#2Texas/#10 UNC was an up-and-down affair, but the difference in the game was the Longhorns’ dominance on the glass. Texas outrebounded North Carolina, 60-41, and grabbed an eye-popping 29 offensive rebounds en route to a 103-90 win. So despite being outshot 48% to 41% by the Tar Heels, Texas got an additional 12 attempts. Dexter Pittman (23-15) was amazing down low, but Damion James (25-15) actually led Texas in scoring. They have a terrific front line, but from a national championship perspective, they are a little shaky in the backcourt. Texas needs freshmen Avery Bradley and J’Covan Brown to mature quickly. (Note: This was the first game played at Cowboys Stadium. Attendance: 38,052.)

#7 Duke rolled over #15 Gonzaga, 76-41. This was a pretty brutal offensive game in the first half. The Bulldogs only mustered 17 points in the first twenty minutes. For the game, they shot a miserable 28%, which is a credit to Duke’s defense. The Blue Devils don’t have a pure point guard, but they have a couple of seasoned guys — Jon Scheyer (20-5-8, two steals) and Nolan Smith (24-3-3) — who can both handle the ball, initiate the offense, and shoot it. I don’t see Duke contending for a national championship unless one or more of their younger players step up. The top five players in terms of minutes were guys from last year’s team, which was Top 10, but lost their best athlete, Gerald Henderson.

Photo from fOTOGLIF

At 2 PM ET on ESPN, #10 North Carolina will face #2 Texas in the first basketball game played at Cowboys Stadium. The Sporting News’s Daniel Blank examines the game…

Texas will be the fifth ranked team the Tar Heels have played and the fourth that has been ranked in the top 10. They beat Ohio State when it still had Evan Turner and manhandled Michigan State at home. Their two losses were to Syracuse in Madison Square Garden, and Kentucky, by two points, in Rupp. The Longhorns will have to step up from playing the likes of Texas State and Texas-Pan American; Carolina will not have to make such an adjustment.

Also, at 4 PM ET on CBS, #15 Gonzaga and #7 Duke square off at Madison Square Garden as part of the Aeropostale Classic.