3-ring circus
UNC-Duke headlines trio of conference clashes
Posted: Wednesday January 27, 1999 05:00 PM
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Bill Guthridge: "This is a game where we have to keep going whether we get blown out or whether it's a close game." Allsport/Allsport |
ATLANTA (CNN/SI) -- Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and North Carolina coach Bill Guthridge insist it's just another game, but there's no denying the cosmic clash of Blue Devils with Carolina blue.
The 10th-ranked Tar Heels look to deal No. 2 Duke its first ACC loss of the season when they enter the crazed confines of Cameron Indoor Stadium on Wednesday night.
In other conference duels Wednesday, the 17th-ranked Orangemen entertain No. 9 St. John's, which is coming off a scintillating 92-88 defeat Sunday in overtime to Duke. Syracuse can only hope that the Red Storm's Bootsy Thornton finds Sunday's 40-point, 12-rebound act a tough one to follow in their Big East matchup at the Carrier Dome.
And at Breslin Center, the top spot in the Big Ten is at stake as eighth-ranked Michigan State plays host to No. 15 Ohio State in the 93rd
meeting between the schools. The Spartans lead the conference by percentage points over No. 12 Wisconsin and by one game over the Buckeyes, who already boast a win at Wisconsin, in addition to blowouts of Indiana, Purdue and, most recently, Minnesota.
But it's the showdown in Durham, N.C., that earns top billing.
After all, the Blue Devils are ranked No. 2 in the country. They have a winning margin of 26.3 points a game and seven straight double-digit victories in the ACC.
But this is no ordinary stretch. Duke faces three Top 10 teams in 13 days, and next up is North Carolina on Wednesday night. And nothing is ever ordinary when these schools meet.
"It's a lot," Krzyzewski said. "We knew this stretch would be a chance for our team to grow because we'll be playing such big games."
The Blue Devils (19-1, 7-0 ACC) are coming off the overtime victory against St. John's at Madison Square Garden and had only two days to get ready for the Tar Heels (17-4, 5-2).
Duke, riding a 14-game winning streak, will travel to N.C. State on Saturday for its final game in Reynolds Coliseum before playing host to No. 4 Maryland on Feb. 3.
"Coach wanted us to play the best teams, so when postseason came we are already acclimated to teams as talented as us," Duke captain Trajan Langdon said.
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"We learned a lot from last year when we let the hype of the game really get to us. We're a year older now and we're looking at this more as a basketball game than a media event."
--Duke sophomore forward Shane Battier
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This will be the 21st time since 1985 that Duke and North Carolina will play each other, with both ranked in the Top 10. Last season there were three great games while both were among the nation's top four teams.
Duke has lost 10 of the last 12 in the series. Still, few would argue that Duke is a heavy favorite for this game at Cameron Indoor Stadium, where the Blue Devils have won 32 straight.
"This is a game where we have to keep going whether we get blown out or whether it's a close game," Guthridge said. "We have to be ready for our next game, too, because it's how you do in the regular season that gets you into the NCAA tournament.
"I don't know of any advantages that we have," Guthridge added. "We have made good improvement these last three games, but in studying Duke it's really hard to find a weakness. They are strong inside, they are strong outside and they play good defense."
Krzyzewski warns of making too much of this matchup, pointing to last year's No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown in Chapel Hill that Duke lost by 24 points.
"We learned a lot from last year when we let the hype of the game really get to us," Duke's Shane Battier said. "We're a year older now and we're looking at this more as a basketball game than a media event."
"We've never gone into a game like this where people thought we were the better team," Langdon said. "But in this rivalry, that doesn't matter. Both teams are 0-0 in Duke-Carolina games this year. Carolina doesn't care if we're favored. They feel they're the better team and we're going to have to feel the same way and come out and try to be as intense as them."
Krzyzewski also warns of counting on the Cameron Crazies to give the Blue Devils the edge.
"It can just be the opposite for you if you don't use it the right way," Krzyzewski said. "How so? You can assume that wins the game instead of you winning the game out on the court. All I know is they're good and we're good and let's play."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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