Oh how I loathe the Duke Blue Devils and coach Mike Krzyzewski.

The Blue Devils are one of those teams you either love or hate, there’s no in between.

They are the New York Yankees of Division I college basketball, the Evil Empire, whatever you wish to call them.

And it’s not that I dislike the Blue Devils because they win, but do they have to be so annoying doing it.

That’s more of a shot at their fans than the team itself, but in sports, one is usually an extension of the other.

To be fair, a lot of this stems from the fact that my team, North Carolina State, is the third-man on a four-man Tobacco Road basketball totem pole.

Every season, I get treated to two, and sometimes if I’m lucky three, gut wrenching losses to Duke on national television.

And every time, the Pack comes out strong and leads at the half, and every time, Duke finds a way to come back and win, forcing me to chuck inanimate objects at my TV screen in frustration.

My colleague Shawn Rine can attest to watching me witness these spectacles first hand, and kindly informing me of what was bound to transpire in the second half. My optimism afforded him more than a few laughs at my expense.

It’s not like I’m alone though.

All you have to do is take a gander at www.truthaboutduke.com to see the legion of people that share a similar opinion of the Dukies and Coach K that I do

It’s bad enough that I’ll root for Carolina the two times each season the Heels take on Duke. And for a State fan, that’s sacrilege.

All I have to say after Thursday night’s NCAA tournament opener is ``Belmont fans, welcome to my world.’’

The Bruins had the game won, it was over, the hated Blue Devils were going home.

And then what always seems to happen in a Duke game happened.

Belmont’s Alex Renfroe allowed the shot clock to wind down with a one-point lead, a strategy that seemed to agree with all those in attendance where I was watching the game.

He took off down the line and put up an off-balance runner that barely nicked the rim.

Duke’s Gerald Henderson grabbed the rebound and drove coast-to-coast kissing a lay-up off the glass for the go-ahead score.

A Belmont player had position to take the charge, but instead of playing it up and flopping after the contact, he stumbled backward but retained his balance. No call, basket good, Duke lead.

Then after Justin Hare’s shot attempt rimmed out, a scramble for the rebound resulted in a jump ball possession for the Bruins with four seconds left.

But in typical Duke-game fashion, the inbounds pass sailed well clear of anyone wearing a Belmont jersey.

After two foul shots, only one of which went in, the Bruins had enough time for one final heave.

I didn’t even bother watching. I knew it wasn’t going in, whether it was 30-feet out or five.

Hopefully the Mountaineers can send Duke home Saturday with a second-round loss. As many of my friends are WVU fans, it would at least provide me some consolation, given that my team wasn’t even good enough to qualify for the CBI tournament.

But if the game’s tight in the final minutes, I won’t be able to watch. I’ll just shield my eyes and ears, hope for the best, and wait for the inevitable groan of Mountaineer fans at the outcome.

But hey, at least Dicky V will be able to get a good night sleep