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I will open up for questions after saying that our hearts go out to the Carolina community with the tragedy that occurred there.  Having three daughters and just thinking about that is, uhm, incredible.  And our prayers are with the family and the community ... I've always thought this whole area was the community and I know how devastating it must be in Chapel Hill, but everyone feels it.  Tomorrow we will do something small but hopefully significant to pay respect that both teams will do an get on to playing the game. 

Is Hansbrough POY?

Yeah and this isn't just because we are playing them.   Who is like him?  I mean, the kid is one of the ultimate competitors every playing in college basketball not just in this conference.  You know they win, bug.  Two things he does, he does better than anybody in the country.  The very first thing is he gets his team into the bonus more times and quicker than any player in the country.  Grant Hill use to do that for us.   He would get fouled five times, then somebody else gets fouled and Chris Collins gets fouled and he thinks he's done something, but Hill got fouled five times ... it's an incredible strength to have.  He doesn't get calls either, he works for it.  You go below the surface, you find the heart and all of a sudden you find Tyler Hansbrough alone.  I respect that kid ultimately.  I'd love to coach him just like every other coach in the country would.  He deserves that honor, no question about it.

On both teams since the first game -

I think both of us have gotten better.  You get better by playing tough competition.  I think we both got better by playing in that game.  The level of game you play when Duke and North Carolina play over the years makes you better.  Those are games most people don't get to play in ... the hoopla, the amount of talent.  Both teams are well coached, both teams want to win badly.  You put yourself in that environment you get better.  I think both teams have gotten better.  We've got healthier.  Zoubs is back.  G went through that about two weeks with his wrist that he will get operated on.  They're getting Lawson back.  We're a little older going through the NCAA.

About the zone versus Virginia -

We couldn't stop Singletary.  That kid is so fast.  We were going to do it for a couple of changes.  Boeheim told me this summer, sometimes you do it and people just miss.  It wasn't we were so good in it, they just missed.  I don't see that as a steady menu for us, I hope our transition defense would be a little bit better.  But it will be tough tomorrow again.

On DeMarcus Nelson -

We haven't had a senior for two years.  The decision to go with one captain was a big decision.  It wasn't mine.  It was a staff decision because I have three captain's on my staff and my son in law was the captain of Army's team.  They said we need only one.  Sometimes when you give someone that responsibility, they just grow exponentially and that's what he's done this year.  I am very, very proud of DeMarcus.  He's been the rock of our team.  I'll try to make the most of him here in March.  He's a man right now and hopefully he has made some of these other guys men.

What value do you place on winning the regular season?

You want to win.  You want to win the next game.  This could be our seventh regular season championship in ten years.  But for some of these kids, they haven't won a championship.  It's big, but as soon as the game played, the biggest game is the next game we play.  Every game for us is a big game and by playing it that way it has put us in position to win a regular season championship.

General comments -

The amount of good freshman that come into this league is remarkable.  This is a good league.  It's the closest one through twelve I have ever seen. 

Kyle is as good as any freshman I've ever coached.

Is there anything you would change in the series or don't like?

When you have something that's this good.  It's not about any coach or player, it's about the whole thing.  I mean you have two of the storied programs in college basketball.  I wouldn't change anything.  I'd like to win every game, but that's not going to happen. You might have little streaks that have stood the test of time

Do you want to play in North Carolina?

The NCAA's?  I don't care.  Whatever happens.  When I was younger I tried to figure that kind of thing out.  It's stupid, really.  Play.  Let's go after it and so wherever we are sent we know we are going to be in.  Hopefully it will be a real good seed and just go from there.  So much of it has to do with matchups.  So where you go is not as important as who you are playing.

Coach K talked of more than the Duke-UNC game and we will go back and cover those issues next week.  There was a lot more said and premium members will have the whole bit tomorrow.