It was near the end of a blowout against the defending world champions when the first flashes of brilliance were shown.

There was only about a minute left in the fourth quarter when he saw an opening in the paint. Just a small hole in the Lakers' defense, but it was more than enough to take advantage of with his size and speed.

As he drove the lane, seven-foot center DJ Mbenga swooped in to block the shot, but all he caught was the outstretched arm of guard Ty Lawson throwing down an exclamation point dunk.

Lawson is another in a long line of great University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill basketball players that have moved on and could put up big numbers in the NBA.

Currently, Lawson is doing quality work as Chauncey Billups' backup with the Denver Nuggets, showing more of his trademark speed every day and stealing minutes from previous backup guard Anthony Carter like errant passes. Four-time All-America selection Tyler Hansbrough is averaging around 10 points and five rebounds per game for the Indiana Pacers.

The strong showings by both players early in the season, coupled with a slow start to the career of former Duke standout Gerald Henderson in Charlotte, made me wonder how players from each school in the Tobacco Road rivalry fare once they enter the NBA.

Numbers wise this season, Duke held a slight edge on opening night with 14 active members on NBA rosters, narrowly beating UNC's 13. But once you look at quality over quantity and go through each school's history of talent, it really is no contest.

Hansbrough's performance in the Hoosier state is more impressive when you look at the three Blue Devils on the team with him. Of the three former Duke players that were on the opening day roster for the Pacers, only Dahntay Jones is averaging more points than Hansbrough, and Jones is in his seventh season in the league.

Third-year man Josh McRoberts is averaging less than a field goal per game, while Mike Dunleavy has not played in a game yet due to injury, although his 15-point career average over seven seasons is nothing to get excited about.

Antawn Jamison has had nearly an identical career to Elton Brand with 20 points and almost 10 rebounds per game, so that's a wash. Vince Carter is a better player (and I only mean as a player) then Grant Hill, who has been injured a good portion of his career.

Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace both have had better careers than Danny Ferry, who only averaged double digit points for a season twice in his career. Over Stackhouse and Wallace's 28 combined seasons, only Stackhouse had one season where he averaged less then 10 points per game.

It's not just on the court either. Look around at NBA benches and front offices for Carolina alums, and you will see coaches like Larry Brown and George Karl, as well as Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak. You would see Ferry in the general manager's suite in Cleveland, but if you want to see championship banners, don't bother.

Take a trip to Springfield, Mass. and you will see five former Tar Heels in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, including Bob McAdoo and Billy Cunningham. If you are having trouble thinking of the Blue Devils in that elite club, that's because no Duke player has been inducted yet. Mike Krzyzewski does not count for this discussion because he is only in the Hall as a coach of Duke, not an alumnus, since he graduated from Army.

And I haven't even mentioned that guy named Michael, which is about as big as a trump card as you can hold in a discussion about basketball alumni.

Duke has Corey Maggette, UNC has Michael Jordan. Duke has Mike Gminski, UNC has Michael Jordan. It's similar to being Crocodile Dundee and saying, "That's not a knife. (pulls out large Bowie knife) That's a knife."

And before you start typing the name Joe Forte into the comment box, know that I'll come right back and say Jay Williams. Besides, Forte has turned out to be an anomaly, as the average career of a UNC player taken in the first round of the draft is over 11 years long.

I'm not trying to say that every UNC grad has had a phenomenal NBA career. I'm just saying that when it comes to the Carolina-Duke rivalry, there isn't much of one in the Association.