meet on hardwood, congratulations on the sole possession of your ACC Championship and congratulations on sweeping the Duke Blue Devils. Right. So the two top 10 teams, Carolina at number seven, Duke at number nine, and 15 and 2 at home for Duke. So to me, the Blue Devils, they're familiar with having to win in Cameron. They do that best, in fact, right?

On the road is where they tend to struggle. Carolina, you know, a team that opt in on the road is not the best. But this is different. It's down the street. They're familiar. How do we feel like the energy is going to be, considering, like I said, it's Jeremy Roach's last game, potentially Cal Philopowski's last game. After all, he's been through this season.

You think it's going to be a Jared McCain show. that boy is going to go off he's going to remind you guys why he's here proctor's going to go off like if you can just give me one person who's going to be like that x factor before we get to key matchups uh well i i don't want to use x factor and the key matchups on the same guy so i think that the x factor in this one to me is going to have to be the uh duke bench is going to have to be the duke bench i think that the way that they play this thing is going to determine whether or not they win this game because one for one pound for pound starter for starter I think they lack a little bit to USC however the key to beating unc is not about your starters being better we know

unc only runs about what six 70 at deepest like come on you if you can if you can make it tough on those first five you can make it really tough on them you got a really good shot and that only happens when your depth can also come in in whole water because unc generally blows the doors off When those death pieces get in and Armando Baker, I go, I got a freshman center on me. There's about 6, 8, 2.40. It's time for me. It's macaroni time. It's, you know, it's time to get in what I need.

So I think that Duke's Benches is going to be pivotal in this one. I'm going to talk through my favorite and X factor here in just a bit. But Fire TV is your destination for sports from live games that highlights to in-depth analysis. Fire TV offers amazing experiences with smart TVs as well as a fire stick that you can plug into your existing TV that provides access to millions of movies and TV episodes as well as free and live TV. Whether it's opening weekend for baseball or college basketball, you're going to want to have a Fire TV. Make sure that you go to www.com.com locked on Fire TV to learn more today. So my X factor here, right, the person that I truly think is going to have to have the game

of his life. We talked about a young man named Caleb Love, right, who always came into Cameron and had his way. RJ, here you go, buddy, right? We've been hyping you up all season. You have damn near had National Player of the Year conversations. This is the one where all that's on the line, whether it's record books, not tying and not having the same record at the end of the season with your arch rival.

Like, this is the game where you take over and remind folks of why you are the best player out there on the court and arguably have been all year. So let me ask you this. does R.J. Davis lose the ACC player of the year if he throws a stinker out there in this game. Lose to whom? Okay. Okay. That's what I was thinking.

I was hearing a lot of people say, oh, this is the game where he has to prove he's the ACC player the year. And I said, it's too late now. In comparison to whom? I agree. I agree. Because it can't be Kyle Philpowski. You have to be a dude guy, right? And you're not going to give it to Tyree's Proctor.

You're not going to give it, Jeremy Roach. not going to give to Jeremy Kane. So like, let me know who, Mark Mitchell, like, who is the guy? I mean, listen, I'm with you when you're right. If you give it to Armando, that's kind of corny to me. But, you know, that's a whole other story another day. Key matchups that we have here going into UNC Duke tonight's game at 630 p.m. Make sure you check that one out. Kyle Philipowski and Armando Baycott. Big on Big has definitely been an exciting one. We have seen some moves to where Kyle definitely has given Armando the big. the business, but Armando comes away with the Ws.

So you can have great moves, but can you get the ball in the basket? That's all that matters. And I think sometimes Kyle, you know, gets tripped up by those things. Everything but the bucket has been him lately. Y'all, you see what Candace did there? She said he gets what tripped up? You see, the petty just doesn't leave. It just doesn't leave this UNC duke robbery.

It don't matter how far removed you are. Complete accident, no pun intended. Yeah. Oh, the tripping was also a complete accident. it now. You see how she does it. But anyhow, there are so many matchups of watching this thing. And I think you got to, you know, in the words of Ms. Bickey

Green, one of my favorite teachers of all time, she said the best predictor of future behaviors is the past. And when I look at the past, when I look at how this game went before, I said to myself, where was the deciding factor? Where was the deciding edge in this game?

And it comes down to one very, very simple thing for me. Harrison Ingram versus whoever the hell is going to be guarding him and responsible for keeping him off the boards. That's going to be the matchup. Because if Harrison Ingram can do what he did in that first game can be not only effective, but look like a downright superstar in this game is going to be Katie Dids at the doorstep for UNC. But if Duke can find a way, be it by committee, being one man and maybe somebody said, hey, I got him.

Wherever he goes, I'm going. If he goes to the back door, I'm going to shake it for him. Then you're looking at a situation where Duke may come away with the week. I know bad for his sister who plays volleyball at Duke. I'm like, what are you wearing today? That's the things I go through my head as a girl. Like, are we wearing your brother's jersey? Are you wearing your team issued equipment stuff?

Like, what are we wearing today? That's my ADHD moment of the episode. But also... Blood is thicker than a degree. You got to wear your brother's stuff. You got to. That's fair. That's fair. I don't know why you would go do a UNC versus Duke thing, but the decisions were made. Now, another key matchup that we don't really talk about that's not necessarily on the court is Hewbert Davis versus John Shire, right?

Because, you know, Hubert Davis has coaches behind off some of these UNC Duke matchups. He's made some adjustments that, you know, for all intents and purposes, a lot of people, you know, bash him about or he's not really good at in-game coaching and all different things. But for these Duke UZ matchups, he's found a will in the way. And he's certainly done some second half kind of shifts that have made, put Carolina in position to win. John Shire, you're at home. A lot of people don't question you, right? Don't say anything bad about you.

They haven't really critiqued you that much. How essential is this game for him in his career as he continues to climb? I'll tell you this much. If John Shire doesn't want to be known as the Ryan Day at the ACC, you got to win this one. You got to win this one. You got to start beating U and C. You cannot, this is that type of robbery.

It's the same way, and I'm glad that I use the reference of Ryan Day here, because it's the same way that, like, at Ohio State, you can't lose to the school up north, as they call them. It's the same thing here. At Duke, you cannot lose to UNC consistently. You cannot have Hubert, you know, spanking the baby putting you to sleep, wherever it is, be it in the dirty foot dome, be it in the camera. It don't matter.

You can't have that. You just can't. And so with that in mind, I would advise very strong, very, very strongly. Shire, you need to get some gumbs about you. You need to get some oomph about you. You need to put some oomph in it. You know what I mean? You need to put some stink on it and get yourself a win.

I completely agree. I think this is going to be very telling of just how people respond to this win or loss for him is going to be very telling. Yes, you guys won the ACC tournament. last season, but it really doesn't boil down to much because ACC tournaments for UNC and Duke at this point are dime a dozen. It's just, you know, another day at the office. But these here, these very much so matter. So I completely agree there. Regular season championship is on the line. I think that regular season championships, as I just mentioned about ACC tournament championships for both teams, it's like cool, but it's almost an expectation. What is the mindset

that you have if you're Duke, if you beat and have to share the title with North Carolina. I'd be excited. I just kept my rival from hanging a banner because Lord knows you're not hanging a banner for co-ACC champs, are you? Right. You can do that. The ceiling is the roof, and your roof is star-studded with national champion, All-American, all that good stuff.

You can't put co-ACC regular season champs up there. That's beneath you. And it's beneath us. But you know what I always say. Sometimes if you can't go to the party, the best thing you can do is spit the punch bowl. So that's what Duke wants to do. They want to drop a big lugie in the punch bowl for UNC.

They want to make sure that nobody gets to hang a banner. We can't hang a banner. Thank you so much for that visual. Without that, I don't know if I would have made it through the entire episode. Like, I'm so grateful. You're welcome. All right. When you're hiring for your small business, you want to find quality professionals that are right at the role.

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college to post your job for free to debt. Terms and conditions do apply. So in here with not only is Duke UNC, implicated of the regular season champions, but we head into the number one seed for the ACC tournament. And I just feel like it's going to be a good one. I can't outright tell you North Carolina is going to win the ACC tournament because we've seen the fall. I can't write out tell you that Wake Forest is going to come in and do the doozy because, you know, sometimes they have hiccups. It really is anyone's tournament on any given day. We've seen a Virginia Tech team come in and play like they should have probably played all season and end up with a W.

So when it's all said and done, who are your X Factor teams that you think people are sleeping on? You know, this year in the ACC was so interesting because there were so many teams that on a regular year or in previous years where the ACC was respected as a basketball conference that we are, they'd be for sure in. But I think you got one of the two in Way force. The other is Pitt because, I mean, Henson and Company, when they're at their highest clip, they can beat anybody. They've shown it. They've shown it. They've stood on the

stanch and stood on people's tables and said, you know, I'm Rick James, Fio couch. And they earned the right to do so. Those are both teams that they know without winning this tournament, they're likely in IT at best. And so it's both of those teams will be playing a different level with a different level of urgency, with a different level of fight, with a different level of like, hey, in the words of NBA young boy, I said, I need it. I need it. Okay. And so we'll see who comes out on top. But those are two teams that if you're not looking at the favorites, those are some teams to watch out for. A thousand percent. And of course, we've had an ACC Women's Tournament happening throughout the week. If you have not had an opportunity to check that out, please make sure you do.

Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Florida State, and NC State are the last standing in the semifinals. still face off today. Notre Dame and Virginia Tech will face off at noon on ABC and then Florida State and NC State will face off at 230 on ACCC Network. Listen, that Florida State team, telling you what, better come correct. That episode of Syracuse, I'm like, all right, all right. I'm not, I'm not mad at it. And I think for Notre Dame and Virginia Tech, you know, it sucks not having Elizabeth Kittley. That's your key factor, but good on you for making it this far in spite up. Not Notre Dame team, Georgia Amor versus Hannah Hedago. That's going to be a good one. You know, I have one thing to say because we started off the episode talking about the two teams that I didn't care much for in the triangle.

And I've neglected the fans a little bit in my duties. I've been derelicted my duties as a host. But I'm back with the signs now, baby. There's only one team from the triangle. Still in the ACC tournament on the women's side. This is the Wolfpack. How about that wolf pack? But now, with that being said, you have to stop that combo of Latson and Timkins over there in Florida. You cannot win a game if those two are going on.

Latson came into the season, I believe through the first three or four games, average 30 points per game, including a loss against NC State. But she still got hers. Okay, let's make it very clear. She wasn't stopped. She was just slowed down a little bit.

But the thing that NC State did well, was they kept tip kids off the glass and they kept her in check in terms of scoring as well. So that's what you have to do to beat a Florida state. NC State, to beat them, it's getting them to be non-motivated. It's making sure that if they go into a game where they sleepwalk, you jump on them early. Every game that they've lost this season, I believe they either lost or only won the first quarter by three points or less. So when you keep within striking distance, you've got a shot. But when you let that team jump on your early, you got some problems.

Now, Notre Dame Virginia Tech, what a time. Coach Ivy, Coach Brooks, two of the more celebrated in our conference, two of the ones that you look at and say, man, this one is going to be one of those games. And I'll tell you this much, both of these teams are down superstars. No Kittley, no Miles. The only difference is Miles has been out all season, so they've had time to adjust and adapt. Kitley, very much so in new development. However, you pointed it out just right.

going to be Amor, there's going to be Hidalgo. Amor, the savvy old veteran. She's taking time. She's come along. She's done the thing. She's gotten better every year. She's added something new to her bag. Every year.

Hidalgo, the hot up star, the defensive player the year, ACC rookie the year. Hey, if you leave your cookies out, she's coming to take them real nice and smooth. Okay? She is a pick pocket extraordinary. And so this is going to be, these are going to be two absolutely phenomenal. phenomenal in our final game. Yeah, I 100% agree. I think, you know, if you need some good basketball, some good fundamental hard hitting strong defensive basketball, some like solid offense,

you're definitely going to want to tune into these games. And, you know, it's crazy because the women that lost throughout the week still great teams that were going to see in NCAA tournament. And I think that just really speaks to where we are as an ACCC or conference for college basketball on the women's side. So I'm excited to see some teams. Other teams, I'm going to need some seniors to go about their way. Because you can't pass the ball. Here we go.

If you can't pass the ball in double coverage, I'm using, I'm blending my terms here. If you are guarded by two people and you have a fellow senior wide open and you can't pass the ball. It might be time. Say the girl name. Say the girl name. No sneak this. No sneak this.

No sneak this. No sneak this. She just listened to the fast five minutes in the show. she gonna find a way and her mama gonna tweet me and that's all right but it's unfortunate all all i'm saying is this all i'm saying is this i would have to call my teammate to apologize i made a joke i made a joke about daja kelly never seen a contested midrace shot she never she didn't like okay i made it i said that a contested midrade shot to her is like a tall thick black one for me she don't she don't shoot the shot every time and yet the next

day against insccccc she put up on her career highs and assists and in this game, that contestant Ben Ray shot was there. Two folks over. Two chains, no grace it. The defense said, Cubans or Cubans, we defending in Leia's girl, and she still put up the shot at you. No, gloves.

Like, that's what I wanted to say. That was tough. That was real tough. Horrible to watch. But I'm sure Dave Wilson was excited, being that she's a former duke to go over and then, you know, take care of UNC in the tournament. I'm sure that was a great moment for her. Like I said,

I'm ready for some of our seniors to go on about their way. Armando's right there way. I'm ready. I want him to go out with one big cahoot, you know? Like, go ahead and do your thing. They're not going to allow you back for the alumni day when they do homecoming. They already don't, and that's fine. All right, as we end today's episode, make sure you guys check out next week as we get ready for men's

ACC tournament. We'll start talking about women's NCAA tournament and all the fun things. You don't want to miss any episodes here at Locked on ACC. So make sure you leave us a nice review. Tell us how much you love us. all the five stars all the things for canis cooper and kensie gives you'll be have a great saturday