Duke vs UNC, Sunday March 8th 4:00pm

Another renewal of our rivalry. UNC won 10 games in a row, but stumbled against Maryland. GT didn't have the talent or the depth to hang with the Heels, and VT is just not as talented as our team. While some thought we played decent against the Hokies, I was not one of them. Our Defense lacks intensity, and our offense has lacked some movement of recent.

So who has the edge this Sunday? Duke hit a rough spot during the middle of the season, losing 4 of 6 games. They haven't played great since, but instead just good enough to win. I believe that Duke has improved since Coach K has allowed Elliot Williams to play more minutes. He's a solid guard who can hit his shots and play decent D. To be totally honest, he may be our biggest challange Sunday afternoon.

Key to the game:

1. Feed the monster. Psycho T will be playing his last home game, and he should be more psyched than usual. I expect he will score at least 25 points, if not more.
2. Take advantage of the double team. Duke will double and triple team Psycho T, so he needs to recognize this and exploit Duke's D. Ellington and Lawson must drain their 3's.
3. Deon Thompson and Danny Green must be involved in the offense. Both players have played brilliant in spurts, and both players can disappear in a game.
4. Limit turnovers. 15 should be the maximum we allow. We cannot allow sloppy interior passing to our post men.
5. Play Smart D. Stay between the basket and the dribbler. Play heady D. Our transition game works against inferior opponents, but I don't believe it works against the likes of Duke. Minimize the reach-in fouls.

I expect the game to have many ebbs and flows. Don't fret it when Duke has a 10 point lead, because it will probably happen. Coach K is a master technician of this game, and I have tremendous respect of his program. However, UNC has more talent, they have more weapons, and the intangibles of this game favors the Heels.

Prediction: UNC 91, Duke 87.