March 16, 2003

Fifth Meeting
Duke and NC State have met previously four other times in the ACC Tournament title game. Sunday's game will be a rematch of last year's championship game won by Duke 91-61 at the Charlotte Coliseum.

3 vs. 4
The NC State-Duke game will mark the first time since 1958, and only the third timein league annals that the No. 3 and No. 4 seeded teams have played in the championship game. In both previous 3-4 matchups, the fourth-seeded team has prevailed.

Rematch
In the 50-year history of the ACC Tournament, the same two teams have met in the finals in back-to-back years seven times. In five of those rematches, the team that lost the firstyear rebounded to win the rematch.

Notes
NC State's Herb Sendek is only the seventh coach to make it to the ACC Championship game in three of his firt seven years as a head coach ... NC State is the first team in ACC history to make it to the ACC title game as the fourth seed in back-to-back seasons. State is the ninth fourth-seeded team to make it to the ACC title game. The previous eight No. 4 seeds were 4-4 in title game play. Mike Krzyzewski is 7-4 in previous ACC title game play.