Two decades ago, the Michigan and Duke programs were on top of the college basketball world.

Coming off a National Championship in 1989, the Wolverines brought in a star-studded freshman class dubbed the Fab Five in 1991. The freshmen led Michigan to back-to-back second place finishes in the NCAA Tournament in 1992 and 1993. Their loss in 1992 was to the Blue Devils, who also won the title in 1991.

At the time, they looked like two programs destined for continued success and college basketball immortality, but they took different paths.

Since then, Duke (8-0) has become synonymous with top-tier college basketball, missing March Madness just once and claiming the NCAA Championship again in 2001.

And Michigan? The Wolverines, due to NCAA sanctions, were forced to vacate the records from 1992, 1993 and from 1995 through 1999. Michigan was also forced to vacate its 1992 Final Four appearance, the 1997 NIT championship, the 1998 Big Ten Tournament Championship and the 1993, 1996 and 1998 NCAA Tournament Appearances.

The Wolverines (5-2) have a shot to earn back some of their lost glory Saturday when a refreshed Michigan team and No. 4 Duke clash for the second time this season. Tipoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. at Crisler Arena

Michigan’s first loss of the season was to Duke in the finals of the 2K Sports Classic on Nov. 21. Although the Wolverines were competitive, they suffered their sixth straight loss to the Blue Devils, dating back to 1999.

“One of the reasons we schedule Michigan is because playing them will make us better, win or lose,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said after the win over Michigan.

The two teams faced each other every year from 1989 to the 2003 season and started up the tradition again last year when Michigan traveled to Duke (8-0). According to the Raleigh News and Observer, there were no games from 2003-2006 because Krzyzewski doesn’t like to coach against former players (former Michigan coach Tommy Amaker played for Krzyzewski from 1984-87). When Amaker started at Michigan in 2001, there were still two years remaining on the contract between the two schools. When it expired, Duke didn’t renew it.

“You like it when you have a home game all the time,” Michigan coach John Beilein said. “It's better than playing in Cameron (Indoor Stadium) I think. It's an advantage that we have now as both of us coach up our players and both teams try to get better the next two weeks.”

And Krzyzewski knows exactly what it means to have home-court advantage.

“Playing up there, in their environment will be a heck of an environment,” Krzyzewski said after beating Michigan two weeks ago.

Outside of Cameron Indoor Stadium is a field named “Krzyzewskiville.” Leading up to the biggest games of the season, students camp out for weeks in order to have a shot at the first row. Students even have the capability to access wireless internet.

You may not see students camping out around Crisler Arena, but Saturday’s game sold out within hours of the Wolverines upset of then-No. 4 UCLA.

Beilein and the Wolverines already have a signature win — the upset of the Bruins — but a win against Duke would make their résumé come Selection Sunday even more appealing.

And it would certainly help in bringing Michigan back to its golden days.