Duke-Florida State basketball

In today’s college basketball world, being interested in conference championships—in of themselves, not just a means to a better NCAA Tournament seed—has become somewhat anachronistic. In this regard, I’m proud to be a relic, because I still think finishing atop a 12-team league over the course of a 16-game regular season (or in some cases more) is a big deal for a basketball program regardless of what happens later in March. And therefore, tonight’s Duke-Florida State game (7 PM ET, ESPN) in Tallahassee is as significant a game as we’ve seen all year. TheSportsNotebook takes a deeper look at the matchup.