Duke lost 11 games last season, the most for a Blue Devils team since 1996, including eight of the final 12 and the final four to close out the season. That was a dubious final four that Duke was not accustomed to achieving.

The last loss came in the first round of the NCAA tournament to Virginia Commonwealth and meant that Pitt played VCU in the second round instead of its desired matchup with Duke.

The Duke team Pitt will face this evening at Madison Square Garden is much different from the team that stumbled down the stretch last season. The Blue Devils are deeper, more talented and playing well together through the first two months of the season.

---

Tonight

• Game: No. 11 Pitt (10-0) vs. No. 6 Duke (10-0).
• When: 7 p.m.
• Where: Madison Square Garden, New York.
• TV: ESPN.

---

No. 6 Duke (10-0) and No. 11 Pitt (10-0) are two of the 14 remaining undefeated teams in the country. And the Blue Devils are looking like they might have the makings of a team that can make it back to the Final Four for the first time since 2001, the previous time they celebrated a national championship.

"We're definitely a different team," junior point guard Greg Paulus said. "There were some changes. We have some great freshmen who have come in, blended in with the rest of us and have really helped us out a lot."

The main difference between Duke this season and last are the three McDonald's All-American freshmen who have injected some new life into the team. Forward Kyle Singler leads the team in scoring along with guard Gerald Henderson, averaging 13 points per game. Fellow freshman Taylor King comes off the bench to average 11.4 points per game. He is shooting 47 percent from 3-point range. And guard Nolan Smith averages 6.2 points per game.

This is one of the better shooting teams Duke has had in recent years. The Blue Devils are shooting 51 percent overall and 44.1 percent from 3-point range. They made 15 of 26 3-point attempts in a 111-70 victory against Albany. Four players are shooting 40 percent or better from 3-point range for the season.

"They're better in transition," Pitt junior Levance Fields said. "They're more athletic than previous years. They're a deeper team than last year. They still shoot the ball very well. They have guys coming off the bench who can shoot. They do a great job with their subs. They have a lot of plusses."

Pitt and Duke run similar offensive sets and play up-tempo when presented with the opportunity. The big difference is on defense. Duke likes to pressure the other team's guards and force turnovers (19.4 per game).

Pitt plays solid half-court defense for the most part and relies on its rebounding to generate offense.

One of the keys to the game could be the play at center. Duke might be without starting center Lance Thomas for a second consecutive game because of an ankle injury. Seven-foot-one sophomore Brian Zoubek started against Albany Monday night in his place, but he only played 20 minutes. Krzyzewski played a smaller lineup without Zoubek much in the same way Pitt does.

That could leave the door open for Pitt freshman center DeJuan Blair to have a big game. Blair has raised his level of play as the competition has become tougher. Blair had 20 points and 10 rebounds in Pitt's last outing against Oklahoma State. He had 16 points and 14 rebounds in Pitt's win at Washington the week before.

"I believe I can take another step from that," Blair said. "Don't be surprised if I can take another step from 20 and 10, change it into better numbers. The sky is the limit. You never know with me. You know how I like to grab them. My teammates do an excellent job of getting me the ball. I'm an excellent passer and I know how to score. The next step? Watch out for it. It's coming."

Paulus is looking forward to playing against Pitt. The Blue Devils are well aware of Pitt's record in recent years. Duke has played one ranked opponent this season and won. The Blue Devils beat Marquette, 77-73, in November at the Maui Invitational.

This is Pitt's first game against a ranked foe this season.

"Pitt is a great basketball team," Paulus said. "They've had some great seasons the past few years. It's a good matchup."