The 25 Most Badass Moments in the History of the Duke vs. UNC Rivalry

You can throw the standings out the window when these two clash.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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It’s no secret that the Duke Blue Devils and the North Carolina Tar Heels don’t like each other very much. It’s been like that for damn near a century now. Ever since the two schools played their very first game way back on January 24, 1920 and UNC walked away with a 36-25 victory, the two universities have been at odds. And, we don’t see it changing anytime soon. Because the Duke and UNC campuses are only separated by one short stretch of U.S. Route 15-501—better known as “Tobacco Road”—this rivalry will never, ever get played out. Next to the Yankees and Red Sox, Lakers and Celtics, and Ohio State and Michigan, Duke and UNC was, is, and always will be one of the most intense rivalries in American sports.

That rivalry will continue today when Duke and UNC meet for the 236th time at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C. (UNC leads the all-time series 132-103). So, to get you ready for the game, we took a look back at some of their most epic matchups to find The 25 Most Badass Moments in the History of the Duke vs. UNC Rivalry. From buzzer beaters to broken noses, we’ve got you covered, no matter which shade of blue you bleed.

RELATED: The 20 Most-Hated Duke Players of All Time

25. Austin Rivers Capping a Crazy Comeback With a Buzzer-Beating Three-Pointer

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24. Danny Green Dunking Over Greg Paulus

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23. Ed Davis (Accidentally?) Kicking Brian Zoubek in the Groin

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22. Art Heyman Recording 40 Points and 24 Rebounds on Senior Day

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21. J.R. Reid Getting Revenge on Duke Fans for Holding Up a “J.R. Can’t Reid” Sign

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20. Duke Stopping UNC From Completing a Furious Comeback

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19. Duke and UNC Attracting 3.78 Million Viewers During the Most-Watched College Basketball Game Ever

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18. Mike Krzyzewski Earning His 500th Win on the Same Day Duke Clinched the ACC Regular-Season Championship

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17. Former Duke Coach Bill Foster Ethering the Legendary Dean Smith

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16. Duke and UNC Coming Together to Honor UNC Student Body President Eve Carson

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15. UNC Putting Up More Than 100 Points at Cameron Indoor Stadium

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14. Michael Jordan Dropping 32 Points in a Blowout

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13. Shane Battier Coming Out of Nowhere to Block Joe Forte

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12. Chris Duhon Finishing a Coast-to-Coast Drive With a Reverse Layup to Win an Overtime Game

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11. Matt Doherty Hitting a Last-Second Jumper to Force Overtime

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10. Marvin Williams Crushing Duke's ACC Title Dreams With an Offensive Rebound and a Putback

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9. Fred Lind Scoring 16 Points in a Triple-Overtime Thriller

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8. Jerry Stackhouse Throwing Down a Ridiculous Dunk Over Two Blue Devils

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7. Gene Banks Handing Out Roses to the Home Crowd—and Then Delivering a Game-Winning Shot

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6. Larry Brown and Art Heyman Exchanging Punches After a Hard Foul

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5. UNC Scoring Eight Points in Seventeen Seconds

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4. Gerald Henderson Striking Tyler Hansbrough in the Face and Breaking His Nose

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3. Assistant Coaches Matt Doherty and Chris Collins Nearly Getting Into a Fight on the Sideline

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2. Jeff Capel Throwing Up a Miraculous Three-Pointer to Tie a Game at the End of Overtime

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1. Eric Montross Shooting Two Free Throws With Blood Trickling Down His Face

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