The key three: Duke basketball vs. North Carolina

Rivalry will finally be renewed tonight, as No. 5 Duke travels down Tobacco Road to take on North Carolina at the Dean E. Smith Center at 9 p.m. in a makeup game of the originally scheduled Feb. 12 contest postponed by Winter Storm Pax. The Blue Devils are seeking their third consecutive victory in their arch-rival's home gym, but will be tested by a mercurial Tar Heel squad that has been more than up to the challenge of facing top-10 opponents this season. Here are tonight's keys to the game:

Control the emotions that rivalry stirs up

The Blue Devils handled the hype surrounding the Syracuse game incredibly well, but the bragging rights of Duke-North Carolina constitute a whole different animal. Duke's two go-to scorers, Jabari Parker and Rodney Hood, have never played against the Tar Heels before—they can't try to force the offense and take shots outside the regular flow of the offense in order to put their stamp on the rivalry. Having to wait an extra eight days because of the wintry weather probably didn't help their nerves as they prepare for their first dose of the hostile Dean Dome crowd. Poor shot selection could cause Duke to fall behind early, which is something it would rather not do against a high-scoring North Carolina offense.

Hone in on Paige and McAdoo

Tar Heel floor general Marcus Paige has been electric in North Carolina's marquee wins this season, averaging 22.7 points per game in victories against Louisville, Michigan State and Kentucky. Duke will have to keep him well-guarded beyond the arc, but also cannot afford to give the sophomore driving lanes, where he can find teammates like James Michael McAdoo. The junior is as athletic a forward as the Duke frontcourt will see all season, and will be a force on the boards for the Tar Heels.

Win the free-throw battle

When Duke gets to the charity stripe 20 or more times per game, the end result is usually a positive one for the Blue Devils, who shoot 73.6 percent from the line as a unit despite a sub-par 10-for-20 performance Tuesday night in Atlanta. By contrast, the Tar Heels are a woeful 62.2 percent from the free throw line this season, and have just three players who shoot better than a 70-percent clip. This means that Duke should not be afraid to foul—provided it does not land itself in serious foul trouble. The one person the Blue Devils should avoid sending to the line is Paige, a 89.4 percent free-throw shooter.