UNC and Duke fight for No. 1

The Chronicle DURHAM, N.C. (U-WIRE) -- At their weekly teleconference Tuesday, the men's basketball coaches from around the Atlantic Coast Conference had a chance to reflect and offer their thoughts on the gigantic battle between the nation's top two squads. Coach Gary Williams' Maryland team, currently the only ACC team with a winning conference record other than Duke or Carolina, is the only squad in the country to defeat the Tar Heels this season. Since the Terrapins have also lost twice to Duke by large margins, some might think that this would translate into a Duke victory. But Williams wasn't so sure. "The thing is, with our style of play, we like to get up and down, and I think Duke plays the same game," Williams said. "They're the best in the country at the transition game. They try to do the same things, and they were better at it than us. "With Carolina's defense, they do a great job of staying in front of you. It'll be interesting to see if Duke can get those same open shots." Both Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and Tar Heel coach Bill Guthridge identified the intensity of the rivalry between the two schools while eagerly stressing that this is just one game in the middle of a long season. "I think games of this magnitude are terrific," Krzyzewski said. "It's bigger than any one player, team or coach. It's so good for college basketball and our conference that we have [the rivalry] and I think it's needed more and more." But, Krzyzewski cautioned, "I know that there are games we play after this game." Guthridge voiced a similar opinion. "It's a great rivalry and I think rivalries help add a lot of fun to the game of college basketball," the first-year coach who has guided his team to a 22-1 overall record said. "These are fun games. There aren't many games in your college career, and you should enjoy them. This is one of those games."