UNC basketball coach Michael Malone. Rodd Baxley/The Fayetteville Observer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Michael Malone sets the expectations for North Carolina vs. Duke

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated Apr 7, 2026 10:58 PM ET

The North Carolina Tar Heels versus the Duke Blue Devils may not be on par with "the game" between the Michigan Wolverines and Ohio State Buckeyes, but it's right up there in intensity.

It's one of the greatest rivalries in college sports, and it's arguably the best rivalry on the college hardwood.

That's why it's notable that new North Carolina head coach Michael Malone didn't pull any punches as it relates to Duke in his introductory news conference.

“I’m excited to be a part of that rivalry,” Malone said on Tuesday, according to Thomas Goldkamp of On3. “I want to add to that rivalry. I want to win, and I know that Duke is a program down the road and they’ve had success. But as I said earlier, I didn’t come here to be second best. I didn’t come here to lose in the first round of the ACC Tournament. I came here to win at a big level, win at a high level.”

Perhaps Malone's statement could be seen as a shot at former UNC head coach Hubert Davis, but the new man in charge of Tar Heels basketball revealed that the two have recently talked.

Mike Malone says he's been in touch with Hubert Davis and 'what he taught me was treat this place with respect and in regards to all those came before me and Hubert lived that every single day' https://t.co/SBRLmH7QKZ
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) April 7, 2026

Expectations are high for Michael Malone at North Carolina

It's a nod to the fact that Malone understands the situation — and the expectations — in Chapel Hill. Davis took UNC to the national championship game in his first season as head coach, but his team lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament for the past two seasons.

It was clear that those results weren't good enough for the leadership in Chapel Hill, and Davis' lack of consistency was arguably a huge reason why he got fired.

Davis went 4-6 against Duke. Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer is 5-2 against UNC since taking over for the legendary Mike Krzyzewski.

Coincidentally, one could make the case that a lack of consistency was the reason the Denver Nuggets fired Malone just two seasons after he won the NBA Finals with the franchise, but perhaps all he needs is a fresh start and a chance to prove himself at the college level.

Before making his name in the NBA as an assistant and then as a head coach, Malone was an assistant coach at Oakland University, Providence and Manhattan back in the late '90s and early 2000s.

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

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