Duke has won 20 in a row and holds a commanding 98-27 lead in the series, but the Tigers have sprung quite a few upsets over the years.  In fact, they have defeated six Coach K top 25 teams during his tenure.

Clemson boasts a 16-21 mark in recently renovated Littlejohn Coliseum.  They have a good home court edge when all is clicking.  Add to that a knack for pulling the upset in an arena where their emotional fans sit right on top of the action.

Powerful Duke teams have met their fate on the road as far back at the late seventies, when a couple of Foster coached teams were upset.  So, the record indicates more on the Bubas era.

So, the fact that Duke has won 20 in a row and is streaking is compelling, but this game could be a trap of sorts.  Despite the Tigers recent woes, a win is a cure all, putting them at 20 wins and a 6-7 conference record.

Add to that, Vernon Hamilton is a senior leader who has 52 points and a career high in his last two games versus Duke and you can see where this game will likely be close.

With a Clemson win, Oliver Purnell will have won 20 games at four different schools.  His team will surely let it all hang out tonight.

It will be important for Duke to contain the trio of Hamilton, Hammonds and Rivers, while watching James Mays, a match up nightmare.

There will likely be a lot of heat on the Duke guards, Scheyer and Paulus.  These two will be tested defensively.

Josh McRobert's has to watch out for early foul trouble.  Clemson has more than enough athletes to test the Blue Devils around the paint.  Speaking of down low, this is where Duke will have to finish strong.  Don't be surprised is Duke takes the ball to the hoop more often than expected.

DeMarcus Nelson will need a big game too.  He will draw the toughest defensive assignment all night long and must be on the court at games end.  This will  again mean, watching out for silly fouls.

So, if Duke wins its 21st game of the season and the 21st straight against Clemson, it will take a solid effort where they value the ball and maintain their focus in a hostile enivironment.

Obviously, I expect a great Clemson effort.  Duke will have to match their emotion and intensity to win.  Like every other team we play, the game is circled by teams and fans alike.

This is the fourth sell out in Littlejohn this season, which is a record for the Tiger's.

This one goes to the wire with Duke winning ... 68-66

STATS - 

Duke Off vs. Clemson Def	Clemson Off vs. Duke Def
69.6 Pts F 64.8 Pts A 47.2 FG% 43.7 FG% 34.0 Reb. 31.7 Reb.	74.3 Pts F 59.1 Pts A 46.8 FG% 40.9 FG% 31.7 Reb. 28.6 Reb.

The frontcourt will be tested this evening as Duke takes to the road to face Clemson.

ACC STANDINGS -

TEAM	CONF W-L	TOTAL W-L
North Carolina	10-3	24-4
Virginia Tech	9-4	19-8
Virginia	9-4	18-8
Boston College	9-5	18-9
Maryland	7-6	21-7
Duke	7-6	20-7
Georgia Tech	6-7	18-9
Clemson	5-7	19-7
Florida State	5-9	17-11
North Carolina State	4-9	14-12
Miami (FL)	4-9	11-16
Wake Forest	4-10	13-14