Judgement Day (t minus 1)

North Carolina(#2) vs Duke(#7)

(Wednesday, ESPN, 9 ET)

In case you've been entombed for the past 20 years or so, I'll quickly fill in the details. Conference rivals. Eight miles apart. State school vs. private. Locals vs. invaders from the Northeast. About a billion Final Four appearances combined. Legendary coaches. Great players. Two shades of blue. ...

OK, on to this year's game, which most people expected to be somewhat lopsided before the season started. Duke's healthier now, but still could wear down under the relentless North Carolina attack. Best bet for the Devils -- slow it down a bit, force the Heels to defend in the half-court, have Shelden Williams outplay Sean May and get a healthy dose of J.J. Redick from the perimeter. For Carolina, this is a statement game as well, because people want to see this core deliver in a hostile road situation.