VIDEO MATCHUP
With an eye toward Sunday's Duke-Carolina showdown in Chapel Hill, the former Blue Devils and Tar Heels point guards played for their alma maters in EA Sports NCAA March Madness 2005 on Xbox Live.
WEARING A black Duke T-shirt and seated on a couch beneath posters of Hilary Duff and Lindsay Lohan in his kids' playroom in his Colts Neck, N.J., home, the still-gritty Hurley (left) was confident despite battling the flu. "It never took a whole lot to get up for Carolina," said Hurley, who owns and breeds thoroughbred horses. Meanwhile, Smith, taking time out from his gig as a Turner Sports broadcaster, arrived at the Atlanta Ritz-Carlton for the 9:30 a.m. tip-off just three hours after getting off a red-eye from L.A.
Smith, who set a then school record of 768 assists as a Tar Heel from 1983 through '87, got Carolina rolling with guard Raymond Felton racing downcourt and blowing by defenders for dunk after dunk. "Looks like I'm at the Kentucky Derby!" Smith shouted through the speaker to Hurley, whose horse, Songandaprayer, ran in the Derby in 2001. But Hurley, the NCAA's alltime assist leader with 1,076, kept it close thanks to the long-range shooting of J.J. Redick, who had 14 points (four three-pointers) at the half as Duke trailed 22-20.
With the score tied at 28, the home Tar Heels went on a 23--8 run that featured Felton's fadeaway three-pointer. "This dude is killing me," Hurley said. With a minute left, Smith took a page from Dean Smith's playbook by going to the Four Corner offense, to Hurley's dismay. "Sorry about this, Bobby," said Smith. But not that sorry. As UNC ran out the clock, Smith yelled, "Tar Heels are dancing on Franklin Street! And that is how it's going to be on [Sunday]!" NORTH CAROLINA 57, DUKE 43 --Ben Reiter
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CORBIS (TV)
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JOHN BIEVER (HURLEY)
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JOHN D. HANLON (SMITH)