It's always fun to watch the country's top two teams battle it out, and although the Duke-Tennessee rivalry isn't very old, it has already provided some memorable games.

	Gwen Jackson tallied 20 points and 10 rebounds for Tennessee in last year's game.

Last season, Tennessee won handily, exploding in the second half to pull away for an 89-68 win on Dec. 27, 2001. At the time, Tennessee was nine games into the season, while Duke had played a dozen games.

Sunday's meeting, however, marks the second game for both teams this season (the Blue Devils open the season Friday against East Carolina). And while Sunday's game comes with some high expectations -- No. 1 Duke vs. No. 2 Tennessee -- the outcome really won't have any bearing on what might happen come March and April. But it will show us if the preseason polls were right, and if Duke and Tennessee really are the two best teams in the country.

A look at how the opening game of Sunday's Jimmy V Women's Basketball Classic (2 p.m. ET, ESPN2, followed by UConn-N.C. State at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN) might shake out:

Similarities and differences: These teams are very similar and very patient on offense. Both are committed to pushing tempo. Each teams' big players can run the floor, and each boasts a variety of players who can take the ball off the glass and go. Both teams also are very committed on defense, and that's where the game will be decided. Both teams need to try and slow down the others' offense, forcing the opponent into a half-court game.

The Blue Devils look to press you and love to step up and play in-your-face defense. Duke's man-to-man defense sets the tempo, but the Blue Devils also mix it up and can play a 3-2 or 1-3-1. Duke coach Gail Goestenkors loves to change up her defensive schemes, especially on dead balls, turnovers and timeouts.

Tennessee, on the other hand, basically sticks to a man-to-man defense. In recent years, the Lady Vols have trusted a 2-3 zone on occasion, but they prefer to pressure you, and look to deny the passing lanes, deny the high post and take away the ball reversal. They try to shrink the court and keep the ball on one side, forcing the opponent to play 3 vs. 5.

On No. 1 Duke: The Blue Devils have relied on their underclassmen for the past couple of years. But now, especially with sophomore Monique Currie out for the season, Duke will rely on its upperclassmen more than ever.

Duke seniors Michele Matyasovsky and Sheana Mosch will probably see a lot more minutes with Currie out, and both need to step up and be ready to fill that role. Mosch is especially underrated. Over three years, she has averaged 9.6 points and has shot 45 percent from the field in her career. And don't forget about that four-game, record-breaking stretch during her sophomore season when Mosch shot 71 percent and scored 106 points -- as Alana Beard was sidelined with an injury. Before Currie replaced Mosch in the starting lineup last season, Mosch had started 61 straight games.

Duke is a very good rebounding team, especially at the guard position. Last season, Beard, Mosch, Matyasovsky and Currie combined to average 19.3 boards, nearly half of Duke's 40.7 rebounding average. That's a great stat, and it takes a lot of pressure off of Duke's bigs.

And lastly, everybody knows about Alana Beard. There's nothing the junior can't do, and she's a very legitimate contender for national player of the year honors. Tennessee will have a tough time stopping her.

On No. 2 Tennessee The Lady Vols must work to force Duke into a halfcourt game, so Tennessee's transition defense is a huge key. The Lady Vols cannot give up easy baskets to Duke. They can't allow the Blue Devils to drive inside for layups, score on second-chance points or get to the foul line a lot. Tennessee must pressure Duke anytime it can. Look for Tennessee to use a 1-2-1-1 press off dead balls or go to a 2-2-1 at times -- anything that keeps the ball in a contained area and might take Duke out of its comfort zone.

Tennessee will probably play Beard by committee. Last time these two played, Kara Lawson shouldered most of the duties, with some relief from Tasha Butts. We'll probably see a lot of players rotating in to help try and shut down Beard, but the defensive assignment will depend on how she's playing -- whether she's driving inside more or pulling up for more jumpers. Beard will get her points, but Tennessee must have a defensive presence on Beard every time she has the ball. Make her work and limit her open looks.

The final key for Tennessee to be successful is rebounding. The Lady Vols were uncharacteristically outrebounded in their opener with OU, and they need to commit to intensity on the boards. Rebounding will help limit Duke's second-chance points and also help Tennessee execute in the half court.

If the Lady Vols get hot from outside, watch out. Lawson, Gwen Jackson, Brittany Jackson and Shanna Zolman are the best 3-point shooters Tennessee has had in a long time.

	Moore

	Mosch

1: Sheana Mosch vs. Loree Moore
Mosch, 5-10 senior: She doesn't get a lot of shots, but she knows when to take them and when to hit them. She can penetrate and create her own shot, and she's a great finisher. Mosch, who hardly gets the credit she deserves on this team, is a big key for Duke. She'll set the tempo and make sure the ball is going to the right people. She'll be the one making sure Beard and Iciss Tillis are getting a lot of touches.
Moore, 5-9 sophomore: She has to shoot the ball a little bit more and keep teams honest. Right now, opponents seem to be waiting for her to penetrate, so she needs to change it up and pull up for that little 15-foot shot every once in awhile.
Edge: Mosch. She's the senior, and has a lot more experience. Remember, Moore might not even be starting at point guard if April McDivitt hadn't transferred away from Tennessee.

	Lawson

	Beard

2: Alana Beard vs. Kara Lawson
Beard, 5-11 junior: This will be a good, physical matchup, but the 5-foot-9 Lawson will be very busy Sunday trying to stop the 5-11 Beard. Beard is as good as everyone says, and is even bigger and stronger this season after spending a load of time in the weight room during the summer. Virtually all of her stats went up from her freshman season to her second year, and there's no reason to think she won't continue to improve on her 19.8 scoring and 6.1 rebounding averages. What can't she do? Trying to shut her down has to be one of the toughest matchups in the game right now.
Lawson, 5-9 senior: If anyone's up to the fantastic challenge of defending Beard, it's Lawson. She's a warrior, a clutch player who plays hard every second of the game. All she cares about is winning, and more than anything, she wants to carry on that Tennessee tradition and get the Lady Vols their seventh NCAA title.
Edge: Beard. Lawson could play for my team any day of the week, but Beard is just one of the best players in the game right now.

	Jackson

	Matyasovsky

3: Michele Matyasovsky vs. Brittany Jackson
Matyasovsky, 6-1 senior: She has a really nice outside game and can shoot the 3. Last season, she hit 51.7 percent of her shots from the field, almost 36 percent of her 3-pointers and 90.9 percent from the foul line. Matyasovsky, who averaged 21.5 minutes last season, should improve her 6.4 scoring average.
Jackson, 6-0 sophomore: She had a terrific freshman year and really took her game to another level toward the end of 2001-02. She'll look to continue that momentum as a sophomore, and already was impressive in coming off the bench against OU. She's not afraid to pull the trigger, and is pretty accurate, too. She shot 38 percent from downtown last season and averaged 6.5 points. Jackson is talented, and has really committed herself to defense.
Edge: Even.

	Robinson

	Tillis

4: Iciss Tillis vs. Ashley Robinson
Tillis, 6-4 junior: In the past, Tillis was a little hesitant to get down low. But now as a junior, she has really bought into Goestenkors' coaching philosophy and knows that while she might be more comfortable out in the high post, sometimes Duke needs her to go down low. Tillis really sees and accepts the big picture now and is willing to put it on the line and believe in what her coach wants. Ultimately, Tillis wants to be more than a role player and has all the ingredients to be a star.
Robinson, 6-5 junior: She really struggled throughout most of last season as she continued to recover from an ACL tear in June 2001. Her scoring average dropped from 8.9 as a freshman to 4.7 last season. But Robinson looked back to form against OU. She's playing with a vengeance and is trying to round out her game. She's big, strong, a good shot-blocker and has improved her rebounding at both ends.
Edge: Tillis. She runs the floor and has a nice inside-outside game. She's just savvy.

	Whitley

	Jackson

5: Wynter Whitley vs. Gwen Jackson
Whitley, 6-2 sophomore: Whitley might not even start. It just depends if Goestenkors wants to go big and get a bigger body on Jackson, or if the Blue Devils go with three guards to start, which would mean Vicki Krapohl would probably be on the court at tipoff. If Whitley starts, she's no doubt looking to build on a solid freshman year. She's a good defender who loves to take the charge, and was Duke's best post defender a year ago. She's strong, can run the floor and post you up or shoot the 3. I'm not sure Duke would have reached the Final Four last season without Whitley and Currie on board.
Jackson, 6-2 senior: She poured in a career-high 29 points in 27 minutes in Tennessee's season-opening win over OU. Jackson knows she has probably wasted a little bit of her career in Knoxville, but she has come in focused this season. We had a feeling she would step up her game, but in that opener, she was even better than expected. Her intensity pursuing balls off the glass is impressive, and you can tell she has continued to work on improving her 3-point shot.
Edge: Jackson. She's playing fantastic.

Starters
Before Monique Currie suffered a season-ending ACL injury, Duke easily had the best starting five in the nation. Now, these two are fairly even heading into Sunday. It's noteworthy that neither team will be starting a freshman, unless Duke starts Lindsey Harding at the point.
Edge: Even.

Bench
The Lady Vols' bench played pretty well against OU, and this is a group that has seen a lot of minutes. The bench is good and experienced, and full of veteran players. Duke's freshmen are unbelievable -- they are the stars of the future. But for right now (and it likely won't last long), they're unproven and inexperienced at the next level.
Edge: Tennessee.

	Goestenkors

	Summitt

Coaches
One's a legend, a Hall of Famer with more wins than anyone in the history of the game. The other is working her way toward that same level of elite status. And both Pat Summitt and Gail Goestenkors are great coaches. Although Duke has made two Final Four appearances in the past four years, Goestenkors is still underrated. She is a quality coach who gets the job done. She handles herself very well, and has been able to recruit some incredibly talented players. Her players love playing for her, and last season, Goestenkors proved she could handle adversity.
Edge: Summitt. In no way is that meant to disrespect Goestenkors, but knowing her résumé, it's hard not to bet on Summitt.

Location
While Duke's fans will no doubt make the short drive from Durham to support their team, playing in Raleigh, N.C., won't give the Blue Devils a homecourt advantage. Tennessee is used to playing in hostile environments.
Edge: Even.

Predicting a winner
Tennessee can win this game. The Lady Vols are playing really well together right now. The new motion offense has made Tennessee more aggressive individually and as a team in the halfcourt. Against Oklahoma, the Lady Vols looked good. The only things they needed to do better in their season opener were rebounding and establishing their inside game.

Nancy Lieberman, an ESPN analyst and Hall of Famer, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com's women's basketball coverage. Contact her at www.nancylieberman.com.