Duke vs. North Carolina and 12 Intraconference Matchups We Can't Wait to See

The Duke Blue Devils and North Carolina Tar Heels have the best rivalry in college basketball, and they are among the 12 intraconference games we want to see this season.

The conference matchups are usually the best during any given college basketball season. Conference matchups determine the layout of the conference tournaments, which could mean a free ride to the NCAA tournament for some teams or just bragging rights to others.

These crucial matchups can also be deciding factors in national and NCAA tournament rankings. We have seen games between Duke and North Carolina when they have been ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the nation.

Intraconference games matter, and more than most interconference games at that. These are the 12 intraconference game we are most excited to see.

North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Florida State Seminoles

The No. 1 ranked North Carolina Tar Heels will travel to Tallahassee, Florida to take on the Florida State Seminoles.

The Tar Heels are the best team in the nation, and they appear to have only two challenges in the ACC. Besides the Duke Blue Devils, the Seminoles are the only team in the Tar Heels' way from another regular season ACC title.

The Seminoles lost Chris Singleton from a year ago, and that will be a big blow. Losing their star player will hurt, but guard Derwin Kitchen is going to help pick up the slack. Kitchen was second on the team in points per game last season, and he is now an experienced player who has made a run to the Sweet Sixteen.

The Seminoles played the Tar Heels well last season, losing by only two points in Tallahassee. The Tar Heels are ranked No. 1, and the Seminoles are ranked No. 21. While they may not be incredibly close in the rankings, this will still be a great game, as Florida State defends their home court well. We expect them to be one of the few challenges for North Carolina, and this should be a great game.

Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Pittsburgh Panthers

The Cincinnati Bearcats will travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Pittsburgh Panthers this season, and this game could decide who gets a bye in the first two rounds of the Big East tournament.

The Panthers are No. 17 in the nation while the Bearcats are No. 19. They are the fourth- and fifth-highest ranked teams in the Big East, and they will battle to see who will have the fourth ranking in the Big East and have a bye until the third round of the Big East tournament instead of the second.

These are two closely-ranked teams, and they are among the best in the country. The game being in Pittsburgh will greatly help the Panthers, as they have one of the highest winning percentages at home among any program in the last decade.

These teams are going to provide us with a great game, one we can't wait to see.

Syracuse Orange vs. Louisville Cardinals

When the Syracuse Orange go to play the Louisville Cardinals in Louisville, we could see the Orange fall from their perch. The Orange are No. 4 in the nation, while Louisville is No. 9.

This is going to be one of the best games we will see all year because it features two top 10 teams, and they are conference foes.

Louisville topped Syracuse last season, winning 73-69 in Louisville. This game is payback for the Orange, and a chance to jump Syracuse in the rankings for the Cardinals. These teams are both looking to win the regular season Big East title, and this game could help decide who will win it.

These are top-tier teams, and they will put on a show.

Syracuse Orange vs. Connecticut Huskies

The Syracuse Orange and Connecticut Huskies are the top two teams in the Big East, and they will be playing twice this season. The best game between these two will be in Connecticut, when the favored Orange have to play on the road.

The Orange are the No. 4 team in the nation and the Huskies are No. 6. The Huskies have lost Kemba Walker but will rely upon Jeremy Lamb this season. The Orange return their backcourt, led by Scoop Jardine and Brandon Triche.

These teams are going to be fighting for the lead in the Big East and for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament when they play each other.

Connecticut Huskies vs. Louisville Cardinals

The Connecticut Huskies will travel to Louisville to play the Cardinals this season. The Huskies are the No. 6 team in the nation and the Cards are No. 9. These are conference foes who will be meeting for a potential chance for the lead in the Big East.

Both of these teams have good guard play, led by Jeremy Lamb of the Huskies and Kyle Kuric of the Cardinals. Both teams also have good big men inside who can rebound and run well. They should have a good game in which they run the floor aggressively.

This is the last Big East matchup, and it is one of the most important, with Big East rankings, national rankings and NCAA tournament implications.

Kansas Jayhawks vs. Baylor Bears

The Baylor Bears are trying to prove that they are now the dominant team in the Big 12, and they can do so by beating the Kansas Jayhawks.

These teams will play twice, giving us two nationally-ranked games. The Bears are ranked No. 16 and the Jayhawks No. 18 in the nation, and they are the top two teams in the Big 12.

After Kansas lost the Morris twins and Josh Selby, they were hurt. They did land a few big recruits who will help them ease the pain. Tyshawn Taylor and Thomas Robinson return to the team, and they will definitely help Bill Self try to avenge a huge upset in the NCAA tournament last season.

The Bears were lucky enough to have Perry Jones decide to come back to school and serve a suspension, giving them a guaranteed lottery pick on their team. Jones will be playing alongside Quincy Acy and No. 6 recruit Quincy Miller.

These teams will fight for the right to be called the best team in the Big 12, and we could see a power-shift this year.

Vanderbilt Commodores vs. Florida Gators

The Florida Gators will host the Vanderbilt Commodores on February 28 in a fight for SEC power. These teams are the second- and third-best teams in the SEC this season, behind the Kentucky Wildcats.

The Commodores are No. 7 in the nation, and the Gators are No. 12. They are intraconference rivals with national rankings on the line.

It will be nice to see Vanderbilt's trio of Jeffery Taylor, John Jenkins and Festus Ezeli play Florida's elite backcourt of Mike Rosario, Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton. Vandy also has a great recruit in Dai-Jon Parker who will be playing against Florida's Bradley Beal.

These teams match up well and will put on a good show when they meet in late February.

Kentucky Wildcats vs. Vanderbilt Commodores

The Kentucky Wildcats will travel to Vanderbilt to take on the Commodores. These are the No. 2 and No. 7 teams in the nation respectively and will fight for the lead in the SEC.

Vanderbilt's big three of Jeffery Taylor, John Jenkins and Festus Ezeli will help them try to take over control in the SEC, and they will have to beat Kentucky in order to do so.

Kentucky brings back three starters from a Final Four team including Terrence Jones, and they also have four elite recruits, including three in the top seven.

These teams will put on a great show on February 11, and we can't wait to see them play.

Kentucky Wildcats vs. Florida Gators

The No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats will travel to Florida to take on the Gators in early March. The Gators are ranked No. 12 and still pose a threat to the Wildcats.

As I mentioned before, the Wildcats have only lost Brandon Knight and DeAndre Liggins, returning three starters from their Final Four run last season and bringing in four elite recruits.

The Gators have their excellent backcourt led by Erving Walker and swing-man Bradley Beal. Despite losing three starters, the Gators will still be an excellent team.

These teams are both going to be good, although Kentucky is clearly better. When they meet in Florida, however, the Gators will give the Wildcats a run for their money.

Florida State Seminoles vs. Duke Blue Devils

The Duke Blue Devils are going to travel to Tallahassee to take on the Florida State Seminoles. The Blue Devils are the second-best team in the ACC and are ranked No. 5 in the nation, while the Seminoles are the third-best in the ACC and No. 21 in the nation.

While Duke and the North Carolina Tar Heels are the top two teams in the ACC, the Seminoles are trying to pass them and take the No. 2 spot.

As mentioned before, the Seminoles lost Chris Singleton, but the Blue Devils have lost their top three players: Kyrie Irving, Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler. Both teams lost their cores, but they still have talent.

The Seminoles will be led by Derwin Kitchen, while the Blue Devils will be led by freshman sensation Austin Rivers.

Duke is a deeper, better team than Florida State and will be forced to prove it against the Seminoles in Florida.

Wisconsin Badgers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes

When the Ohio State Buckeyes take on the Wisconsin Badgers, it will be for the Big 10 crown. The Buckeyes are ranked No. 3 in the nation while the Badgers are No. 11. They are pretty closely ranked because just about every team besides the North Carolina Tar Heels and Kentucky Wildcats are close.

The Buckeyes are led by sophomore Jared Sullinger. He decided to return to school instead of going to the NBA. Sullinger is a beast and should be one of the first few picks in the 2012 NBA Draft if he decides to come out of school.

The Badgers lost Jon Leuer but still have Jordan Taylor, who scores in bunches and can lead the team.

This will be the biggest threat to the Buckeyes, and the Badgers will challenge them.

North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Duke Blue Devils

The North Carolina Tar Heels are the No. 1 team in the nation this year, and one of their biggest challenges will come against their arch-rivals, the Duke Blue Devils.

This rivalry has left players battered, bruised and bloodied. This is the best rivalry in college basketball, and potentially in all of sports, and it will have two new installments this season.

The best game between these two should come in Cameron Indoor Stadium, where the Cameron Crazies will aid Duke in trying to beat North Carolina.

North Carolina will be led by Harrison Barnes, Tyler Zeller, John Henson, Kendall Marshall, Dexter Strickland, James McAdoo and P.J. Hairston, all future NBA players. Duke will be led by Austin Rivers, the Plumlee brothers, Seth Curry and a plethora of other talented players.

This is the best game of the season, and we can't wait to see it.

Josh Schoch is an aspiring sports writer bringing you important news and analysis on all happenings in college basketball, the MLB, the NFL, the US Open, the NBA, and much more. Follow him on Twitter.