The hype was built up as high as it could be, but no one could have foreseen what was to come in the Carrier Dome Feb. 1.

With two of the greatest programs and two of the most legendary coaches in the sport participating, a college basketball show that not even Hollywood could dream up was put on display.

No. 2 Syracuse University (soon to be No. 1) defeated No. 17 Duke University, 91-89, in overtime in front of an NCAA record 35,446 fans on campus in upstate New York.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeAb0njzvpw

Besides this whole ESPN-manufactured new rivalry between the two programs that only played each other twice ever before this game, what does it all mean?

Well, a lot more positives for the Blue Devils than for the Orange.

Syracuse entered the game at 21-0 overall as one of just three teams left in Division I without a loss. On the contrary, Duke came in on a five-game winning streak, but had four losses on its record – two to unranked teams in Notre Dame University and Clemson University – and had shown its fair share of weaknesses in the early-going of the season.

But for some reason, the Orange wanted to be the underdog. Syracuse began selling t-shirts that read “BEAT DUKE” months ago. The city even put the same message on the public buses and across different signs around town.

https://twitter.com/SyracuseU/status/429317160138440704

In retrospect, a four-loss Duke team that nearly dropped out of the Top 25 just weeks before was bigger than life to the basketball-crazed town of Syracuse. That’s pretty mind-boggling, considering the Orange has been to Final Fours and hosted some pretty good teams in that same dome.

Shouldn’t it have been Duke plastering “BEAT SYRACUSE” over merchandise and whatnot? Of course not, because coach Mike Krzyzewski would never allow that. Not only does he know better, but he knows that Duke has been in this situation before.

The Blue Devils have played games with major implications during Atlantic Coast Conference play before and know what to expect. Note that Duke did not look the slightest bit fazed playing in front of 35,000+ screaming fans wearing orange. The Blue Devils didn’t need any added motivation – they understood what the game meant and what was at stake.

Now, to the actual game. Syracuse was shooting near a 60 percent clip from the field the entire night and finished with a field goal percentage of 57.4 percent. The Orange took away one of Duke’s traditional biggest strengths – free throw shooting – by getting to the charity stripe 32 times (and making 26 of those) while only allowing the Blue Devils to attempt 17 free throws.

Syracuse had an advantage inside the entire night, and that was heightened when three Duke players had four fouls by the 9:27 mark of the second half.

Duke freshman forward Jabari Parker and sophomore forward Amile Jefferson each fouled out in the final minutes of regulation, while graduate student guard Andre Dawkins saw limited time due to foul troubles. The Blue Devils were forced to rely almost solely on the three-pointer, a shot that senior forward Tyler Thornton came out of nowhere to make three consecutive times in the waning moments of regulation. Duke attempted just as many three-pointers as other shots from the field – 36 of each – and made 15 from beyond the arc.

Yet somehow, taking all of that into consideration, the Blue Devils only lost by two and were able to take the game to overtime.

Once again, mind-boggling. The fact that Duke had no answer on defense for the Orange, had three players in foul trouble and struggled enough at the offensive end that they chucked up 36 three-point shots but still was in the game until the final buzzer and for five extra minutes is a testament to how good the Blue Devils really are. Duke’s bench players were able to fill the void and hang in there with the No. 2 team in the nation. Duke showed that it is better than in those losses to Notre Dame and Clemson and will be a force to be reckoned with both in the ACC and the nation down the road this season.

On the other hand, Syracuse showed that there is still a lot of work to do before March rolls around. Senior forward C.J. Fair (28 points) was stellar, as was sophomore forward Jerami Grant (24 points, eight in overtime). But outside of its starting lineup, the Orange had virtually no production. Only three non-starters saw action, combining for just four points and six rebounds.

Not even mentioning the fact that the formidable 2-3 zone that coach Jim Boeheim is famous for struggled with perimeter shooting and even some plays underneath near the end of the game. On a play in the final 15 seconds of regulation, Duke had two players wide open beneath the basket via cuts along the baseline, only to see some miscommunication cost the Blue Devils a potential game-winning shot. That can’t happen if the Orange wants to compete and defeat top-tier, well-balanced teams in the NCAA Tournament.

From what I saw during Saturday’s game, any team that enjoys pushing the ball in transition and has a balanced offense would trouble Syracuse. The Orange is not deep enough to consistently be up-and-running while continuing to pressure on defense.

Since No. 1 University of Arizona lost for the first time this year, Syracuse will presumably be the new top-ranked team in this week’s Associated Press Top 25. But for the Orange to hold that title in April, there are still improvements to be made and work to be done.

Oh, and these two teams meet again in Durham, N.C., Feb. 22.