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DURHAM -- Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and Florida State's Leonard Hamilton agree that the ACC is as balanced as it's been in recent memory.
But when their teams clash tonight (9 p.m., ESPN), they'll both bring the kind of defensive approach capable of knocking any opponent off balance.
The No. 8 Blue Devils, fresh off holding Clemson to 47 points at Littlejohn Coliseum, host a Florida State team that leads the nation in field-goal percentage defense in a matchup of two-loss ACC teams.
"They're very difficult to score against in the halfcourt," Krzyzewski said. "I think they're one of the outstanding defensive teams in the country.
"Leonard has done that every year with his team. Leonard's teams are very, very sound defensively, and this team has not just shot-blocking but also incredible length."
Tonight's meeting will be the first between the teams since Duke downed FSU 79-69 for the 2009 ACC Tournament title, the Seminoles having reached the finals for the first time in school history behind complete guard Toney Douglas.
Gone to graduation is Douglas, a scoring machine and defensive dynamo, but the defensive identity he helped create is alive and well. The Seminoles (15-4, 3-2 ACC) feature one of the top shot blockers in the nation in 7-footer Solomon Alabi and also one of the nation's most versatile defenders in Chris Singleton.
At 6-9, 227 pounds and with No. 31 across his chest, Singleton sports some similarities to former Duke star Shane Battier, a two-time national defensive player of the year. Battier, Christian Laettner and former Wake Forest standout Josh Howard are the only players in ACC history to finish a season ranked in the top five in both steals and blocked shots.
Singleton currently leads the league in steals and ranks fourth in blocked shots.
"Chris obviously played in the post in high school, and now we've given him an opportunity to develop his skills on the perimeter," Hamilton said. "He's athletic and plays hard and is long, so he's used his God-given talents to the best of his ability.
"Now his skills seem to be catching up with his athleticism."
Singleton and Alibi have helped the Seminoles hold opponents to 35.5-percent shooting on average, not allowing a single opponent to crack the 50-percent mark.
If any team can hit more than half its shots against FSU, it might just be Duke within the comfortable confines of Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The Blue Devils (16-3, 4-2) have been struggling with their collective shooting of late, especially from 3-point range, where they have hit less than 30 percent in January. But they've won their 11 home games by an average of 30.2 points, including 20.3-point average margin of victory in three ACC games.
"I think right now Duke is probably playing the best basketball in terms of consistency and getting the most out of what you have," Hamilton said when asked to assess the competitive balance within the conference. "I'm not trying to say that just because we're playing them; I believe that."
While the Seminoles are off to a solid start in their pursuit of another NCAA Tournament bid, they are 1-4 in road games (0-2 in the ACC) and still are seeking some signature wins to shore up their postseason credentials.
They are coming off a victory over Georgia Tech, the only other ACC team currently ranked in the Top 25.
"We've been a little inconsistent -- we're still basically a sophomore and freshman team," Hamilton said. "But I feel that if we can continue to improve while we're developing, we can be a much better team in February than we have been."
