The third-ranked Blue Devils and Tar Heels, both members of the Atlantic Coast Conference, have staged memorable games in recent seasons, but in the days leading up to this contest one in particular has spurred people's memories.

On February 2, 1995, an unranked Duke team played host to No. 2 North Carolina, which featured future NBA stars Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace. The game was perhaps the best ever between the schools as the Tar Heels emerged with a 102-100 double-overtime victory.

This season, the roles are reversed. Duke (16-2, 7-0 ACC) has won 16 straight since beginning the season 0-2 and is riding a record 29-game ACC winning streak. North Carolina (13-8, 4-3) lost four straight in January but has posted impressive wins over Maryland and Georgia Tech since the losing streak.

The Blue Devils' last ACC regular-season loss came at the site of tonight's game, the Smith Center, where they were beaten, 97-73, by the Tar Heels on February 5, 1998. North Carolina is 55-25 at home against Duke, which is located just eight miles from Chapel Hill in Durham.

Duke has also won 15 ACC road games in a row and has taken 41 straight from unranked league opponents.

Last year, Duke swept all three games in the series, just the third time in 35 years it was able to accomplish that feat. The Blue Devils have not won four straight over their arch rival since a seven-game winning streak from 1962-64.

Despite last year's struggles, the Tar Heels have still won 10 of the last 15 games with the Blue Devils and lead the all-time series, 121-83. The teams have met in the ACC tournament championship game the last two seasons, with North Carolina claiming the title in 1998 and Duke last season.

North Carolina's two-game winning streak should give it added confidence against the Blue Devils. Where the Tar Heels will try to win the contest is inside, with center Brendan Haywood and Kris Lang.

Haywood is averaging 13.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per contest and netted a career-high 24 points as North Carolina broke its losing streak with a 75-63 victory over Maryland on January 27. Two days later, he grabbed eight rebounds against Georgia Tech and at 7-0 presents a match-up problem for Duke's 6-9 freshman center Carlos Boozer.

The 6-11 Lang's jump hook should be effective against the smaller frontline of the Blue Devils, but he is lacking in speed, which Duke will try to exploit. Swingman Chris Carrawell leads the Blue Devils with 17.7 points per game.

Carrawell falls into the same mode as Michigan State's Morris Peterson, Maryland's Terence Morris and UCLA's Jason Kapono, three quick forwards who have all given North Carolina problems this season.

A Duke win would virtually eliminate the Tar Heels from ACC regular-season championship contention and propel the Blue Devils towards their fourth straight title.