UNC junior forward Justin Jackson wins ACC Player of the Year

Joel Berry II scored 28 points and No. 5 North Carolina pulled away in the final minutes to defeat No. 17 Duke 90-83 in another riveting clash between the ACC rivals Saturday night at the Smith Center.

Jackson had been the most consistent scorer for Carolina this season, with 16 games of 20 points or more.

It doesn’t get any bigger than Michael Jordan, and the Hall of Famer and former UNC star spoke at halftime of the game. He finished ideal on five 3-point attempts compared to the rest of the Heels, who went a combined 1-12. However and this was the key to the game. He did very well in the supporting role.

Jordan Bell added 13 points and 10 rebounds for OR (27-4, 16-2).

There were 18 lead changes, and while the combination of Kennard, Grayson Allen and Amile Jefferson was potent for Duke, Berry was the main reason UNC carried a 48-46 lead into the locker room. Luke Kennard had 28 points of his own and hit 8-9 free throws as Duke enjoyed a huge advantage from the charity stripe, making 28-35 compared to 16-21 for North Carolina. He had 15 points along with six rebounds and two assists.

BIG UPSET: The week’s biggest upset involving ranked teams also came in the ACC, with Wake Forest beating the Cardinals 88-81 on Wednesday night.

Well folks this picture tells it all.

But Berry saved his best performance of the year for the ACC season finale against Duke. Coach K told the Media ” It was not our best night’s out their. Nothing better in the world of sports than the NCAA tournament and March Madness.

The game also drew former UNC and National Basketball Association great Michael Jordan, who appeared at halftime with North Carolina football coach Larry Fedora to announce a Jordan Brand apparel deal with the program. The 2014 recruiting class could arguably be the most valuable one of coach Roy Williams’ tenure because the players had every reason not to sign with the Heels. “I love seeing a bunch of people in one room, having a great time”, said Zogs employee Mandey Brown. We have Duke and North Carolina the obvious favorites.

The Tar Heels won their eighth ACC regular-season crown in 13 years – they locked it up outright before tipoff, thanks to Notre Dame’s loss to Louisville – and will be the No. 1 seed in what could be a wild ACC tournament in Brooklyn.

I will see you tomorrow when you get my picks.