Obviously, the UNC basketball rivalry with the Duke Blue Devils is a considerably bigger national attraction than the Tar Heels’ outings against the NC State Wolfpack. And the outcomes in the UNC-Duke series since 2000, a 33-24 Blue Devil advantage, should demand more attention from the Tar Heels, who boast a 42-11 record versus the Wolfpack in the same span.

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But NC State won the last meeting, 84-76, in the 2024 ACC Tournament championship game. Plus, there’s no denying the “rivalry” with Carolina means the world to Wolfpack enthusiasts, despite the lopsided overall results.

So, following UNC’s 82-67 home win over the SMU Mustangs on Tuesday night, Tar Heel rookie guard Ian Jackson seemed to enjoy poking fun at what is essentially the third-wheel rival in the Triangle.

“Who?” Jackson remarked with a grin on his face when asked for his thoughts on the battle between the Tar Heels (10-6, 3-1 ACC) and Wolfpack (8-6, 1-2 ACC) in Raleigh at 4 p.m. ET Saturday. “It’s a rivalry?”

Considering the showdown is airing on the ACC Network — too microscopic to broadcast Duke-UNC basketball bouts — Jackson’s doubt felt fair.

However, the 19-year-old Bronx native, who tallied 18 points against SMU and is averaging 23.6 across UNC’s past five games, backpedaled a smidge to ensure folks he isn’t taking the next opponent lightly.

“Nah, NC State is a great team,” Jackson noted. “Every team in the ACC is a great team. It’s a hard conference. But we just wanna go out there and play our game. We’re not looking into it as a rivalry. We just want to go out there and win another game in conference play.”

So, is it a rivalry?

“Whatever you guys want to describe it as,” Ian Jackson conceded.

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