Nose-bleed seats are selling for over $1,000. A village of tents with a census of over 1000 has sprouted next to a work-out facility. And 9,134 fans are preparing to accuse a middle-aged man of being a traitor for making a career move to work at his alma mater.
This is not a description of a future anarchy, but the final moments before Duke (24-4, 12-3 in the ACC) takes its part in college basketball's greatest rivalry by playing North Carolina (18-8, 8-7) at 9 p.m. Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Though the game will have little effect on seeding for the ACC tournament, both teams feel their performance will be an indicator of their post-season play. Duke looks to end the gloom of Georgia Tech's termination of the Blue Devils' 41-game home winning streak and to end the regular season with a league-leading 13 ACC wins. The Tar Heels--who have players leading the ACC in assists (Raymond Felton), points (Rashad McCants) and rebounds (Sean May)--are attempting to, after going 3-5 in the first half of conference play, finish their ACC run with a 6-2 mark, which contrasts with Duke's three losses in its last five league games.
"We have a big game coming up Saturday against Carolina...we have to respond a lot better than that," said junior guard Daniel Ewing after Duke's 76-68 loss to Georgia Tech Wednesday. "We need to bring our A-plus game on Saturday or else we might have another outcome like this."
"We are starting to play better but I don't think we are starting to get where I want us to be," said North Carolina head coach Roy Williams, who will be making his first trip into Cameron as the Tar Heels' coach. "Well I guess we are starting, but we are not where I want us to be by any means. We have taken four of the last five. I do think we are getting better. We are better on the defensive end of the floor. I think we are getting better about understanding what is a good shot, but this team is a unique team."
Adding to the game's meaning, Blue Devil point guard Chris Duhon will be playing in his last game at Cameron. Though some consider his career a disappointment after being considered by many as the top high school player in his class, Duhon has been Duke's emotional leader for the past two seasons, with his fiery attitude and passionate play now a symbol of Duke basketball. Duhon started in every tournament game during the Blue Devils' National Championship run in the Louisiana native's freshman year, and Duke has captured the ACC tournament title in each of Duhon's seasons. The 6-foot-1 guard ranks first in career steals at Duke and second in assists. The Blue Devils have had a 108-19 record with Duhon on the roster.
"It's going to be a special night for me," Duhon said. "I'll have the opportunity to play one more time in Cameron Indoor Stadium with the Cameron Crazies to lift this team. I'm looking forward to it, and hopefully my team is looking forward to it, as well."
The crowd at Cameron is expected to be extra animated, as undergraduates started tenting for the game on December 28, 2003. Coach Williams is presumed to be harassed more than most coaches, with student editorials in The Chronicle encouraging fans to give the man who said he would never leave his position at Kansas University an extra-hard time for breaking his word.
"I have talked to our kids about focusing on the game and what is happening on the court and focusing on our bench and nothing else," Williams said. "There is a couple play on words that you can have, one is 'let's listen to them get quiet.' Well you don't listen to people get quiet, I understand that, but I think that is important to you."
Whether Williams is heckled or not, one thing for sure in the "anything can happen" Duke-North Carolina rivalry is that Cameron will be rocking Saturday night.
"It is almost like their gym is a big high school gym in a sense," Felton said. "It's great though, the fans make you laugh, the things they do. I saw a guy in a bikini in the stands last year. It gets crazy over there, but you know that is what the excitement is all about, it is a big rivalry. I am looking forward to getting over there again."
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