Duke Wrestling Heads to Chapel Hill for Rivalry Showdown with #13 North Carolina
The Duke wrestling team is heading down Tobacco Road this Friday for a high-stakes ACC showdown against 13th-ranked North Carolina. Set for a 7 p.m. start at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, this marks the 101st meeting between the two programs in a rivalry that stretches all the way back to 1927.
Duke enters the matchup at 6-10 overall and still searching for its first ACC win (0-3), while North Carolina stands at 8-3 and 1-2 in conference action. Fans can catch the action live on FloWrestling or tune in to ACC Network Extra, where Nick Klos and Clay Lautt will be on the call.
A Century of Battles - and a Steep Climb for Duke
This rivalry has been lopsided in recent years. North Carolina holds a commanding 75-25 advantage in the all-time series and has won 20 of the last 21 meetings, including the last nine straight.
Duke’s last win over the Tar Heels came back in 2016 - a 21-17 nail-biter in Chapel Hill. If the Blue Devils are going to flip the script this time, they’ll need big performances from their top wrestlers - and they have a couple of standouts who are more than capable.
Wallace and Barket Anchoring the Lineup
Redshirt junior Connor Barket and redshirt sophomore Aidan Wallace are the cornerstones of this Duke squad, and both are turning heads nationally. Barket, competing at heavyweight, is ranked in four major polls - as high as No. 20 by The Open Mat. Wallace, wrestling at 174 pounds, is also ranked across multiple outlets, boasting a 23-2 record that puts him among the top competitors in the country.
Together, Wallace and Barket have combined for a 40-5 mark this season - easily the most dominant tandem in Duke’s lineup. Their performances have not only been consistent but historic.
Wallace’s 23 wins already tie him for eighth on Duke’s all-time single-season list at 174 pounds. One more win, and he’ll move into a tie for sixth.
The program record at that weight? Matt Finesilver’s 29 wins in 2021-22.
Barket, meanwhile, secured his 17th win of the season last week against Virginia, tying him for eighth on Duke’s single-season chart among heavyweights. He’s already posted a 24-win campaign last season, which ranks fifth in school history.
Recapping the Virginia Match: Bright Spots in a Tough Loss
Duke dropped a 28-9 decision to Virginia last Friday, but there were some encouraging individual performances. Wallace, Barket, and redshirt freshman Dylan Ross each picked up ACC wins in the dual.
Wallace opened Duke’s scoring with a hard-fought 7-5 win over Mason Stefanelli at 174 pounds. He jumped out to a 5-0 lead with a takedown and reversal, but Stefanelli clawed back to tie it late. Wallace showed poise down the stretch, securing an escape and earning a riding time point to seal the victory.
At heavyweight, Barket edged Brenan Morgan 4-2 in a match that saw a first-period takedown wiped off the board after review. Undeterred, Barket took control in the second with an escape and another takedown and held on from there.
Ross closed out the dual with a bit of revenge. After falling to Wynton Denkins at the Southern Scuffle earlier this season, Ross flipped the script with a 4-2 win. The Edgewater, New Jersey native built a 4-1 lead through two periods and held off Denkins in the third to secure his second ACC win of the year.
Graduate student Aurelius Dunbar and junior David Hussey were both in tight matches but came up short. Dunbar fell 8-4 to Michael Murphy after trailing just 1-0 midway through the second period. Hussey dropped a 5-0 decision to Dylan Newsome in another competitive bout.
Ross Heating Up at the Right Time
Dylan Ross is starting to find his rhythm. With wins in six of his last eight matches, the redshirt freshman is building momentum as he eyes a potential NCAA Championship berth. He’s now 13-8 overall, 2-1 in ACC duals, and 6-6 in dual meets on the season - a solid foundation for a young wrestler competing in one of the toughest conferences in the country.
Wallace Joins Elite Company
Wallace’s win total doesn’t just look good on paper - it puts him in rare company at Duke. With six wins at the Southern Scuffle, he became the 14th Blue Devil to post back-to-back 20-win seasons.
Even more impressive? He’s done it in two different weight classes (165 and 174), joining just three other Duke wrestlers in program history to achieve that feat: Frank Cornely, Voris Tejada, and John Barone.
Duke Trending Up
While the team’s 6-10 record may not jump off the page, it represents real progress. This is the most wins Duke has posted in a season since 2021-22, when the Blue Devils finished 7-10. In the past decade, they’ve reached the five-win mark just three times - this year, 2021-22, and 2017-18.
A big reason for that? The production coming from the 174-pound and heavyweight spots. Of Duke’s 255 total team points this season, 98 have come from those two divisions alone.
Injury Report
The Blue Devils are dealing with some roster setbacks. Redshirt junior Gaetano Console and graduate student Natty Lapinsky will miss the rest of the season due to injuries.
Meanwhile, Dunbar recently returned to the mat after missing time since the Southern Scuffle. He holds a 5-6 record at 165 pounds.
What’s Next
After the trip to Chapel Hill, Duke returns home to Cameron Indoor Stadium for another ACC clash - this time against NC State on Friday, Feb. 13 at 7 p.m.
But first, it’s all eyes on Carmichael Arena. If Duke wants to make a statement and snap a nine-match skid against its biggest rival, it’ll need another big night from Wallace, Barket, and Ross - and maybe a little Tobacco Road magic.