December 21, 1998
By JIM O’CONNELL
AP Basketball Writer
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) – Not only have Duke and Kentucky been collegebasketball’s dominant teams of the ’90s, their last two meetings make any shortlist for best games of the decade.
They meet again Tuesday night in the second game of the Jimmy V Classic. Andalthough the game won’t decide much from the historical perspective, it willstill be No. 2 Duke and No. 3 Kentucky.
“Playing Kentucky is terrific. It’s good for both of us and good forcollege basketball,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “To have a matchup likethis out of conference is what keeps college basketball going. It’s not aboutindividual players or coaches, it’s about programs and this is two of the bestof all time.”
In the other game of the doubleheader to raise money for cancer research inthe name of Jim Valvano, the late coach who won a national championship atNorth Carolina State in 1983, No. 8 Purdue (11-1) will play South Carolina(4-5).
Duke was the team of the early ’90s, winning national championships in 1991and 1992 and appearing in four of the first five Final Fours of the decade.
Kentucky has been in charge as the ’90s come to a close, appearing in threestraight national championship games and winning it all in 1996 and 1998.
“People will make historical judgments down the road,” Kentucky coachTubby Smith said. “This is a big game for both these teams right now.”
Both enter the game with 10-1 records, with Duke’s only loss to Cincinnatiin the Great Alaska Shootout championship and Kentucky’s to Pittsburgh in thePuerto Rico Shootout semifinals.
Duke comes into the game on a five-game winning streak that started with aconvincing victory over Michigan State in the Great Eight and includes fourhome wins by an average margin of 32.2 points.
“We’re playing at a pretty good level right now and are improving,”Krzyzewski said. “Final exams have historically taken a lot out of our guys soI want to see how they react to pressure of the layoff for exams and then goinghome for Christmas.”
Since their loss the Wildcats have won six straight and four of those wereagainst ranked teams – UCLA, Kansas, Indiana and Maryland.
“This team is improving because of the seniors,” Smith said of HeshimuEvans, Scott Padgett and Wayne Turner.
Those three were keys last season when Kentucky rallied from a 17-pointdeficit with 9 1/2 minutes to play and beat Duke 86-84 in the South Regionalfinal. Turner had 16 points and eight assists in the game that sent him to histhird straight Final Four.
“Their team last year was in superb condition,” Krzyzewski said. “Theyhad kids who had been in two national championship games and I know fromcoaching like that in the early ’90s it’s different.
“How great a game it was. Both teams played hard and well. We had our runsearly in each half and theirs were late in each half. Their maturity won thegame. They never looked in their eyes like they were going to lose and thatcomes from maturity and leadership.
“That’s something I admire. We’re going to win and lose in this profession.If you’re going lose, lose to a great team with pride and character and that’swhat Tubby brings them.”
The only other time these teams met in the ’90s was in another regionalfinal. Christian Laettner took a long pass from Grant Hill, faked, turned andhit a jumper that gave the Blue Devils a 104-103 overtime victory in what manyhave called one of the best NCAA tournament games ever. That loss in 1992 madelast season’s win even sweeter for Wildcats fans.
“I wasn’t here during the Christian Laettner shot,” said Smith, who hadleft Kentucky as an assistant to coach Tulsa. “I didn’t have the sameenjoyment and enthusiasm that most Kentucky fans did last year.
“That game was big because it kept us marching toward the nationalchampionship.”
