Tobacco Road

Once again it's rivalry week and in my opinion there's no better rivalry than the Battle of Tobacco Road. While Wake Forest and NC State both reside along Tobacco Road, it is the rivalry between the Duke Blue Devils and the University of North Carolina Tarheels that's unlike any other. I mean where else could you find students camped out for months in the tent city known as Krzyzewskiville!! Tobacco road could be called The Great Blue Divide and the question is which blue do you bleed?

8 miles on US Highway 15-501 is all that separates these bitter rivals. Proximity explains some of the rivalry, but it's not just about the two schools being so close together, it's that 2 of the nation's premier basketball programs happen to be just miles apart . UNC a public school, plays in the Dean Smith Center, capacity 21, 750 while private school Duke plays in Cameron Indoor Stadium (referred to by Coach K as the 6th man) which holds an intimate 9, 314. Between these two teams there are 9 national titles (UNC 5, Duke 4), 33 Final Four appearances (UNC first all time with 18, Duke 3rd all time with 15). Plus they've combined for 46 ACC Reg. season championships and 35 ACC tourney championships. In fact in the last 126 meetings at least one of these teams has been ranked in the top 25.

Tonight should provide all the entertainment that usually accompanies this rivalry game as Carolina looks to avenge last season's 32 point whipping by the Blue Devils. After a disappointing last season, the Tarheels finally re-entered the top 25 just this week and are desperate to prove they are back.

Stepping in after the departure of Larry Drew II, UNC's Kendall Marshall has played brilliantly. He promptly went out and set a UNC freshman record with 16 assists. Marshall will go up against former high school rival, Duke's Tyler Thornton. Since the loss of Kyrie Irving, Coach K has been searching for the right combo and he seems to have found it with Thornton starting at the point, allowing Nolan Smith to move to his more natural shooting guard position. Also making his Cameron debut is freshman, and preseason All-American, Harrison Barnes. Barnes, who publicly turned down a scholarship offer from Duke, will most definitely receive jeers from the Cameron Crazies. Over the last 3 games the super freshman has averaged just under 23 ppg. Look for Duke to pressure the Heels back court as they are turnover prone.

Another key to this game will be who controls the boards. Will it be Duke's Plumlee bros and Ryan Kelly or Carolina's tall and long front line. Also keep an eye on Kyle Singler, will Coach Williams and the Heels find a matchup for him?

Through the years this rivalry has provided some of college basketball's most memorable moments, like Jeff Capel's running 37 ft rainbow at the buzzer to send the game into overtime, or Tyler Hansbrough's broken nose, courtesy of Duke's Gerald Henderson. Twice a year one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports takes center stage and I'm sure that tonight will deliver another stellar performance.