NCAA BK

BATTLE OF BLUE BLOODS

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Updated Nov 27, 2009 2:30 PM ET
     
 
What happens when you put America's Team and the Big East standard under one roof? You get Duke-UConn, or simply a classic college basketball rivalry game. It doesn't get much better than this in November - or April. "I can't wait," said UConn forward Stanley Robinson, whose No. 13 Huskies will face the No. 7 Blue Devils today at 5 p.m. in the NIT Season Tip-Off final at the Garden. "I really want to play Duke." This is exactly what the NIT organizers had in mind when they placed Duke and UConn in this field. Together, coaches Mike Krzyzewski and Jim Calhoun have won five national championships and established their respective programs as two of the best. But what makes today's matchup so intriguing is the history. The history stretches from Christian Laettner's last-second prayer to beat the Huskies in the 1990 NCAA regional finals, to Khalid El-Amin and UConn stunning the Blue Devils for the 1999 national title to the 2004 Final Four, when Emeka Okafor and Ben Gordon helped the Huskies emerge from a second-half hole to beat Duke. The Huskies have won the last four meetings, something that evidently hasn't been lost on Calhoun in this bragging rights battle. "The coaches told us: We played them four times and we've beaten them all four times," UConn guard Jerome Dyson said, referring to a winning streak in the series that dates to 1994. "I know [Duke's] coaches are going to be telling them that. They are going to come out a lot harder, and we're going to have to match that when they come out." UConn (4-0) had everything working in an 81-55 demolition of LSU in the tournament semifinals. Duke (5-0) rallied late to handle Arizona State, 64-53. The Sun Devils and Tigers will meet in the consolation game today at 2:30 p.m. "[Today] is going to be very physical," Duke center Brian Zoubek said. "They are a contender for their league title and a big team - always a strong powerhouse in their conference. It's going to be a tough battle." Krzyzewski said he respects the Huskies' backcourt of Dyson and Bronx native Kemba Walker, but is wary of a front line - led by Robinson - that manhandled LSU. "Robinson is probably as good an athlete as we'll play against," Krzyzewski said. "They've got a lot of big guys who can really rebound. "Jim, I'm sure he hasn't changed that much. He has won a lot of games the way he's doing it. I would be shocked if we didn't see a press and [utilizing] their guards with some screens. Rebounding will be a big thing." Robinson said he knows many of Duke's players from various camps he has attended and that will add to the fun. He called it a "classic" confrontation. The Huskies clearly view today as an early measuring stick. "I'd definitely watch [this] game," UConn forward Gavin Edwards said. "I'm anxious to play them." Walker, who scored 20 points against LSU, was more succinct. "Everybody dreams to play against Duke," he said.
Tagged: LSU, Duke, Connecticut

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