The Pit Breakup

In honor of Valentine’s Day here’s a pretty elaborate and entertaining break up, because breaking up is the pits

That stills holds up even after a year- that really was huge especially in the Triangle. Yeah it turned out to be fake but even if you knew that it’s still really cool and funny, which is a rare compliment for me concerning Carolina Kids, but what can I say UNC grads can perpetrate frauds pretty darn well

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Notes on a Victory

89-78
and maybe the sky isn't Carolina Blue after all

An e-mail I wrote just as the game was ending:

y'know how everyone says about Duke-UNC that they hate but respect the other side? well i always thought that was bs. but then i realized as i was in my apartment living and dying with every call and unable to sit down for the last ten minutes that i there were probably carolina fans doing the exact same thing and we were both living and dying in the same moments and we had some connection and I could respect that. I still hate them but I can respect that passion. It must be like what opposing sides in war feel- hate but mutual respect earned on a razor's edge.

Because it was so true-I am not able to watch a Duke game of any importance with my friends out here and so last night I didn’t even try. I just locked myself in my apartment, turned off the lights, so I could rock back and forth, curse and yell at the tv, scare my cats into the other room over whatever their crazy mommy was doing, hopping up and doing strange dancings after each big play-I’m sure if I had been filmed I would have looked totally Brit to the outside observer.
But I now I just know that every other Duke fan and every other Carolina was feeling it so intensely as well and they would be the only ones who could actually understand what it means to have, for a few hours a game mean more than breathing.
It’s fantastic, especially when you win.
To Hate Like This is To Be Happy Forever


Barry Jacobs’ Take
Convention And Carolina Take A Beating

This was no classic moment in a cherished series, no game to remember for its twists and turns, its suspense and drama. Then again, what emerged from Duke’s 89-78 victory over the homestanding Tar Heels, the most points scored against North Carolina this year, will likely shape the remainder of the 2008 ACC regular season race.

And, most assuredly, the first clash between the ACC’s reigning powers will bolster each team’s expectation of success when they re-engage a month from now at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Duke continues to emerge as what coach Mike Krzyzewski said is a “very unconventional team,” finding its strength where others might see weakness. Basketball is usually played from the inside out – getting high-percentage interior shots and earning trips to the foul line have been coaching staples for a century. But this Blue Devil squad has inverted the formula, its success indicated by a 20-1 record, eight wins and no losses in the ACC, and a No. 2 standing in the national polls.

Krzyzewski has been informed by his sojourn as head coach of the U.S. Olympic team, where he trades ideas and stratagems with professional colleagues Mike D’Antoni of the Phoenix Suns and Nate McMillan of the Portland Trail Blazers, among others.

Instead of trying to force his 2007-08 squad into a mold that did not readily fit, Krzyzewski altered the mold.

These Blue Devils attack from the outside in, either by shot or drive. Leave too much space and Duke begins firing from the perimeter. Guard too closely and the Devils take the ball to the basket, garnering layups and fouls or passing unselfishly to a dangerous cadre of shooters who lurk around the 3-point arc like buzzards circling a promising snack.

Duke employed its preferred approach from the outset at the Smith Center, unleashing a barrage of 3-pointers against the more conventionally configured Tar Heels.

North Carolina feeds the ball assiduously to the low post, where Tyler Hansbrough wreaks havoc on defenses and Deon Thompson provides stylish accompaniment. Against Duke, 17 of the Heels’ first 23 points came from that pair.

Clemson extended UNC to overtime a month ago by deploying its deep corps of powerful frontline players to stifle Hansbrough. The arrangement essentially dared other Heels to pick up the scoring slack. Wing Wayne Ellington responded to the tune of 36 points, a personal best, as UNC won by a basket.

Duke made a different choice. With limited options in the low post, it harassed Hansbrough but ceded sufficient room for him to contribute 28 points and 18 rebounds. “The kid’s a great player,” Krzyzewski said. “He takes competitiveness to the highest level.”

Aided greatly by the absence of injured UNC playmaker Ty Lawson, the Blue Devils’ aggressive perimeter defense kept the remainder of the Tar Heels off balance. Exclude Hansbrough, and the Heels made a third of their shots (16-of-48).

“We knew Tyler was going to score the ball, but one of the keys to the game was that really no one else scored points or really did much,” said Duke freshman Kyle Singler. He contributed 14 points and 10 rebounds matched against Hansbrough. “We stand by our defense with great ball pressure, contesting the wings, just force people to be uncomfortable.”

North Carolina’s chief outside threats, Ellington and Danny Green, were a combined 1-11 on threes. Neither scored enough to threaten the two-basket working margin the Blue Devils maintained for most of the second half.

“We weren’t patient,” Roy Williams said of his UNC squad. “I thought we rushed our shots. We didn’t make them play defense.”

Duke also forced 20 turnovers, one short of North Carolina’s season high, and thereby negated any disadvantage on the boards. UNC's young big men Thompson, who fouled out in 18 minutes, and Alex Stepheson, with five turnovers and no assists, were repeatedly caught in uncomfortable situations away from the basket on both offense and defense.

The Devils themselves appeared relatively at ease amid the Dean Dome din. They took the lead for good midway through the period by hitting four consecutive 3-pointers, part of an 8-for-16 onslaught in the period. On the night, Duke hit 13 of 29 from long range, 44.8 percent accuracy. Junior guard Greg Paulus was 6 of 8 on threes, the highest output of his career.

“They got any shot they wanted,” Williams groused. “I don’t know very many times tonight that our defense dictated what shots they got.”

The North Carolina coach did pronounce himself “very impressed” with Duke, however. “They’ve got great chemistry,” he said. “The most disciplined team won the game tonight. The team that did most of the little things well won the game tonight.”

Clearly, though, the absence of Lawson, North Carolina fleet point guard, altered the equation. “You want everybody” able to play, Krzyzewski said. “And certainly you want the quickest point guard in the country to be playing. That has to hurt, no question about it.”

So Duke emerged with a victory, a two-game lead in the ACC race, and the confidence it can defeat UNC even on its home court. The Tar Heels came away from the game knowing that, with the return of Lawson, their catalytic agent, they will be a different and probably better team the next time they face the Blue Devils.

No doubt,but then it’ll be in The Greatest Place on Earth, Cameron Indoor. I can't hardly wait

This may interest only me but, then again most of the stuff on this site probably only interests me.
Here are some game notes from GoDuke.com

No. 2 Duke defeated No. 3 North Carolina, 89-78, on February 6, 2008, at the Dean Smith Center. Duke improves to 20-1 overall and 8-0 in the ACC while the Tar Heels fall to 21-2 and 6-2, respectively.

Series Notes

• Duke snaps a three-game win streak by UNC in the series, including a one-game streak in the Smith Center, and Duke now trails 127-97 overall and 13-10 in Smith Center all-time In ACC regular season play, Duke trails 85-76 in regular season conference play, including trailing 58-30 in Chapel Hill
• Coach Mike Krzyzewski improves to an even 32-32 against North Carolina. [Ed. Note: Yay K!]
  
• Duke’s 10 wins at the Smith Center are the most by any opponent in UNC history. In the ACC, Maryland has eight wins here, N.C. State five, Wake Forest four, Florida State and Georgia Tech three, Virginia two, Boston College, Miami and Virginia Tech one apiece and Clemson has not won at the Smith Center.
• Wednesday marked the 125th straight game that at least one team was ranked in the AP poll and 143 of the 159 match-ups since the inception of the AP poll in 1947-48. When both teams are ranked, Duke leads the series 32-31, including a 25-18 mark under Coach K. Duke is 20-18 when both teams are ranked in the Top 10 and now 3-3 when both teams are ranked in the Top 3.

Milestones

• Duke’s 20-1 record through 20 games matches the best start in school history.
• Duke now has 43 seasons with 20 or more wins, including 23 under Coach K and a streak of 12 straight seasons.
• Duke now has 33 wins against teams ranked in the Top 3 of the AP poll.

Win Streaks & Records

• Duke has won 10 straight games overall and all eight of its ACC games at the mid-point of the conference season.
• Duke is 8-0 in the ACC this season and now has a two-game lead in the ACC standings with North Carolina holding onto second place at 6-2.
• Duke has now played in front of a sold out venue in 225 of its last 263 games.
• Duke has won 24 of its last 34 games when both teams ranked in the Top 10 of the AP poll.
• Duke is now 19-11 in 30 games under Coach K when both teams are ranked in the Top 5 of the AP poll.

Duke In February

• Duke is now 488-258 all-time in February, including 161-60 under Coach K. Duke has won six of its last seven and is 65-20 since 1997-98.
• Duke is 3-1 vs. UNC on Feb. 6, including 3-0 all-time in Chapel Hill. The last Duke-UNC game on Feb. 6 was 48 years ago. Overall on Feb. 6, Duke is 16-13 on this date, including 4-2 under Coach K.

Team Highs & Lows

• Duke scored a UNC opponent season high 89 points.
• With 27 free throws, Duke matched UNC’s opponent high for the season.
• Duke’s 47 points matched the most given up by North Carolina in a half this season.
  

Duke Offense

• Duke was 13-of-29 from long distance against North Carolina, marking the ninth time this season the Blue Devils have connected on 10 or more from behind the arc and Duke is 9-0 in those games.
• Duke had six players score in double figures including all five starters and Jon Scheyer off the bench. It was just the second game all season that six Blue Devils scored in double figures along with seven players in the season opener against N.C. Central.
• Duke’s bench outscored North Carolina’s bench 22-4, including 17 points from Scheyer.

Duke Defense

• Duke held North Carolina to just 3-of-17 from behind the arc, extending its streak to all eight ACC games holding opponents to four or less three-pointers. In ACC games, Duke’s opponents have connected on 28-of-101 (.277) from behind the arc.
• Duke forced 20 turnovers from the Blue Devils while allowing 17 assists. It marked the 11th time this season Duke’s opponent has had 20 or more turnovers and is the 18th time in 21 games that Duke’s opponent has had more turnovers than assists.
• Duke had 11 steals against North Carolina, marking the sixth time in eight ACC games Duke has had 10 or more steals. Duke is averaging 10.4 steals per game in ACC action.
• Duke held North Carolina to 28-of-69 (.406) from the field, marking the 18th time this season Duke has held its opponent under 50 percent. Under Coach K, Duke has accomplished that feat 693 times in 925 games and is 613-80 in those game.
• Duke was outrebounded by North Carolina by nine but were down 10 in the category at halftime. Duke outrebounded North Carolina 22-21 in the second half.

Coach K

• Coach K is now 795-262 as a head coach, ranking sixth on the NCAA wins chart and second among active coaches. Only Eddie Sutton, who is fifth overall and tops among active coaches with 800 wins is ahead of him while first overall is Coach K’s college coach the recently retired Bob Knight, with 902 wins.
• With 795 career wins in his first 33 seasons, Coach K is currently second on the NCAA’s list of most victories in a coaches’ first 33 season. He trails Dean Smith, who had 802 wins through 33 seasons.
• Coach K now has 795 wins in 1,057 career games and is looking to become the third-fastest coach to 800 wins based on number of games. Adolph Rupp (972) and Dean Smith (1,029) are already out of reach and Bob Knight is currently third, accomplishing the feat in (1,102 games).
• Coach K now has 722 wins at Duke and ranks seventh on the NCAA’s chart for most wins at one school. In sixth place is DePaul’s Ray Meyer with 724. Coach K is also second among active coaches behind Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim (765).

DeMarcus Nelson

• The senior scored 13 points, shooting 6-of-7 from the line with the majority of those down the stretch, and added five assists, four rebounds and a steal in just 23 minutes with foul trouple.
• Nelson now has 1,160 career points and surpassed Carroll Youngkin (1959-71 – 1,154) to move into 39th on Duke’s career scoring chart. Immediately ahead is Tommy Amaker (1984-87 – 1,168).
• Nelson now has 18 games in double figures this season including six straight and 13 of his last 14, and in 61 career games.

Greg Paulus

• The junior led Duke with 18 points, connecting on 6-of-9 from the field and was 6-of-8 from behind the arc. He recorded a season-high tying four steals and added three assists and three rebounds, as well.
• He now has 11 games in double figures this season, including five straight (and 10 straight games with nine-plus points). He now has 43 career games in double figures.
• Paulus now has six games with three or more steals this season and 16 such games in his career.
• Paulus now has eight games this season with three or more three-pointers and 21 such games in his career.

Jon Scheyer

• The sophomore scored 17 points, including 7-of-8 from the line and 2-of-4 from behind the arc. He added six rebounds, three assist and three steals in 33 minutes off the bench.
• Scheyer now has 12 games in double figures, including his first in the last five games, and 34 double figure scoring games in his career.
• Scheyer’s three steals is a season high and the fifth time in his career he’s had three or more steals.

Kyle Singler

• The freshman had 14 points and 10 rebounds in 37 minutes while shooting 5-of-11 from the field, 3-of-6 from long range, and 1-of-2 from the line. He added two assists, two blocks and two rebounds.
• Singler has 15 games scoring in double figures, including three straight and seven of his last eight.
• Singler now has three games with 10 or more rebounds and three double-doubles, as well.
• Singler now has four games with three or more threes on the season and he has hit at least one three in nine straight games, the third longest streak in the ACC.
• Singler matched his season best with two steals.

Gerald Henderson

• The sophomore scored 12 points, grabbed seven rebounds, dished out three assists and had two steals against the Tar Heels.
• Henderson now has 17 games scoring in double figures this season, including seven of the last eight, and 24 in his career.
• Henderson was just one rebound shy of his career high of eight.

Lance Thomas

• The sophomore scored 10 points, grabbed five rebounds and had two blocks in 25 minutes while shooting 5-of-7 from the field against North Carolina.
• Thomas matched his season high for points and now has two games in double figures and five in his career.
• Thomas recorded a new career high with two blocks.
• Thomas matched his season high with five rebounds.

With The Win, Duke Improved To...

• 1,841-805 all-time, including 722-203 under Coach K
• 504-270 all-time in ACC regular season play, including 280-123 under Coach K and 149-35 since 1996-97
• 830-470 all-time against current members of the ACC
• Duke is 171-43 outside of Cameron since 1997-98 and 80-24 in road contests and 85-24 in ACC road play since 1997-98
• 240-240 all-time vs. ranked teams, including 160-110 under Coach K and 44-18 against ACC ranked teams since 1997-98
• Duke improves to 12-21 vs. the No. 3 ranked team in the AP poll all time.
• 253-47 this decade, more wins than any other team in the NCAA
• 899-227 all-time as a ranked team all-time, including 104-15 as the No. 2 team, 391-73 as a Top 3 team, 481-89 as a Top 5 and 757-170 as a Top 10 team

Oh and that's a 2 game lead in the ACC, most practically.
And with that this should be my first and only Carolina post of the day…unless of course

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It’s Kind of a Big Deal

It’s Carolina Day the first of the two most important scheduled days of a Dukie’s year, it's almost a sacred day consecrated with the hate of generations so you have to excuse me for being a little (obsessed) focused.

DBR

Christian Laettner used to say that the Duke-UNC game day had a different feel than any other. He’s right. Waking up and knowing that game is today is a lot like the feeling kids get on Easter Sunday.

It’s not that you’re going to get a bunch of candy, although an Easter basket is a fine way to start a new spring day. There’s just a special feeling about the day, and you don’t have to be particularly religious to feel it.
So for those of us in the Triangle, we wake up a bit giddy, and it doesn’t take long to get out of bed, and we watch the clock drag around in circles until the appointed time arrives.

It’s still kind of amazing to think that it’s such a big deal nationally. We sort of know this, but for us here, it’s a local thing.

Barry Jacobs
Carolina-Duke Rivalry Defines Us

For those joining our communal life already in progress, this is a pinnacle moment during winter in North Carolina. We are ready for Duke and North Carolina to play a basketball game.

This is the event, or more accurately the first of two annually scheduled games, that kindles the greatest wealth of memories and fuels the greatest passions and interest among residents in our neck of the woods. Other contests come and go, but this is the game we count on to be played fiercely, well, and without notable diminution of concentration or effort for as many minutes as the action lasts.

This is the clash that causes old-timers to reminisce most avidly, rattling off names, situations, plays, and results with the fervor of parents bragging on their children.

This is the game we savor, measure seasons by, analyze endlessly before and after the fact. Only the final score is not subject to reinterpretation.

The fine women’s programs at Chapel Hill and Durham actually have performed at a higher level than the men in recent seasons. Yet few people in North Carolina gave Monday’s meeting of ranked women’s squads at Cameron Indoor Stadium more than a passing thought. It was a Duke-Carolina game, but not THE Duke-Carolina game.

Tar Heel coach Sylvia Hatchell reportedly felt it necessary to manufacture a celebration after her squad won handily on national television. She directed the team bus to downtown Chapel Hill, then led a few of her players in throwing toilet paper into two trees. That’s a bit like nominating yourself for an award; the only recognition Hatchell received was a police warning for littering and an admonition to clean up.

Back at Cameron, humbled (well, OK, unhappy) Duke students endured a large contingent of UNC fans whooping it up after the poised Tar Heel women dismantled the Blue Devils. The Crazies replied by chanting, “Wait ‘Til Wednesday!”

That being the day of the first men’s clash. So, there!

Last March a bit of real blood was added to the proverbial bad blood such rivalries generate -- at least among fans – when Gerald Henderson felled North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough with 14.5 seconds remaining in a decisive Tar Heel victory at Chapel Hill.

Hansbrough’s nose was broken by Henderson’s apparently inadvertent blow, requiring the UNC star to wear an uncomfortable protective mask for a handful of games. Video of the foul was replayed endlessly on TV and the Web, and post-game comments were scrutinized like courtroom testimony.

Newcomers may have heard or read something about this incident.

The foul, and feeling about it, elevated the level of anticipation for this year’s initial meeting a few notches above normal.

Normal being a controlled frenzy.

This is big stuff. This is so big, TV’s Dick Vitale aimed his on-air return from throat surgery to coincide with a game he has helped hype to the heavens. This is so big, even Vitale cannot overblow the stature of the rivalry.

Now, to his credit, Vitale may be, oh, shall we say, a bit bombastic, but he does his homework. The man knows an argument can be made that no rivalry in American sports equal this one in terms of talented players and coaches, extensive history, depth of fan interest, and consistent quality of competition.

In fact, the high level of competition in UNC-Duke men’s games could serve as a definition of consistent excellence. Since the advent of the Atlantic Coast Conference for the 1953-54 season, Duke and UNC have met in men’s basketball 143 times. Of those contests, only 3 saw neither team ranked in the top 20 in the AP poll.

That’s one in every 48 games, or 2.1 percent of the time, in which neither team was considered among the nation's best. The last such meeting occurred on February 27, 1960. That is five weeks after N.C. State head coach Sidney Lowe was born, and preceding the birth of three other ACC men’s coaches.

By contrast, in 25 of 143 games (about one in every six), either Duke or Carolina was ranked first in the country. Included was the opener of the Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center in January 1986, won by the top-ranked Tar Heels over No. 3 Duke.

Prior to this season, both squads ranked in the top 10 when they met on 37 occasions, a little better than one game in every four. In such circumstances, the higher-ranked team wins about half the time. Duke is currently #2, North Carolina #3.

Wednesday’s game has the usual tangle of subplots.

Opponents repeatedly try to pound the slighter, perimeter-oriented Blue Devils, who have taken to counting the stitches needed to close their respective wounds. Can Mike Krzyzewski’s aggressive, denial man-to-man defense keep the Tar Heels from getting good looks at the post, where Hansbrough lurks as an often-dominant presence?

North Carolina has been impressive, but not consistently. Will Roy Williams’ Heels be able to prosecute their usual offensive onslaught, best in the ACC, if an ankle injury limits playmaker Ty Lawson’s surpassing quickness with the ball? If Lawson can't play, will a compensatory hero emerge?

And did we mention something about an incident involving Hansbrough and Henderson?

UNC’s Wayne Ellington was Henderson’s high school teammate at The Episcopal Academy in Pennsylvania, and vouches for his friend’s good nature. The Tar Heel sophomore helped facilitate a few informal games this summer at the Smith Center involving players from the respective squads. Hansbrough and Henderson played in one of them.

“I feel like we have a good enough relationship where we can play pickup,” Hansbrough said recently. The junior insisted the collision of nose and elbow was a matter relegated to the past.

Not for fans, however.

Given the likelihood of ambient hostility, it would be a surpassing act of sportsmanship, and a welcome one, if Hansbrough made a point of publicly shaking hands with Henderson prior to the game. The competition will be sufficiently heated without the taint of hatred.

Then again, harboring grudges, nurturing past slights, aching to get even, is also integral to a rivalry. Wednesday’s loser is sure to begin looking forward to March 8 as soon as the blood, er, perspiration dries. That’s when North Carolina travels to Durham for round two.

Duke-UNC, Round 1
From Duke Blue Planet

A warm, sunny day in Durham welcomes the 224th meeting between Duke and UNC. All of the coverage and hype has focused primarily on Gerald Henderson, Ty Lawson, style of play, and the return of Dick Vitale, overlooking the most important storyline of the game -- the ACC regular-season implications. Duke and UNC have jumped ahead of the pack as we approach today's eight-game midway point in the league. The Blue Devils and Tar Heels have combined for just one ACC loss while every other conference squad has at least three losses in the league. Duke or UNC has won or shared 14 of the past 17 ACC regular-season titles and today's game will have a significant impact on the continuation of that trend.

Duke/UNC in the Polls

• Since the ACC made its debut in 1953, Duke and UNC have met in men’s basketball 143 times. Just three of those 143 games (2.1 percent) saw neither team ranked in the top 20 of the AP Poll. The last such meeting occurred on February 27, 1960.
• In 25 of the 143 games (about one in every six), either Duke or UNC was ranked first in the country.
• Prior to this season, both teams ranked in the top 10 when they met on 37 occasions (26 percent of the time).
• For the sixth time since 1986, Duke and UNC and will meet with both teams ranked among the top three in the country.

Go to Hell Carolina.

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Duke-Carolina: It’s Kind Of Like This

It’s Carolina Day the first of the two most important scheduled days of a Dukie’s year, it's almost a sacred day consecrated with the hate of generations so you have to excuse me for being a little (obsessed) focused.

We’re the good guys (obviously)


Tombstone




Once Upon a Time in the West


Kill Bill 1: The Bride vs O'Ren Ishii


Dumbledore vs. Voldemort


(A personal battle between G-Love and Wayne Hellington)


Ripley vs the Alien Queen


The Bride v. Elle Driver


For a Few Dollars More


Yeah it’s just like that
(p.s. does anyone know of any other good showdowns/duels?)

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Teammates/Rivals

It’s Carolina Day the first of the two most important scheduled days of a Dukie’s year, it's almost a sacred day consecrated with the hate of generations so you have to excuse me for being a little (obsessed) focused.

From ESPN’s First Take Dana Jacobsen interviews Shelden Williams (Duke Immortal #23) and Marvin Williams (another transitory Carolina sub) of the Hawks about The Game tonight


I’ll never forget that Marvin Williams shot from 2005 and I will never forgive him for it. Hate.

And even including Shelden’s jersey retirement ceremony I’ve never heard him say so much.
But he said enough on the court. He'll always be The Landlord.

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One Man's Opinion

It’s Carolina Day the first of the two most important scheduled days of a Dukie’s year, it's almost a sacred day consecrated with the hate of generations so you have to excuse me for being a little (obsessed) focused.

This is Seth Davis’ column from SI on The Game and…I really don’t like people picking us. I enjoy when Duke flies under the radar (well as much as Duke ever can especially when ranked #2 in the country) but all the talk today seems to be about Shaq going to the Suns (please!) and “National Signing Day” which is apparently a big deal.
Anyway here is Seth’s take

Any time you have bitter rivals squaring off while they are ranked No. 2 and No. 3 in the nation, you're going to get a must-see game. But make no mistake: This season's first Duke-Carolina showdown is a much, much different contest if Tar Heels point guard Ty Lawson is unable to play. Lawson, who sprained his ankle on Sunday, is questionable for the game. If Lawson is unable to play he may not totally eliminate North Carolina's chances of winning, but it seriously reduces them.

One ACC coach whose team has played both Duke and North Carolina this season put it thusly: "I don't believe Carolina can beat Duke without Lawson. Duke defends you every single possession, and their pressure will cause all kinds of problems for a team that is headless."

To make things worse, North Carolina is also missing its backup point guard. Bobby Frasor, the 6-foot-3 junior from Blue Island, Ill., suffered a season-ending ACL injury on Dec. 27. That leaves the third option, 6-3 senior Quentin Thomas, as the starter. Thomas played a season-high 36 minutes after Lawson went down on Sunday, and while Thomas did have six assists to two turnovers, the Heels needed overtime to beat the 11th-place team in the ACC. "Thomas has shown a penchant for turning the ball over," the unnamed coach says. "Not only does he have to penetrate, he has to deliver. There's just a huge difference between him and Lawson."

So what can Carolina do to win without Lawson? Four things:

1. Run a crisp halfcourt offense. We all know the Heels are deadly on the break, but they need to withstand Duke's halfcourt pressure. That will enable them to get the ball to Tyler Hansbrough inside, where Duke is at a severe disadvantage. "Duke has only one big body in [6-9 freshman] Kyle Singler, and he's not that big," the coach says. "Carolina's got three big bodies, but most important they have the best one in the country in Hansbrough."

2. Pound the glass. Despite Duke's lack of size, the Devils are only sixth in the ACC in rebound margin during league play. North Carolina, however, is first at +11.9. Since the Blue Devils have adopted the warrior's mentality to rebound over bigger teams, the Heels cannot take this advantage for granted. If North Carolina does not win the rebounding battle by at least 10 boards, it will have a hard time winning the game.

3. Take away Duke's three-point shooting. This is easier said than done -- but it's possible if the Heels prioritize. "You need to get up on Duke's shoetops and make them either score inside or by driving because, guess what -- threes are worth more than twos," the ACC coach said. To the extent that it is impossible to prevent Duke from getting open looks, the Heels have to hope the Blue Devils are having an off night.

4. Get some production off the bench. Roy Williams lit a spark under his team in the first half against Boston College last week when he pulled the old Blue Team stunt and ordered a five-man substitution. The tactic worked, but there are only so many times a coach an reach into his bag of tricks. Duke will try to wear down North Carolina with its depth. If the Tar Heels' reserves -- namely Alex Stepheson, Will Graves and Mike Copeland -- don't answer it could be a tough night.

All this aside, I still think the Blue Devils are playing too well for the Tar Heels to handle at this point. I might have been tempted to pick Duke even with Lawson healthy. But with Lawson injured, the Blue Devils should emerge from the Dean Dome with a victory.

Final prediction: Duke 79, North Carolina 74

gthc,gth

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Welcome Back Dickie V

The New York Times has a fascinating article today about the recovery of Dick Vitale from his throat surgery with all sorts of things that I never knew. And that was a horrible senence and tease, anyway here it is.

For the past three seasons, as lesions on his vocal cords rendered each “dipsy-do-dunk-a-roo” painful, he tried to focus on the games. But all he could think about, he said, was “my throat — how does it sound? What about my throat? It’s killing me.”

He called his wife, Lorraine, during halftimes so frequently for her opinion about his increasing hoarseness that “it got annoying,” she said.

Vitale needed surgery but tried to duck it briefly by clinging to a diagnosis by specialists in Florida who said acid reflux was a leading cause of his raspy, strained voice.

Even after he agreed to travel to Boston for the operation, he feared that surgery might change his voice, that the lesions would be cancerous and that his second career of being synonymous with college basketball at ESPN, of being Dickie V, would end.

“After 29 years, having a blast, I’d have to go out like this wimp,” he said.

Lorraine Vitale, as calm as her husband is outrageously impassioned, said: “We both had the fear. It was a lot of stress and worry” because his voice “is his whole career.”

Vitale wept with his bosses at ESPN when he thought he might have cancer.

“I cried for three hours straight on the plane coming home,” he said, referring to an evaluation at Massachusetts General Hospital by Dr. Steven M. Zeitels, who said he needed to perform surgery to rule out cancer in the lesions.

But Vitale’s health concerns are fading. He is preparing to call Wednesday night’s Duke-North Carolina game in Chapel Hill, his first broadcast in two months.

The lesions are gone, baby, and they were benign.

Zeitels also infused saline through a specialized needle into Vitale’s vocal-cord tissue to improve the cords’ pliability and the sound they produce when they vibrate.

To shift some of the heavy workload from his vocal cords to his diaphragm, Vitale, 68, is being tutored by a vocal coach.

In his 17,500-square-foot Sarasota estate last Friday, he offered a sampler of his exercises:

“Ko-kay-kee,” he said, standing behind his massive desk. “To-tay-tee. So-say-see. Ro-ray-ree. Lo-lay-lee.” Then, “Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream.”

In his off-key Jersey twang, he sang: “My country ’tis of thee. Sweet land of liberty.”

Later, he sought to demonstrate that despite a buildup of phlegm in the back of his throat (don’t cough, he admonished himself, swallow it), his voice was fit for action; the raspiness was gone, and so was the strain evident in his last game, on Dec. 4.

He tried once but kept clearing his throat. He waited a couple of seconds.

“I can feel it coming back clear again,” he said, then shifted to a faster rhythm.

“Hi, everybody, I’m Dick Vitale,” he said. “Tonight we’ve got North Carolina against Duke. We’ve got the transition game. We’ve got the unbelievable spirit of the Dookies against the Carolina Tar Heels.” He quickly added, “See, I’m ready.”

Vitale said he never believed that he was abusing his voice by calling games, making speeches, doing interviews, taping commercials or simply talking to nearly everybody he met, at his typically passionate, high-decibel volume.

“I just always thought I had this loud way about me, you know, the throat became my sound, whether it was clear or not,” he said. “It’s helped me make my living.”

Zeitels, who had barely heard of Vitale before treating him, said the vocal-cord damage was “commensurate and reflective of his career; nothing out of the ordinary.”

But Vitale could not be certain what would come out of his mouth after surgery.

Zeitels ordered him not to speak for three and a half weeks, accomplishing by medical fiat what his critics have wished he would do for years.

“It was very, very weird,” Lorraine Vitale said. “He was never without his dry erase board. He wrote the way he talks. Very urgently.” She mimicked his impatient gestures as she sat beside him at his daily breakfast spot here, The Broken Egg.

At the restaurant, which sells Vitale’s books and motivational DVDs from a packed display case at the entrance, he posted a sign at his table, apologizing in advance to the many customers who wanted to chat about Michigan or Duke or Florida State.

“I cannot talk,” it read. “I just had throat surgery.”

Vitale slipped only once during his monk’s silence, his wife said.

“He woke up in the morning, came out of a dream and forgot and said, ‘Oh, where’s the —?’ like it was the worst crime in the world,” she said. “I said: ‘Don’t worry, it’s fine. But you know what, I heard your voice. I’m happy and it sounds good.’ ”

He returned to voicelessness until Zeitels said it was safe to speak on Jan. 13.

But Vitale froze. Nothing came out whence verbosity once flowed unimpeded.

“It was like stage fright,” his wife said. “And the doctor said: ‘Count to 10. Just relax.’ ”

Vitale added: “So many people told me after surgery, you don’t know, your voice might change. I was afraid to hear it. I had tears. I was afraid.”

When that familiar trumpet of a voice finally awakened, it sounded healthy again.

“With the emotion of it all, Dick just broke down,” Lorraine Vitale said.

But he had relatively little time to celebrate.

An enlarged prostate required laser surgery four days after Vitale’s speech returned and led him to use a catheter for four days.

Vitale is back to his usual routines now, working out and playing tennis in the morning; planning his annual cancer research fund-raiser to benefit the V Foundation, named for Jim Valvano; recording his ESPN.com podcasts (“It’s time to act 12 again!” he said last week, after a couple of months of acting old); and visiting his daughters, Sherri and Terri, who live in the same planned community with their husbands and children.

Last Friday, he talked to fans (“Hey, you look like a young Lou Holtz!” he said to one) while signing books as he ate his breakfast in a banquette. Later on, he stopped his Mercedes sports car (one of three vehicles he gets in an endorsement deal) on a street near his house to chat with neighbors glad that his voice is healing.

“We were praying for you,” one man said. “When are you back?”

“Wednesday,” he said. “Don’t forget to watch.”

But now that he is back at work, can Vitale preserve his restored voice? Can he back away from a schedule born of a bottomless well of enthusiasm?

“I’m really going to try,” Vitale said. “It’s something I’ve never been good at.”

Dan Steir, an ESPN senior coordinating producer, said: “In retrospect, we’ve learned that we want to make sure we maximize Dick on our big events and be smart about it.”

Zeitels has advised him to avoid doubleheaders (he received the go-ahead only for the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament semifinals next month) and games on back-to-back nights, to speak as little as he can before games and to eliminate doing interviews that are not crucial.

“My guess is if he regulates himself, he’ll be fine for years to come,” said Zeitels, who has treated Julie Andrews and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler. “His old ways are O.K., just modified. How he uses his voice is part of his charm.”

The intensity of that charm will be quantified at a future ESPN game when Vitale will be connected to a minicomputer that will measure his vocal cords’ vibrations and “provide us with objective metrics of Dick’s extreme vocal performance,” Zeitels said.

Imagine ESPN’s graphics that night: time, score and Dickie V’s vocal vibrations.

It really is good to have you back Dick. And everyone should definitely check out the audio slide show; his voice has come back pretty nicely

(though that ESPN shirt he's wearing is too much like Carolina Blue for my taste)

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Mid-Day Movie Break

Not often will you find me pointing you in the direction of anything that is not virulently anti Carolina but this is one of those stories that is more important than any rivalry bs. It's a story about Jason Ray, the UNC mascot who was killed last year while walking in the side of a freeway during the NCAA Tournament. I didn't know him personally (though some of my friends actually did) but it affected a lot of people even at Duke because we all know a lot of the same people. The reason it is such an intense rivalry is because we actually (secretly) care and obsess about the other school and it is still a tragedy when someone dies, especially one that you can relate to (as a college kid or a member of the Tobacco Road thing.) And even though I hate most everything about that school and that color makes me ill he still seemed like a really great guy and it was a tragedy and this was a sad yet wonderfully hopeful story, which I had not known.. So here's the E:60 story on Jason Ray (and for reference here's the espn.com article on Jason as well)

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