03/08/1998 ACC Final: #4 North Carolina Tar Heels at #1 Duke Blue Devils 

R.I.P. Ademola Okulaja: One of the unsung heroes of UNC basketball.

Watching this because of Coach K’s farewell tour. Going down memory lane.

All the talent on the floor. Today's NCAA sucks when you see these games.

Back when times were much more simple. Life was so much better back then, and sports were, too. Back when there was no social media that’s when there was no Internet back when there was no online shopping back when there were only a few sports TV Channels, and back many years before one, and dones. I wish that this was us in 2021. Why can’t this be us today? I’m also watching this in honor of Coach K’s farewell tour. This is one of my favorite memories of Coach K. I’m not a Duke fan, and I never was but the fact that he is leaving after this year I definitely have my utmost respect for him. I hope that Duke wins it all this year, especially since he is retiring. He will be hard to replace. Coach K=The GOAT. 🐐 for a college basketball coach he would be right up there with Serena Williams, Wayne Gretzky, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Novak Djokovic, and Muhammad Ali. Coach K is a living legend who inspired an entire generation of basketball fans across the spectrum. The way he has coached is unlike any other in our lifetime. Coach K is truly a living legend that is truly irreplaceable. What he brought to the game of basketball is truly unmatched. Whether you are on Tobacco Road, or in The ACC, or in other conferences like The PAC 12, The Big 10, and The SEC, one cannot deny that the hall of fame Coach K has been a true ambassador for the sport. Duke fans will miss him. As a matter of fact, Coach K is actually known internationally. There will never be another.

This Tar Heels team should've won the National Championship that year but they didn't have a bench but man were they great just ran into Utah who played well that night

Ed Cota was on a different basketball planet. Such a joy to watch play.

I gave Duke and 10 points in this game. Won every bet. I gave Duke and 20 this same year at Chapel Hill. 97-73 was the score. Won a 300 dollar bet. That took guts. Sometimes I just get a feeling in this rivalry.

100!!!! This was my fav tram to.not win it all , man this team was special

When the brackets came out later that evening and these two teams were #1 seeds on opposite sides of it, pretty much every commentator predicted that they would meet a 4th time in the national title game. That didn't happen, but ironically the teams that knocked them out (Kentucky and Utah) did in fact meet in the final.

If these two teams ever play for the National Championship it would break all viewing records on TV.

NCAA was the best league of basketball for this decades,90's 00's. And a formation league. ♥️🏀

Watched all these games back then

Another year the Heels choked not cutting down THE nets in the FF. Man 97-98 were let down years not winning at least one of those nat'l titles. UNC should have at least 10 rings by now.

To be fair UNC should've blown the doors off duke 3 times that year. They were up big in Cameron, but squandered that game away.

It's too bad North Carolina missed that 3-pointer at the end. That would have been awesome if they made it!

Duke had more depth and were fundamentally sound, but the Tar heels just had more speed and talent.

Spoiler alert That was such a sweet victory over Duke

Looking back Will Avery should've stayed all four years at Duke.

The way Vince was used in this office has to be the most criminal mismanagement ever. We have the most explosive player in basketball yet let’s just put him opposite of the ball and have him set screens

Vince Carter only retired last year

Carolina had the best team along with Kansas. If Duke would've played Carolina in the Final Four the same thing would've happened. A Carolina win, period. Utah took us by surprise and hit those early threes. Worst game all year. Just like the loss to Arizona in 97.

They hardly used Carter in this game

That "six man rotation" was stupid. Makhtar should have never started over any of those guys.

Don’t try to defend him either

K with the wimp move. Whining to the officials that UNC players were talking shit to the Duke bench. Yes they were. My obvious reaction would be to pump my team up, not go whining to the officials.

Damn UTAH forever

How Ed Cota and Wojo never made it into the NBA I dunno.

When will Dukie v ever admit it when UNC just flat out whoops dukes ass

dickess vitale and the other announcer just couldn't hold back their deep adoration for duke. battier always flopped lol. why did brand come back? cause the duke money machine kept him there

Coach k is a snitch

Avery was soooo bad.

Too bad they can’t both lose.