Well, the day most Maryland fans await every year (and one that seems to make Duke fans yawn and point to their real rivals just down US 15-501) has arrived.

The Terrapins' stunning victory at No. 1 North Carolina gave this game a lot more juice than it otherwise would have enjoyed. Maryland's students return to class on Monday, so this ensures there will actually be something of an atmosphere throughout campus.

But don't be shocked if it's deflated by night's end.

Carolina, for all of its talent, still lines up in a pretty conventional way. Look at their starting five, and it's almost a set of stock characters for what you'd expect out of a top-five team loaded with high school superstars. Lightning-fast point guard, unmerciless gunner, defensive stopper, relentless, dogmatic big man and reasonably athletic rebounder.

Duke's different. The Blue Devils are exceptional from the perimeter, and five players have hit 20 3-pointers and two more (Gerald Henderson and Nolan Smith) are plenty capable of being a nuisance from outside. Maryland's played superb defense most of the season, but still hasn't seen a team quite like this.

It's sort of similar to the explosive teams Coach K had earlier this decade --- the Jason Williamses, the Mike Dunleavys, the Shane Battiers, the Chris Duhons, etc. --- but that team had a clearly established big man (Carlos Boozer).

The Blue Devils don't have that bruiser, but it doesn't matter because they play fantastic defense. Only four opponents have topped 70 points, and just one has done so in ACC play.

Yes, Duke isn't huge inside. But the prospect of James Gist or Bambale Osby floating outside to cover Kyle Singler or one of the Blue Devils' many wing players is not an ideal scenario for Maryland. Yet it will have to happen.

This seems to have "gradually pulling away" written all over it. Nothing overtly dominant on a minute-by-minute basis and nothing humbling for the Terps, but more than enough for the Blue Devils to leave Comcast with a victory somewhere in the neighborhood of 8-12 points.

And shortly after the final buzzer, a dismissive yawn will be heard in Durham. After all, Blue Devils fans will still be waiting to face their real rival in another 10 days.

--- Patrick Stevens