Dec. 6

When you talk about two storied programs in college basketball, you have to talk about North Carolina and Kentucky. These two battle Saturday in Chapel Hill. When you look at tradition, these two schools come up in conversation, along with the likes of UCLA, Duke, Indiana and Kansas, to name a few.

	Keith Bogans has gotten off to a good start, averaging 17.8 points a game.

North Carolina and Kentucky have been consistent teams over the years. The Tar Heels stumbled a bit last season, seeing three major streaks end: 37 seasons finishing in the top three in the ACC, 31 straight 20-win seasons and 27 consecutive NCAA berths. Now this young club is trying to start a new streak under Matt Doherty.

The Tar Heels began quickly with a 5-0 start, shocking everyone with their performance against Kansas. Then a dose of reality set in at Illinois, being outscored 50-25 in the final 17 minutes of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. Now North Carolina is in a working mode, understanding that this game is all about today after being spanked by the Illini.

I figure to see an emotional and angry team taking the floor in Chapel Hill. There is also the desire for revenge after losing by 20 points at Kentucky last year. The Wildcats toyed with them in that contest.

Back to the history and tradition of these two programs. Think about the run the 'Cats made in the mid-'90s. Kentucky was so close to walking away with three straight national titles. They won in '96 under Rick Pitino, then fell in overtime in '97 to Arizona with Michael Dickerson, Mike Bibby and Miles Simon. In '98, in Tubby Smith's first year, Kentucky won it all again. That was certainly a special time.

There are great expectations from the Kentucky fans. They are among the most passionate and loyal fans in America. They follow their 'Cats religiously, at home and on the road. They live and die with each performance, and the talk shows light up when there are dilemmas. Yes, there have been a few of those in recent years.

It has been soap opera city, though the Wildcats seems to have good chemistry. There has been some bad luck, with the latest blow an injury to Antwain Barbour (broken hand). Cliff Hawkins is out due to academic problems. Kentucky gets a break as Erik Daniels returns from a four-game suspension due to participation in two different summer leagues.

This should be an interesting matchup. I believe Kentucky will use the zone a great deal to negate the quickness and explosiveness of the Carolina perimeter people, especially Raymond Felton and Rashad McCants.

The 'Cats will have to make some shots to prevail. In the loss to Virginia at the Maui Invitational, Kentucky made just two-of-22 trifectas. Shot selection was a problem, and Smith said his team did not make the extra pass to set up good shots against the Cavaliers.

Kentucky came back strong after that loss by punching the ball inside to Jules Camara and Marquis Estill in a win over Gonzaga. Going inside and outside helps lead to good things for the Wildcats' offensive sets.

When you look at the winningest programs in America, look no further than these two powerhouses. National championships, Final Four trips, so many All-Americans ... I get goosebumps when I look at those two uniforms and see the players in the layup lines before the start of the game.

This will be special. I can't wait to walk into the Dean Dome in Chapel Hill for this one. I just say "Wow" when I look up at the jerseys in the rafters. It is like being in a museum when you see it all at "The Home That Dean Smith Built."