ACC basketball superlatives

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LUCKIEST COACH

If North Carolina's spectacular crash hadn't dominated the landscape, N.C. State fourth-year coach Sidney Lowe would have been on a blistering griddle since early February. He needs to get a jump start on next season by winning a couple of games this week.

PLAYER ON THE RISE

Having finally done enough to grab the attention of NBA scouts, Duke's Brian Zoubek is playing for a couple of million bucks. If he can make the most of the postseason, he takes his unexpected progress straight to the bank in June.

TEAM ON THE HOT SEAT

Wake Forest might already have an NCAA bid secured. But if the Demon Deacons lose to Miami today, can anyone argue that they deserve to be included?

BEST COACH

Gary Williams did a fine job leading Maryland to a No. 2 seed in the ACC tournament. The Terps were picked to finish fifth in the league and ended up in a first-place tie with Duke despite lacking blue-chip talent, and having one rotation player taller than 6-foot-8.

BEST PLAYER

Greivis Vasquez of Maryland is the ultimate playmaker. He can score in a variety of ways and has the height and vision to see over defenses, and he makes relatively few errors.

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

Enjoy Georgia Tech's Derrick Favors in the ACC tournament because he probably will be in the NBA at this time next year. Favors nearly averaged a double-double, thanks to his NBA-ready body.

BEST TEAM

Duke is in the running for its seventh NCAA No. 1 seed since 2000, though the Blue Devils have made just two trips to the Final Four in the decade and none since 2004. While many are skeptical of Duke's ability to play into April, Duke was the class of the ACC.

BIGGEST BUST

Remember when UNC was picked as a preseason co-favorite alongside Duke? How'd that work out? Maybe UNC's next wave of McDonald's All-Americans will get the Tar Heels back to the first tier of the ACC. But 2009-10 was a colossal failure for Roy Williams and company.

FADING THE FASTEST

Expansion has been a disaster for ACC basketball and about the same for football. The move to 12 teams has diluted competition, created senseless scheduling quirks and is eroding fan interest. If the NCAA expands to 96 teams, there's no reason to think the ACC tournament will remain a viable endeavor.

-From Wire Reports

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Thursday, Mar. 11, 2010

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