Tonight's college basketball slate features the biggest rivalry in college hoops today with Duke and Maryland. Being a huge Maryland fan myself, I am beyond excited for this game. Here is my breakdown.




1. Super Seniors
One was aMcDonalds All-American and made an immediate impact on his team. The other was a lightly recruited DC area player that has fit the mold of a Gary Williams recruit. One is considered the top player in the nation, while the other continues to remain under the radar. Now, as seniors, the balance on the game hinges on the matchup between J.J. Redick and Chris McCray. Nobody has historically slowed Redick better than McCray over Redick's career. So far this season, Redick has arguably been the best player in the country, averaging over 25 points a game, and has shown up in big games, with 41 against Texas and 29 at Indiana. Redick has lost weight and Coach K calls Redick his best perimeter defender. But it means nothing unless he can solve the mystery of Chris McCray.

2. Fresh Fruit
One notable Terrapin that was absent in both games last year was D.J. Strawberry. This season, Strawberry is fully recovered from his ACL injury, and he might be Maryland's most important player in this game. John Gilchrist came up huge in both Duke games last year, falling one assist short of a triple double in the game at Comacast Center. More importantly, Gilchrist was a great ball-handler against the Duke pressure. Enter Strawberry, who has been Maryland's primary point guard. So far this season, it has been a mixed bag. Strawberry looked solid in the Maui Invitational, but struggled mightly against George Washington's pressure. Duke does not have the same sort of press George Washington has, but pressures the perimeter better than any team in the country. For Maryland to be successful, Strawberry has to be able to handle it.

3. Quickness vs. Strength up Front
Shelden Williams has gotten off to a great start this season, averaging a double-double. But some of his biggest struggles have come against Maryland's athletic frontcourt. Last season, Williams fouled out in the contest at Maryland, fueling the Terps' victory. For the Terps, Ekene Ibekwe is having his best season as a senior, and forwards Travis Garrison and James Gist remain to give Duke fits. One key advantage that the Terps have is on the glass, where they are outrebounding their opponents by an average of 8 rebounds a game. Duke has stayed even on the glass so far this season. However, if Maryland rebounds like they did against Boston College, this will be a long night for the Terps.

4. Hi everybody! Hi Doctor Nik
In the game at Cameron last season, Nik Caner-Medley arrived on the national scene with 25 points while nursing a sore ankle by the end of the game. Caner-Medley ended last season as Maryland's leading scorer, but has been very inconsistent this season as defenses are keying on him. Caner-Medley is a unique player that Duke struggles to match up with. He can overpower smaller guards such as DeMarcus Nelson and is quick enough to get by power forwards such as Josh McRoberts and Shavlik Randolph. For Maryland to be successful, Caner-Medley needs to escape from his funk and have a big performance.





5. White Men Can't Jump?
Two guys who may hold a key for the Blue Devils are their two prized freshman: Greg Paulus and Josh McRoberts. Both are starting to come into their own with their roles. Paulus has been solid handling pressure, and needs to be even better than solid against Maryland's relentless defense. McRoberts offers a much bigger scoring and rebounding threat than Shavlik Randolph or Lee Melchioni last year. McRoberts needs to have a solid game so he can prevent Maryland from sagging on Williams inside.






So what's my prediction? Like last year, Maryland is coming off a bad loss. Last year, it was a 16 point home loss to NC State. This time, it's a 14 point loss to Miami, while Duke has become the darlings of college basketball after contenders Villanova and Connecticut lost last week. I have many concerns as a Maryland fan, but I'm confident that they can pull together and put forth a solid effort and win this game.