Something will have to give tonight at John Paul Jones Arena, where two noteworthy streaks will be on the line when Virginia hosts third-ranked Duke.
The Cavaliers (19-8, 9-5 ACC) have won 15 straight home games since a 59-53 loss to Delaware on Nov. 13 in the NIT Season Tip-Off. Virginia also has lost 21 straight against teams ranked in The Associated Press' top five.
Tony Bennett has not beaten a top-five opponent in four seasons as head coach, nor did predecessor Dave Leitao in his four seasons.
Pete Gillen coached the Cavaliers when U.Va. defeated then-No. 3 Duke 87-84 in 2002.
"It's the only team we haven't beaten my whole career," said U.Va. senior point guard Jontel Evans, a Hampton product who has lost to the Blue Devils five times - four when they were in the top five and the fifth when they were No. 8.
The Cavaliers last beat Duke on Feb. 1, 2007, a 68-66 decision in overtime.
U.Va. announced that the game will be its first sellout since a crowd of 14,273 turned out last season for a late-February game with North Carolina.
"It's going to be bananas... electric, crazy," Evans said. "Any adjective you want to use, that's how it's going to be."
Less than 48 hours after tip-off tonight, the Blue Devils (24-3, 11-3) will host fifth-ranked Miami, which beat then-No. 1 Duke 90-63 earlier this season in Florida.
In the ACC coaches' weekly teleconference, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski was quick to deflect questions about the Miami rematch.
"Know what? I'm not looking at Miami right now," he said. "I didn't watch their (Saturday loss) against Wake Forest. I don't really know who they are currently. We haven't played them for a while. I'm not a good guy to comment on Miami."
He praised the Cavaliers, though, as the Blue Devils prepare to face them for the first time this season.
"In watching tape of them, they're just a really good basketball team," Krzyzewski said. "It's a team that fans would like. (Joe) Harris is really one of the better players in the country. He's a warrior.
"He reminds me of (Kyle) Singler, as far as toughness. They're a little bit different players... but they play every play. He's terrific. He's one of my favorite players that I've watched, not just in our conference, but around the country."
Singler, a 6-foot-8, 230-pounder in his second season with the NBA's Detroit Pistons, was a two-time first-team All-ACC player for the Blue Devils and the MVP of the 2011 NCAA Final Four.
"Having Harris, (Akil) Mitchell and Evans as upperclassmen, you have a point, a great player in Harris and Mitchell, who is having a terrific year," Krzyzewski said. "You have stability (and) high performance in three key areas.
"When you are a freshman, in a home environment, you're playing with some good players, guys who are winners. I mean, I really like Virginia's team."
Each of Virginia's five scholarship freshmen has started at least one game. Duke's first-year class isn't as deep but, in 6-4 Rasheed Sulaimon, the Blue Devils boast the reigning ACC Freshman of the Week and, with 12.4 points per game, the ACC's second-leading freshman scorer behind Boston College's Olivier Hanlan.
Don't be surprised to see Sulaimon on Harris at some stage.
"He's the tallest guy of our first four guys on the perimeter," Krzyzewski said. "He gets match-ups that are tough match-ups and has done well. He's had a great year for any player, but, as a freshman, it's been terrific."
The Cavaliers (19-8, 9-5 ACC) have won 15 straight home games since a 59-53 loss to Delaware on Nov. 13 in the NIT Season Tip-Off. Virginia also has lost 21 straight against teams ranked in The Associated Press' top five.
Tony Bennett has not beaten a top-five opponent in four seasons as head coach, nor did predecessor Dave Leitao in his four seasons.
Pete Gillen coached the Cavaliers when U.Va. defeated then-No. 3 Duke 87-84 in 2002.
"It's the only team we haven't beaten my whole career," said U.Va. senior point guard Jontel Evans, a Hampton product who has lost to the Blue Devils five times - four when they were in the top five and the fifth when they were No. 8.
The Cavaliers last beat Duke on Feb. 1, 2007, a 68-66 decision in overtime.
U.Va. announced that the game will be its first sellout since a crowd of 14,273 turned out last season for a late-February game with North Carolina.
"It's going to be bananas... electric, crazy," Evans said. "Any adjective you want to use, that's how it's going to be."
Less than 48 hours after tip-off tonight, the Blue Devils (24-3, 11-3) will host fifth-ranked Miami, which beat then-No. 1 Duke 90-63 earlier this season in Florida.
In the ACC coaches' weekly teleconference, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski was quick to deflect questions about the Miami rematch.
"Know what? I'm not looking at Miami right now," he said. "I didn't watch their (Saturday loss) against Wake Forest. I don't really know who they are currently. We haven't played them for a while. I'm not a good guy to comment on Miami."
He praised the Cavaliers, though, as the Blue Devils prepare to face them for the first time this season.
"In watching tape of them, they're just a really good basketball team," Krzyzewski said. "It's a team that fans would like. (Joe) Harris is really one of the better players in the country. He's a warrior.
"He reminds me of (Kyle) Singler, as far as toughness. They're a little bit different players... but they play every play. He's terrific. He's one of my favorite players that I've watched, not just in our conference, but around the country."
Singler, a 6-foot-8, 230-pounder in his second season with the NBA's Detroit Pistons, was a two-time first-team All-ACC player for the Blue Devils and the MVP of the 2011 NCAA Final Four.
"Having Harris, (Akil) Mitchell and Evans as upperclassmen, you have a point, a great player in Harris and Mitchell, who is having a terrific year," Krzyzewski said. "You have stability (and) high performance in three key areas.
"When you are a freshman, in a home environment, you're playing with some good players, guys who are winners. I mean, I really like Virginia's team."
Each of Virginia's five scholarship freshmen has started at least one game. Duke's first-year class isn't as deep but, in 6-4 Rasheed Sulaimon, the Blue Devils boast the reigning ACC Freshman of the Week and, with 12.4 points per game, the ACC's second-leading freshman scorer behind Boston College's Olivier Hanlan.
Don't be surprised to see Sulaimon on Harris at some stage.
"He's the tallest guy of our first four guys on the perimeter," Krzyzewski said. "He gets match-ups that are tough match-ups and has done well. He's had a great year for any player, but, as a freshman, it's been terrific."
