SOURCE FOR LOCAL NEWS, WRAL NEWS COVERAGE YOU CAN COUNT ON. >> WE ARE LESS THAN HALF AN HOUR AWAY FROM TIPOFF IN TONIGHT'S BATTLE OF THE BLUES ROUND 2, YOU'RE LOOKING LIVE OUTSIDE THE DEAN DOME WHERE FANS ARE POURING IN AS WE SPEAK. SO MANY PEOPLE ARE GOING TO SHOW UP TONIGHT. THANKS FOR JOINING US. I'M CHRIS LOVINGOOD DUKE AND UNC WILL WRAP UP THEIR REGULAR SEASON WITH TONIGHT'S GAME AND THE THEY ARE SO HIGH FOR THE TAR HEELS TONIGHT HEADLINING OUR TEAM COVERAGE, OUR WRAL SPORTS ANCHOR KACY HINTZ AND CHRIS LEE AS WELL AS WRAL'S LUIS FERNANDEZ AND BRETT KNESE. BUT WE BEGIN WITH A LOOK AT WHAT'S AT STAKE TONIGHT WITH LEWIS. AKERS. IF YOU EXCLUDE THE 2021 COVID-19 PANDEMIC YEAR WHEN UNC AND DUKE HAS MET, THEY HAVE BOTH FAILED TO BE RANKED ONLY TWICE SINCE 1960. BOTH THOSE OCCURRENCES HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST. >> A MONTH AND A HALF NOW, EVEN THOUGH THIS ISN'T SOME TOP 5 ACC SHOWDOWN, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE STILL NOT A LOT TO PLAY FOR ITS BATTLE. THE BLUES AFTER ALL. >> YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD THE STORY AT THIS POINT. UNC LOST IN THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME STARTED AS THE PRESEASON NUMBER ONE TEAM AND NEEDS THIS WIN AGAINST DUKE FOR THE NCAA TOURNAMENT SINCE THE TOURNAMENT EXPANDED TO 64 TEAMS IN 1985. EVERY PRE-SEASON NUMBER ONE HAS MADE THE BIG DANCE. THE FANS HERE KNOW WHAT'S AT STAKE. I SAW THIS ON THE CALENDAR 2 MONTHS AGO. I CIRCLED IT, BUT NOT UNTIL A WEEK AGO WAS I THERE'S BUT >> I'M 10 FEET OUTSIDE THE DOME. I THINK AS SOON AS I GET IN, IT'S GOING TO BE MINED TO CHASE. WHEN HERE GOING MAKE TURNING UP THE BUBBLE UP. >> I KNOW. WANT TO SEE US IN MARCH. IT'S MORE DIRE THIS YEAR. BUT THESE CAROLINA PLAYERS ARE USED TO BEING BETWEEN A BUBBLE. >> AND A HARD PLACE. YOU LEARN A LOT ABOUT YOURSELF IN SITUATIONS LIKE THESE AND WHETHER HE WILL SIT DOWN IF YOU FIGHT NO GAMES PLAYED IN A VACUUM. THE REGULAR SEASON FINALE LAST YEAR GAVE MIKE KRZYZEWSKI A NOT SO FOND FAREWELL FROM CAMERON INDOOR. >> THE PLAYERS ARE AWARE OF WHAT A WIN WOULD DO. >> FIRST HAVE THAT AND TO SHUT DOWN THEIR AT THEIR PLACE. YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD THAT WOULD DEFINITELY BE A. A GOOD FEELING FOR US. AND I MEAN, THEY'RE GOING TO DEFINITELY FIGHT. >> THERE'S A LOT OF NERVOUS ENERGY, BUT BOTH UNC AND DUKE BELIEVE THEY'RE PLAYING THEIR BEST BASKETBALL. NOW THAT THE CALENDAR HAS TURNED TO MARCH. CRIST, YOU GOT TO SEE A LIGHT BLUE WALKING BEHIND. JOE, OF COURSE, BE WATCHING VERY CLOSELY WHO'S RUN AND AS LIFE TODAY THINGS LEWIS AND TENSIONS ARE HIGH OVER ON FRANKLIN STREET CHAPEL HILL. WE'RE GIVING YOU A LIVE LOOK AT FANS PREPARING TO CAST THE GAME WITH HOPES TO DO. >> THE ICONIC REST OF THE ROAD TONIGHT. WRAL'S BRETT KNESE JOINS US LIVE FROM FRANKLIN AND BRENT, WHAT EXACTLY IS THE ENERGY THERE RIGHT NOW? >> YEAH, CHRIS, YOU CAN JUST TELL THAT THE ENERGY IS STARTING TO BUILD THAT ANTICIPATION AS TOP OF THE HILL STARTS TO FEEL IT A LITTLE BIT HERE. LET'S TAKE A LOOK OVER AT FRANKLIN STREET ITSELF. WE HAVE A GREAT VANTAGE POINT HERE FOR FRANKLIN STREET. YOU CAN SEE ALL THAT CAROLINA BLUE THAT'S OUT THERE. WE HAVE SOME VIDEO FROM DOWN AT STREET LEVEL FROM EARLIER AS WELL. JUST SHOWING YOU THAT THESE FANS, THEY ARE OUT. THEY ARE PROUD AND THEY'RE READY FOR THIS GAME. SOME FANS TRAVELING HERE FROM SEVERAL HOURS AWAY. >> WE CAME 3 HOURS AWAY TO DO. WE'VE GOT A HOTEL READY TO GO. NORTH CAROLINA. THEY BETTER GET IT TONIGHT. >> SO WE WILL HAVE THIS SUCH A GREAT VANTAGE POINT HERE OF FRANKLIN STREET. WE KNOW IT WILL BE PACKED IF UNC GETS THAT BIG WIN. I KNOW A LOT OF THESE FANS, THEY THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE CHEERING FOR. THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE HOPING FOR. WRAL'S MICHAEL GRACE OVER IN DURHAM. MICHAEL, YOU'RE TAKING A LOOK DUKE FANS AND KEEPING AN EYE ON WHAT THEY MIGHT BE UP TO TONIGHT. >> YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT, RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO HANG OUT AT THE NAVIGATOR TONIGHT HERE IN DURHAM. YOU KNOW, THESE RIVALRY GAMES. THEY SAY TRADITION EVER GRADUATE. CERTAINLY THE CASE HERE TONIGHT, THE DUKE ALUMNI WATCH PARTY HEADQUARTERS RIGHT HERE SHOULD BE A GOOD ONE TO SEE IF ANY OF THESE FANS REVERT BACK TO THE COLLEGE DAYS WATCHING THIS BIG GAME. BUT FOR NOW, WE'LL SEND IT BACK TO CHRIS IN THE STUDIO. ALL RIGHT. THINGS BY GOING. OH, YOU GUYS ARE ALL FOLLOWING THIS OUT THERE TODAY. AND FOLKS, WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED WITH OUR BATTLE OF THE BLUES TEAM COVERAGE. DON'T MISS THE HIGHLIGHTS AND REACTION FROM THE FANS. PLUS ANALYSIS FROM