While Duke-UNC undeniably remains the marquee rivalry of ACC men's basketball, recent years have seen the rise of another nemisis to the No. 16 Blue Devils: the University of Maryland Terrapins. While the Tar Heels were on the downswing starting with the 2001-02 season through the 2003-04 season, the Terps filled the void, providing for an exciting and legitimate substitute for the traditional Battle of Tobacco Road.
Since the 1999-00 season, Maryland (17-7, 3-6 ACC) has gone 7-10 against Duke (18-6, 5-5 ACC), including three wins at Cameron Indoor Stadium, an areana infamously hostile to visiting teams. Notable games between the two teams include the 2001 NCAA Tournament national semi-final, where the Terrapins blew a 22-point lead, losing 95-84 to a Blue Devil team that eventually won the National Title that season. In 2004, the Terps took down top-seeded Duke in an OT thriller in the ACC Championship game, ending Duke's streak of five-straight ACC titles.
Sunday's game will add another chapter to the saga, as Duke travels to College Park. Both teams are riding cold streaks now, with the Terps having lost five of their last eight games, while the Blue Devils have dropped three straight. Duke's team is talented, but young, led by junior guard DeMarcus Nelson (14.3 pts, 5.4 rebs) and sophomore forward Josh McRoberts (12.9 pts., 7.9 rebs) while the Maryland squad boasts an experienced, though inconsistent lineup. The Terrapin senior triumvirate of guard D.J. Strawberry, guard Mike Jones and forward Ekene Ibekwe have combined for 38.3 points and 14.9 boards per game for Maryland.
The stakes are high for both teams in this game. A loss for Maryland - a bubble team vying for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament - would almost certainly seal its fate as an NIT team, while a loss for the Blue Devils may eliminate them from the Top 25 for the first time since the 1996-97 preseason poll, ending their streak at 201-consecutive ranked weeks. With both teams desperate for a win, this game should live up to all the annual expectations.
The pick: Maryland in a squeaker.
-by Thomas Eager
