Memphis, Tennessee in showdown

Move over, North Carolina and Duke.

Undefeated Memphis and Tennessee stage an in-state, No. 1-vs.-No. 2 showdown tonight in Memphis that is considered the biggest obstacle between the Tigers and an unbeaten regular season.

This will be the 38th meeting of teams ranked No. 1 and No. 2, but only the fifth between teams from the same state.

Cincinnati and Ohio State met twice as the top teams in the 1960s, and Duke and Carolina met in 1994 and 1998.

But unlike the Blue Devils and Tar Heels, the Tigers (26-0) and Volunteers (24-2) are hardly neighbors. Memphis and Knoxville are at opposite ends of the state, nearly 400 miles apart.

“We’re in the same state, both of us have things going pretty good at both schools, but you have to understand this -- they’re closer to Washington D.C. than they are to Memphis, Tennessee,” said Memphis Coach John Calipari, who was off by a distance approaching 100 miles, but made his point: “We’re so far from them. It’s not as though they’re 50 miles away from us.”

A trend favors Tennessee: In the four previous games between top-ranked teams from the same state, the No. 2 team has won each time.

-- Robyn Norwood