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This happens every 10 years. The Utah Utes overcome a team from Texas after being threatened in the last minute of their first NCAA Tournament game, then they stage a mild upset with a strong finish and advance to the Sweet 16 in Texas, where they run into one of the blue bloods of college basketball.

In 2005, the Utes topped Texas-El Paso and Oklahoma, then faced Kentucky in Austin. This time, they've defeated Stephen F. Austin and Georgetown, earning a Friday meeting with No. 1 seed Duke in Houston in the South Region semifinals.

Duke lacks the cachet of Kentucky around here. That's because there's so much history between the Utes and Wildcats, creating some sense of dread and anticipation among Utah fans when the tournament bracket is published. Yet the Blue Devils have their own name brand and tradition of tournament success, with a universally recognizable coach whose influence extends to Utah.

Jazz coach Quin Snyder played in three Final Fours and then launched his coaching career by working for Mike Krzyzewski. Assistant coach Antonio Lang won consecutive national championships as a Duke player. And Jazz rookie Rodney Hood experienced the reality that Duke gets everybody's best shot at this time of year.

Mercer 78, Duke 71. The memorable upset of last March is proof that the Utes have a genuine opportunity Friday, even facing a program with the mystique of Duke.

The Utes also know a certain percentage of the country will be cheering for them, even if those folks have never heard of Jordan Loveridge or Jakob Poeltl. They just endorse anybody who's playing Duke.

"At the time, I was a kid," Lang said Monday after the Jazz's morning shootaround, remembering the Blue Devils' first two titles in 1991 and '92, his freshman and sophomore seasons. "It's crazy how it's kind of dynasty right now, how everyone either loves Duke or hates Duke. It wasn't that bad when I was there."

That's what comes with four titles, 10 championship games appearances and 15 trips to the Final Four. Beyond the success, there's the perceived arrogance of an elite program, the media attention and the private school atmosphere, all contributing to the aura of Duke.

Publicly, Lang is remaining respectful in advance of Friday's matchup. "Because I'm in Utah," he said, "I'm not going to say anything crazy. But I'm confident that we'll do a good job."

Privately, well, that's another story. Lang and Jazz player development coach Johnnie Bryant, a former Ute guard, are friendly antagonists. Now that they actually have something to argue about, they're relentless. "Johnnie can't hang with me, when it comes to trash-talking," Lang said, looking forward to their ride home together.

Snyder and assistant coach Alex Jensen, who played for Utah's national runner-up team in 1998, are "a little more low-key," Snyder said.

As a Krzyzewski disciple, Snyder occasionally makes Coach K references in interviews, such as having learned film study techniques. Krzyzewski's tournament success stems from "everything that makes him a good coach during the year, in a condensed period of time," Snyder said.

The Blue Devils break the tournament into one-third segments, focusing on each weekend as a four-team event. "That's all we thought about," Lang said. "I think he's really good at zoning in and really paying attention to detail at this time."

It doesn't always work. Mercer knocked off Duke last year in the round of 64 as a No. 14 seed, with Hood going 2 of 10 from the field. Having transferred from Mississippi State and redshirted, prior to playing one season for the Blue Devils, Hood admired the daily professionalism of the program, which has helped him adjust to the NBA.

Hood is proud to be associated with Duke, even if he missed out on the postseason success that his coaches experienced and has to live with Mercer's upset. "I moved past it," he said. "It can happen to anybody. That's the beauty of March Madness."

And that's what gives the Utes and their followers hope in Houston. That, and the fact they're not playing Kentucky.

Twitter: @tribkurt —

Utah vs. Duke

O NCAA Tournament, South Region semifinal, at Houston

Tipoff • Friday, 7:45 p.m.

TV • Ch. 2