They are a foul stain upon the surface of Earth, blighting everything they touch, now forced to inter their own dead because even hell won't take possession of their fetid souls.

Oh, wait. You meant basketball-wise.

The Team Preview.

Mockery. A post where I predict Duke will be bad. And another. More mockery. More misery.

What's Changed Since Then: Duke recently dug down and started turning things around - after an 0-2 start in the ACC the league's least efficient offense feasted on the Miami, Wake and State triumverate before stealing a win from Clemson and handling Boston College. At that point they'd shaken off the early season problems and built a middle-of-the-road offense. They're still the slowest team in the league, however, and have opnly cracked 80 points twice this season. They're coming off a two game losing streak characterized by average but not poor shooting (44% in both), illustrating the dangers of the slow tempo if their opponent can hang in there. Unlike the Redick-dominated teams of the past, the three-point shot isn't the primary weapon, and their performance from behind the arc is average.

But the Duke offense is merely something to fill time between Duke defensive stints. The Blue Devils and Tar Heels are 1 and 2 in points allowed and defensive rebounds. Both teams defend the shot well, and neither team is spectacular in turnover generation. It's almost the opposite of the UNC-Arizona game - instead of two great offenses and one great defense, it's one great offense and two great defenses.

What that means for the game is anybody's guess. If UNC drives the tempo, the thinner Duke team will both have trouble keeping up and difficulty settling into their defensive strengths. Duke also doesn't have the size to handle all of the Tar heels frontcourt options, but they've got a tough perimeter defense that will make it hard for Carolina to get the ball to its weapons down low. If the typical UNC team o this season shows up, they should be able to get a ten to fifteen point victory. If the team that showed up in Raleigh on Saturday makes the trip to Durham, it will be a long night and a two game losing streak. I can't see that happenning, as if there's one thing Williams excels at its turning a team around after a heartless effort. The tar Heels should leave the Cameron Crazies with their heads in their hands. Grab the humorous screencaps while you can.