AP National Writer
On Saturday comes the 258th and most titanic meeting of them all – Blue Devils vs. Tar Heels in the Final Four , the first time that’s ever happened. That it’s happening in the 47th and final year of Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski’s record-setting career, and that North Carolina could put an official end to that career, only adds to the tension.
“It would always be important if it’s North Carolina,” Krzyzewski said. “It’s the most important because if you win, you get a chance to play for the national championship. And that has to be your focus.” The rivalry shares features with others like it across the college landscape. One that comes to mind is the Auburn-Alabama showdown in football, an annual game that sets, or resets, bragging rights throughout the state for the ensuing 365 days, and often carries with it conference and national-title implications.But where those schools are separated by 150 miles, and those teams play once a year, Carolina and Duke are next-door neighbors.
“People in North Carolina and UNC fans all over the country, they have an inferiority complex,” said Redick, the 2006 lottery pick out of Duke, said in a recent episode of ESPN’s ‘First Take.’Bottom line is, these are two great schools with two great basketball programs, each of which has the power to make the other’s life much less pleasant at any given moment. And this is a very special moment.
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