bstrickland@heraldsun.com; 419-6671
Tonight at the Smith Center, college basketball's most famous rivalry will write its latest chapter when No. 8 Duke takes on No. 10 North Carolina.
Never mind that Duke is No. 8 in the country and UNC is No. 10 in the conference.
"When we play against Carolina, both teams' records are thrown out the window," Duke senior Lance Thomas said. "This game is going to be played at the highest level. It's different than any game we play all year.
"It's really tough to put into words. It's such a competitive atmosphere. We both play like we're No. 1 and No. 2 in the country."
Both teams have been ranked in the top 10 of the national polls for six of the past 10 meeting, and both have been in the Top 25 for 12 consecutive meetings, the kind of consistency that makes the rivalry what it is.
But on the rare occasions when one team is down, as currently is the case with the Tar Heels (13-10, 2-6 ACC), the rivalry is strong enough to transcend circumstances.
"They represent a program that is proud, and they have one of the best coaches of all time," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "I think we'll have a hell of a game."
Some see tonight's game against the Blue Devils (19-4, 7-2) as UNC's chance to salvage its season, an opportunity to start a streak in the right direction.
Then again, the Tar Heels thought their triumph at rival N.C. State two weeks ago might have provided a similar spark, only to follow it with three consecutive losses entering tonight's showdown (9 p.m., WRAL).
"If you lose six of eight, I don't know if playing Duke the next game is a very good thing any way you look at it," UNC coach Roy Williams said. "But we should get their undivided attention and undivided effort."
Williams was talking about having the attention of his players, but even with the uncharacteristic struggles, the Tar Heels have the Blue Devils' attention, as well. In the most game between the teams, UNC claimed the ACC's regular-season title with a 79-71 victory in Chapel Hill before going on to claim college basketball's ultimate championship.
The Tar Heels, however, lost four players to the NBA and already have lost six more games than they did all of last season.
"My reaction to that is, 'What's going on?' " Duke junior Nolan Smith said. "I know some of their players, and I know they're a very talented team. Some of their guys are probably going to be lottery picks. It's very surprising to me.
"This game could be the game where they just decide to turn it on. Their guards might just start clicking for this game, and this game could lead them to a 10-game winning streak. Whatever happened before this game, I'm not thinking about at all."
The Blue Devils also have reason for concern because of the game's venue. Suddenly starving UNC fans could create a game-changing environment, and Duke still is working toward changing its pattern away from home. The Blue Devils did win on the road Saturday at Boston College but still are just 2-4 on their opponents' home courts.
"I wouldn't say we've turned the corner yet because it's only been one game," Duke junior Kyle Singler said. "For us to turn the corner, it's got to be a consistent thing. We've got to string some together."
Another reason Duke is ignoring UNC's record is because of the Blue Devils' recent record against the Tar Heels. Duke's seniors -- aside from fifth-year senior Jordan Davidson -- are just 1-5 against UNC, and in the case of senior Brian Zoubek, he sat out that lone victory in 2008 with an injury.
"This would be a game for them to get started on, a huge game that would make up for a lot of stuff for them," Zoubek said. "But this means a lot to us too, especially the senior class.
"They've gotten the better of us the last couple of years, so we really want to go at them."
