Duke vs. UNC

The best college basketball rivalry continues tonight as the Duke Blue Devils take on the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. Instead of a generic preview of tonight's game (game preview: when #5 takes on #3 at home it's typically a good game) I thought I'd give you my top 5 favorite Blue Devils and my top 5 least favorite Tar Heels (believe it not, I didn't hate all of them).

Favorite Duke Players (in no particular order):

1. Jason Williams

His performance against Maryland back in '01 when he scored 8 points in the final minute to send the game to OT where the Blue Devils would hold onto the win on the road is one of my favorite Duke wins of all time. He and #2 on this list were the two main guys on a stacked team that won the 2001 national championship. Williams was great all three seasons he was at Duke and is in the top ten all time in points, assists, and steals. It's a shame what has happened to him since the motorcycle accident after his rookie season with the Bulls. At least we got to enjoy him for three year at Duke.

2. Shane Battier

Battier was Mr. Everything for the Blue Devils. He is in the top ten in points, rebounds, blocks, and steals. After fellow classmates Elton Brand, Corey Maggette, and William Avery bolted for the NBA following the '99 loss in the championship, Battier stuck around and won a title in 01.

3-5: Bobby Hurley, Grant Hill, and Christian Laettner

With apologies to Antonio Lang and Thomas Hill, these three guys are why I became a Duke fan. I was young but I can still remember wearing a pair of Duke shorts during Hurricane Bob back in '91. Looking back on these three players you realize that they should have some neat nickname like the "fab five." The actual "fab five" won nothing thanks in part to these 3 beating them for the championship in '92. The three of them were a part of the most successful stretch of Duke basketball. Laettner won two titles, played in 3 title games, and 4 final fours. Hurley won two titles, and played in 3 championship games. Hill won the 2 titles his freshman and sophomore years then, after getting bounced in the second round, came back his senior season with a whole new cast of teammates and lost in the finals to Arkansas. From Laettner's first year in '89 until Hill's last year in '94 they made the final four every year but one. The year after Hill left they didn't even make the tourney.

I picked guys who won championships, but I loved other guys that didn't win titles - Chris Carrawell, J.J. Redick, and Sean Dockery. I could go on and on, it's not hard with all of the great players who have come through Durham.

Least Favorite Tar Heels

1. Jerry Stackhouse

He was lucky to play at UNC during the two down years Duke had in between Hill's last season and before the Brand, Battier, Maggette, and Avery class came in. That didn't stop him from acting like he was the greatest player and to this day he is so happy that he can say he never lost to Duke.

2. Eric Montross

He was good at UNC, so that is one strike against him. He sucked for the Celtics so that's number two. In this game two strikes and you're out. I never liked Montross.

3. Sean May

I actually didn't mind that '05 championship team, of course I wanted Illinois to beat them but I liked the way they played - except for Sean May. Not sure what it is, but I just never liked him. Maybe it was the way he was just a fat mess and was lucky to be playing with so much talent around him. I just laughed when I saw Larry Brown bench him for being unfit this season.

4. Danny Green

I hate the way he dances before games. Also he has improved over his four years there so that's another reason I don't like him. I like to see Tar Heels that don't improve but decline instead.

5. Brendan Haywood

Haywood was there for four years so by his senior year I was sick of him. Also I had to pick someone from that bunch of players but I actually didn't mind Jamison, Carter, or Cota.

Should be good tonight and my unbiased pick is Duke-79 UNC-71.