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Both projected as top seeds in March, No. 2 Duke and No. 3 Virginia meet in what could be a Final Four or national championship preview Saturday night at John Paul Jones Arena.
The game is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. ET and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN, but if you don’t have cable, you can still watch a live stream of the game on your computer, phone, video game console, smart TV, or streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
No cable subscription or log-in required
In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu also offers a bundle of 50-plus live TV channels, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN News.
You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Echo Show, or other streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch live, “Hulu with Live TV” also comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
No cable subscription or log-in required
ESPN and ESPN2 are both included in the “Sling Orange” channel bundle.
You can start a free seven-day trial right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, or other streaming device via the Sling TV app.
If you can’t watch live, you can get 50 hours of cloud DVR storage as an additional add-on.
ESPN Platforms
Cable subscription or log-in required
Additionally, you can watch a live stream of the game on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone, tablet, or streaming device via the ESPN app.
You’ll need to log in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can still sign up for one of the above options and then use your Hulu or Sling TV credentials to sign in and watch on the ESPN digital platforms.
Duke vs Virginia Preview
Though they’ve been equally dominant this season–Virginia 20-1 overall, 8-1 in the ACC and No. 1 in the nation in Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted efficiency rankings; Duke is 20-2 overall, 8-1 in the ACC and No. 2 in Pomeroy’s rankings–the Cavaliers and Blue Devils couldn’t be much more different stylistically.
The ‘Hoos want to slow the game dame, frustrate opponents with their pack line defense and create efficient shots on offense. The Blue Devils, behind Zion Williamson and a smattering of NBA talent, want to push the pace and dunk on your face. Virginia is 353rd nationally in adjusted tempo. Duke is 18th.
Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey, who had the unenviable task of playing Virginia and Duke back-to-back on a Saturday-Monday swing a couple weeks ago, explained the difference between the two squads:
It is completely different stuff out of two 1-seeds and great teams. The grinding and slower pace of Virginia and then the come-at-your-throat stuff of Duke. It was very difficult to prepare, quite frankly … We were disappointed with how we competed against Virginia, and Virginia has a lot to do with that. They can take your spirit from you. … Dealing with both of them in a short window, they really go about their success differently, but they’re both really, really good and can win it.
In the first matchup on January 19 at Cameron Indoor, Virginia was able to slow the game down to 63 possessions (the second-lowest number in a Duke game this season) and held the Blue Devils to 2-of-14 shooting from distance, but the ability of Williamson and RJ Barrett–potentially the top two picks in this year’s NBA draft–to penetrate Virginia’s defense was the difference. Williamson and Barrett combined to shoot 20-of-28 from inside the arc, got to the free throw line 25 times and piled up 57 points in Duke’s 72-70 victory.
Some believe Virginia will be able to fix those problems in the rematch on Saturday night.
“They [the Cavaliers] have experience. They have guys who have been through the ringers,” one ACC coach said. “They will be better prepared to shrink the court this time than they did at Cameron.”
Of course, it’s also important to remember that point guard Tre Jones missed that first meeting but will be back for this one, providing a major boost for the Blue Devils. And on the flip side, Virgina floor general Ty Jerome is dealing with a back injury that forced him to miss last Saturday’s game against Miami and has him as questionable for this game.
“Ty, I think, is improving, but he had a sprained back,” Bennett said on Monday. “[Once] we start practicing we’ll have a better feel. Of course he’s been very faithful to his treatments and all of that stuff. I think it’s going in the right direction, but we’ll have to see, once we get on the floor, what he’s allowed to do and how he’s feeling.”
The ACC is still crowded at the top, with these two teams and North Carolina all at 8-1 in the conference, and Louisville at 8-2. Nevertheless, these are widely held as the two best teams, and the winner Saturday should be regarded as the new clear favorite to come away with the ACC regular season title–either Duke will have two wins over Virginia, or the head-to-head will be tied and Virginia will have a one-game lead over Duke.
While both of these teams have much higher goals than a conference title, and the result of this game won’t change that, it’s still a must-watch battle between two national championship hopefuls.
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