Tyler Hansbrough’s loyalty to the North Carolina Tar Heels remains unwavering.
The former UNC basketball star hopes his alma mater’s top rival, Duke, will come up short in its next game in the NCAA Tournament.
Duke survived against Arizona in the Sweet 16 Thursday. Cooper Flagg finished the 100-93 victory with a team-high 30 points. The win also punched the Blue Devils’ ticket to the Elite Eight, where they will meet the second-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide.
If Hansbrough gets his way, Alabama will eliminate Duke from the tournament Saturday.
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Former North Carolina Tar Heels basketball player Tyler Hansbrough is recognized for his induction into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame during a game against the Duke Blue Devils at the Dean Smith Center Feb. 3, 2024, in Chapel Hill, N.C. (Peyton Williams/UNC/Getty Images)
While Hansbrough is picking the Crimson Tide to win the first national championship in the school’s history, he also took a moment to take a dig at the team he despises.
“I’m really locked in on the NCAA Tournament. I’m going to go with ‘Bama,” Hansbrough said during a recent appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
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“I know they’re facing Duke. I actually had Duke losing the first game to the No. 16 seed. So, I’m a little biased. I picked ‘Bama at the early part of the year. So, I’ll stick with ‘Bama.”
Members of the North Carolina Tar Heels, including forward Tyler Hansbrough (center), high-five fans as they leave the court after defeating the Michigan State Spartans 89-72 in the 2009 NCAA championship game at Ford Field April 6, 2009, in Detroit. (Bob Donnan/USA Today Sports)
The Crimson Tide advanced to last year’s Final Four. Despite Hansbrough’s personal bias, Duke will enter Saturday’s matchup with Alabama as the odds-on favorite.
As of Friday, FanDuel Sportsbook listed the Blue Devils as a 6.5-point favorite.
Duke guard Sion James (14) and forward Mason Gillis (18) motion to teammates during the first half of a Sweet 16 tournament game against Arizona Thursday, March 27, 2025, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
The Tobacco Road rivalry remains among college basketball’s most competitive. Mike Krzyzewski coached Duke to five national titles during his storied career. North Carolina has hoisted the national championship trophy six times, most recently in 2017.
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Duke and Alabama are scheduled to tip off Saturday at 8:49 p.m. ET in Newark, New Jersey.
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