Some might call it an epiphany.
Some might call it expert analysis.
Dahntay Jones' called it nothing short of insanity.
"He really said that?.... Shocker!"
After a 29-point home loss to the Blue Devils, North Carolina senior Kris Lang thought he had sized up college basketball's best rivalry perfectly.
"Talent level? Actually, I have to say I think we have more talent [than Duke]," he said. "We have more depth. It's just a matter of experience for us."
North Carolina's (8-18, 4-11) depth has sunk it to the worst season in the program's history, though. After losing to perennial bottom-feeders like Hampton and Davidson and suffering through a painful ACC season, the Tar Heels have not lived up to anybody's set of expectations.
Still, the Blue Devils (25-3, 12-3) extract no joy out of watching the plight of their biggest foe.
"It
Despite its sympathies for its battered enemy, Duke does not intend to coddle the Tar Heels in Cameron Indoor Stadium this Sunday afternoon.
'Basically, we're going to do what we did last time,' sophomore Chris Duhon said. '[We're going to] pressure them, put them in situations that they're not used to, get in passing lanes and just keep running.... If we keep running, they're going to wear down and that's when the turnovers are going to come.'
Maintaining its speed advantage remains crucial for Duke because the game simply has too many pertinent subplots for the Blue Devils to suffer an intensity lapse.
With its loss to Virginia Thursday, the Blue Devils will not win outright or
'If we don't win the ACC, it's not the end of the season,' Duhon said. Then, with lit up eyes and visions of Atlanta and the Final Four dancing in his head, he continued, 'We still have our bigger goals in sights.'
In addition, the North Carolina contest stands as the last opportunity for Jason Williams, Carlos Boozer and Matt Christensen to don home jerseys for the Blue Devils. With the two juniors bound for the NBA and the senior center set to graduate in the spring, an appropriate send-off party is in order.
'It's [their] farewell,' Jones said. 'We're going to try to make sure that they remember this for the rest of their lives.'
Still, the question remains--will the Tar Heels make this a game worth remembering come Monday morning?
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