Dickie V sees Duke's Jason Williams (right) as a slam-dunk star in the NBA.

Feb. 15
Get ready for round two of Duke-Maryland, baby! On Sunday, we'll witness the rematch that everyone has been waiting for when the top-ranked Blue Devils (23-1, 11-1 ACC) visit the No. 3 Terrapins (20-3, 10-1). The winner will lead the ACC race heading down the home stretch.

The first half of the first meeting was as good as any half of basketball I've witnessed. At halftime of that Jan.17 contest, Maryland led 49-48 after an up-tempo, back-and-forth 20 minutes. But Duke took control in the second half, winning 99-78 -- though the margin of victory didn't indicate how close and how intense the competition was. It was an emotional battle.

One of the keys in that game was the defensive performance of Duke's Dahntay Jones. In the past, the Blue Devils have had all kinds of trouble stopping Maryland All-American Juan Dixon (as have many others). Jones helped slow Dixon (2-of-9 from the floor, 10 points).

In that first meeting, Duke guard Jason Williams showed why he's a PTPer, shining with the spotlight on him (34 points, eight assists, seven rebounds). His driving ability and desire to attack the basket was impressive.

It will be interesting to see how Terps point guard Steve Blake and company respond in trying to check Williams this time around.

Will Maryland play Williams tight to try to take away the 3-pointer or back away to try to stop his penetration? I don't think the Terps will come up tight on him like they did in the first meeting. It will be interesting to see the strategic moves and adjustments made during the game.

Duke's Mike Dunleavy was contained for the first half, and then it became his show. He took advantage of his size and had several mismatches, especially inside in the low box against Drew Nicholas.

For Maryland to get to the winner's circle, Lonny Baxter and Chris Wilcox will have to win the battle inside. They must try to attack and get Carlos Boozer in foul trouble. That's easier said than done, as other opponents have tried to do that.

	Guard Juan Dixon (3) was the ACC player of the year and led Maryland to its first national title.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski has done a good job spotting Nick Horvath and Casey Sanders for some minutes, giving Boozer a break. Duke wants Boozer ready down the stretch in crunch time. So Maryland has to take advantage of Wilcox and Baxter on the baseline.

It will no doubt be a special afternoon at Cole Field House. The place will be rocking and rolling with emotion. That crowd will be fired up big-time.

Will this be the year Maryland wins the ACC regular-season title? The last time the Terps were No. 1 in the ACC was 1995 (tied for first).

It's hard to believe this is the last season at Cole Field House. Talk about a special place -- there have been so many special moments there, and this highly anticipated game should add to its folklore.

Duke has come up big ever since its 77-76 loss to Florida State on Jan. 6. The Blue Devils still have to make journeys to Wake Forest and Virginia, and those games won't be easy. Remember, Duke takes everybody's best shot.

Coach K's team is going for its unprecedented fourth straight ACC championship. This is a special program, and people should understand that there's a lot to be excited about when talking about the Blue Devils. How could anyone speak about the beloved game of college basketball without talking about the magic of Duke?

Still, Maryland has been banging at the door. Will this be the day the Terps leave Cole Field House smiling and in first place in the ACC?