GREENSBORO - Duke and Texas aren't as close in the rankings as they were the last time they met, when they were No. 1 and No. 2 in the country.
But that doesn't mean the stakes are any lower. Because when the two teams meet Saturday at 8:15 p.m. in Greensboro Coliseum in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the loser goes home, and the winner earns a trip to Boston in the Sweet 16.
And if No. 2 Duke (29-6) wants to be the one flying into New England next Thursday, it will need to find a way to contain No. 7 Texas' 5-foot-11 dynamite, A.J. Abrams.
"You think of Duke and Texas, you don't think in the round of 32," head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "That's a heck of a matchup. It's an honor for us to advance and to play them."
Abrams exploded for 26 points against Minnesota in the Longhorns' 76-62 victory just prior to Duke's 86-62 win. The senior also shot 8-for-15 from beyond the arc, including one crucial stretch where he nailed four of five treys to put the game out of the Gophers' grasp.
In the press conference after the game, Abrams said it doesn't matter who guards him, as he will still find the open shots.
"I'm not sure we've had a guy that's been defended the way he has all year," Texas head coach Rick Barnes said. "When he starts getting separation and gets his feet set and gets his balance, he's one of those guys that you're really surprised when he misses to be honest."
Duke will utilize a multitude of defenders to contain Abrams, who has shot 38.9 percent from long range this year.
How much the Blue Devils are able to minimize his damage will go a long way in determining whether Texas (22-11) is just a speed bump in the Tournament or the road block that ends their journey before the Sweet 16 for the third year in a row.
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