Duke Basketball: Austin Rivers Will Be Blue Devils Legend Soon Enough

By the time Austin Rivers' tenure at Duke is done, he will have left a trail of epic memories that will keep the Blue Devils faithful happy for decades. 

A collegiate legend is bound by the constraints of time, and Rivers is using his wisely. Wednesday's rivalry match with North Carolina proved to be the official coming out-party for Austin Rivers as a Duke superstar. 

Collegiate legends don't have the luxury of years to build their legacy. They are demanded to mount a lifetime of memories in a brief and explosive stint, and that is what makes this sport so exciting. 

It can be as cruel and humbling as any other; just ask Chris Webber whose final moment in college basketball was a gaffe that will stain his legacy forever. 

For Rivers, he finally received that momentous occasion, and he nailed it. 

The Duke freshman has had some fine games in his early career already. The son of Celtics head coach Doc Rivers may need to be a little more consistent to assuage some of his detractors, but you can't deny some of the scoring surges he has enjoyed. 

On Wednesday, he did exactly what every Duke fan had been hoping for: He took over the game in the clutch. 

Rivers finished with a game-high 29 points as well as five rebounds and two assists. The only stat fans will care about is the three pointer he dropped in the final seconds to deliver North Carolina a punishing upset. 

The Tar Heels were supposed to be more talented and far more tough than the Blue Devils. Duke has been mired in an unusually soft defense this season. 

Their epic victory over North Carolina hardly fixes that, but it does go a long way to pump the program full of momentum heading into the final push of the season. 

We all knew Rivers could score. What we didn't know is if he had the quality all superstars do. Would he want the ball in the crunch with the weight of Duke Nation on his shoulders? The answer is yes. 

Rivers took the ball in the last seconds of a clash between No. 9 Duke and No. 5 North Carolina. Tobacco Road was silent as the star guard held the ball. 

The magical aspect of the moment is that Rivers never once thought of dishing the ball. He measured up the defense, then brought the ball back and fired from distance. 

Rivers exuded the confidence that only accompanies the truly great. I have doubted Rivers and the hype that surrounds him, and I will do so no longer. 

There is hope that he will stick around another year, but a couple more moments like the one on Wednesday may see the delights promised by the NBA as too much for him to pass up. 

Even if he does bolt after one year, I have a hunch that we are about to see a few more stunning performances from this budding young star in March. 

The NCAA tournament is geared for athletes that have no fear and demand the ball when the chips are down. 

I can now say without reservation, Austin Rivers is that man. 

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