KEYS TO THE GAME

* STYLE OF PLAY: The Blue Devils will play it any way you like it, but they prefer a wide-open game where three-point baskets reign. The Trojans play better at a slower pace, but can also play it from the long distance. In the tournament, USC is making 42.7% of its three-point shots, Duke 41.6%.

* MATCHUP TO WATCH: Shane Battier against the Trojans. Duke is being coy about the assignment of Battier, considered the nation’s top defensive player. Still, the choices are intriguing. Does Battier try to cool off a hot David Bluthenthal or try to keep Sam Clancy or Brian Scalabrine from breaking loose?

* INTANGIBLES: Scalabrine. Against Duke in the 1999 Wooden Classic, he got off to a good start but was hogtied by Battier in the second half. Scalabrine must take advantage of the times Battier is not on him.

* MAGIC NUMBERS: USC is 9-0 this season when Bluthenthal scores 20 or more points. The constant in the Blue Devils’ four losses is that they had fewer shots than their opponents, and made less than 40% of them.

* FINAL ANALYSIS: Logic suggests that Blue Devils will be going to ninth Final Four since 1986. But there is an inherent danger in playing a team that is hot and loose, as USC has been. The Trojans also won’t faint at sight of Duke on the floor. As every USC fan knows, nothing gets Trojans seeing red faster than the color blue.