Coming into Sunday's game with 11 wins in the last 12 games against North Carolina, Duke men's basketball team can firmly claim its title as the best college basketball program on Tobacco Road. But while Duke has the upper hand in the college game, the alumni of North Carolina - most from the era of head coach Dean Smith - continue achieve far more in the NBA.
At first glance, the fact that Blue Devil head coach Mike Krzyzewski does not produce great NBA players is confusing. Unlike some of the storied college programs - such as Bob Knight's role-playing centric Indiana squads - the Blue Devils produce great individual players.
Three of the last four years, a Dukie has been the national player of the year: Elton Brand in 1999, Shane Battier in 2001 and Jay Williams in 2002. And Johnny Dawkins, Danny Ferry and Christian Laettner also racked up the accolade under Krzyzewski.
However, early Krzyzewski era struggles seem a bit more obvious than for the players in the new millennium. Dawkins and Grant Hill began their respective careers greatly, but injuries slowed their devastating speed. Ferry and Laettner, meanwhile, had enough smarts to make up for their lack of athleticism in college, but in the even more physical NBA it was too much of a challenge.
Things appeared to be changing for Duke after the 1997 recruiting class, however. That year brought in players such as William Avery, Battier and Brand - as well as Corey Maggette a season later - and looked to change the stereotype of the Duke basketball player.
All had athletic and aggressive traits like those needed to succeed in the NBA. Most recruits since have also had these attributes, but the trend of Blue Devils, save Brand, struggling in the NBA has continued.
And with ex-Blue Devils and current NBA rookies Jay Williams, Mike Dunleavy and Carlos Boozer's averaging fewer than 25 ppg combined this season, it does not appear to be changing.
Meanwhile many of Smith's players continue to play better in the NBA than they did in college - see Michael Jordan and Vince Carter.
There are several reasons for this inconsistency - Duke players have skills that are simply better for the college game, players' lack of athleticism, etc. - but the dominating cause of this perplexing occurrence is the difference in the coaching style of Krzyzewski and Smith.
The reason Duke players, even the more athletic individuals, have not succeeded at the next level is because Krzyzewski is a only an above average individual skills coach; his biggest strengths lie in motivation and recruiting - he antithesis of Smith's forte.
While Smith's players were improving by adding skills to their athletic frames, the Duke players were learning to play better through psychological methods.
Since Krzyzewski has won three national championships to Smith's two, its easy to argue the superiority of Duke's method to the collegiate game. But the strict basketball lessons learned at Chapel Hill resonate onto the NBA court.
This point is, of course, over-simplified. Every Duke player that has had individual success significantly improved his fundamentals, and nearly every North Carolina player is motivated, but the fact remains that the differences in coaching strengths is a determinant in players' later success.
While Smith has retired, examples of Krzyzewski's method can be seen on his current team. Dahntay Jones may be the most athletic player in the country this year, coupling it with his excellent three point touch. While as intense as anyone on the court, his inability to use his left hand to drive to the hoop is the reason NBA scouts project him as a second round pick.
Players at North Carolina may not be as intensely motivated as Jones, but no fifth-year senior on any of Smith's squads would have lacked the ability to score with his left hand.
North Carolina players also adapt to the changes of the NBA game far better, with Blue Devils struggling to adjust after being spoiled in Krzyzewski's motion offense. This season, analysts and fellow players have stated that the triangle offense is the cause of Jay Williams' disappointing 9.4 points per game for the 21-41 Chicago Bulls. Michael Jordan also complained of the system as a Bull, but eventually found a way to win six championships.
Although it is unfair to compare Williams to the greatest player who has ever lived, Jerry Stackhouse, whose career at North Carolina is comparable to Williams', has averaged over 20 points per game in and out of the triangle offense.
Growing up in a rather fortunate situation, I had the opportunity to attend basketball camp at UNC and Duke, where Smith and Krzyzewski took time to instruct the campers.
Smith's lecture, as I remember it, was about stationary one-on-one moves. His explanation of the jab-step, a concept on which I thought I had a great grasp, was explained in such a clear, exciting way that it helped my game throughout my high school career.
Krzyzewski, on the other hand, spoke less of skill, and talked of "wanting it" more than other players. After the Krzyzewski's lecture I felt I could do anything on the court; the world was conquerable.
But as the weeks and years went by, it was the skills that Smith spoke of that helped me on the court in the long term, with Krzyzewski's words fading in my memory.
While Krzyzewski players will continue to lead Duke to more Final Fours and national championships, his list of NBA great will never look like Smith's.
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