Usually, when two teams are meeting for the second time in a season, it logically makes sense to break down the first game.
In the case of Duke's rematch Saturday night with Michigan State, it may not make too much sense at all.
"I don't really know if that game impacts this one," Shane Battier said. "I think both teams are so different than the teams everyone saw in December. It's almost hard to call it a rematch."
Back on Dec. 2, the Blue Devils entered the United Center in Chicago fresh off their first, and only, loss of the season. Duke scored the first 13 points against the Spartans but allowed Michigan State to rally to as close as three with six minutes left in the game.
The Blue Devils held on for a 73-67 win, however at the time, not all of the signs were encouraging. Duke continued its early season turnover problem with 21 giveaways and was pounded on the glass, 41-25, by an athletic Spartans frontcourt.
While the Blue Devils' effort was not their best, Michigan State, who was ranked ninth at the time, certainly didn't bring its top performance either. The Spartans committed 20 turnovers and Mateen Cleaves' 3-of-17 shooting
"I think both of us are so much improved than we were at that point in the season," Mike Krzyzewski said. "The two best players, [Elton] Brand and Mateen, are in incredibly better shape than they were at that time of the year. They have all of their players and we do too. They've just gotten better and we've gotten a lot better."
Duke's "better" has translated into 31 straight wins, while Michigan State's current streak is not too shabby at 22. Both have clearly moved far beyond the tournaments of late November and non-conference battles in December.
So does it even make any difference at all that the Blue Devils have seen the Spartans up close?
"It is relevant for both of us because we got a chance face-to-face to see that, 'He is that tall' or 'He is that big,'" Krzyzewski said.
"It does help," added Battier, who had Michigan State on his final list of potential schools before committing to Duke. "To see them and be familiar with their tendencies, a little bit."
The Spartans had a tendency back then to control Brand. The National Player of the Year scored 12 points in the first meeting but committed a game-high six turnovers and pulled down just three rebounds, well below his average of nearly 10 per game.
His performance wasn't necessarily a case of missing effort so much as early season fitness.
"I was working so hard to try to be the best but I was tired," Brand said. "I wasn't in the best of shape, and as a team we weren't in good running shape or boxing-out shape. We couldn't even get a rebound at one point."
Fitness is no longer a concern, nor is health. Back in Chicago, Battier, Corey Maggette and Nate James were all ailing with the flu. They managed to play, Battier put in 24 minutes before fouling out, but weren't close to 100 percent.
That is not the case anymore. Both schools prepare for the final weekend in St. Petersburg at full strength. Whether or not they recognize each other after the opening tip may be another story.
"I wish we could play right now," Will Avery said. "I'm not a patient guy when it comes to games, especially when it comes to winning national championships. This is something we talked about in October and it's almost here.
"I wish we could start playing and get it over with."
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