There's more movement on the Maryland coaching staff, as wide receivers coach Kasey Dunn has resigned, according to a team spokesman. From the sounds of things, Dunn had an offer elsewhere in the business that was too good to pass up, although it has yet to be finalized.

Dunn was on board for all of about five weeks after replacing the fired Bryan Bossard. He and offensive coordinator James Franklin had ties from their days at Washington State, and Dunn had been on the market after the Baylor staff he was on last season was cut loose.

(Bossard, by the way, resurfaced last month on Dave Wannstedt's staff at Pittsburgh).

So the Terps are again on the lookout for a wideouts coach (a spot Franklin held in his first stint with the team).

--- Patrick Stevens

As if it hasn't been said enough: Wow, the country is not good.

Or maybe it is --- for those piling up losses and still praying for their postseason prayers to be answered. Kentucky, Villanova, Saint Joseph's and Maryland all lost yesterday, the latter two after blowing double-digit leads in the second half.

Teams that could have helped their at-large profiles on Saturday and instead trudged away from the wreckage of a loss included Kent State, West Virginia, Florida (at home to Mississippi State), Wake Forest, Ohio State, Southern Illinois (at home against Illinois State) and Syracuse.

(To give some credit, Arkansas, Mississippi, Massachusetts and UAB all won. Bully for them.)

Still, that's a lot of teams losing. If the NCAA tournament was a game of poker, there'd be someone sitting at the table feeling pretty good about having a pair of twos. And that's not good in the slightest.

Not surprisingly, filling out a top 25 ballot was more difficult this week. Coming up with the next 20 teams was even more draining. Thank goodness this exercise will be done only two more times this season.

1. North Carolina (27-2)
2. Tennessee (26-3)
3. Memphis (28-1)
4. UCLA (26-3)
5. Kansas (26-3)
6. Texas (24-5)
7. Duke (25-3)
8. Stanford (24-4)
9. Xavier (25-4)
10. Wisconsin (24-4)
11. Georgetown (24-4)
12. Louisville (24-6)
13. Purdue (23-6)
14. Connecticut (23-6)
15. Butler (27-3)
16. Vanderbilt (24-5)
17. Michigan State (23-6)
18. Indiana (24-5)
19. Notre Dame (22-6)
20. Gonzaga (23-6)
21. Marquette (21-7)
22. South Alabama (25-5)
23. Mississippi State (20-8)
24. Washington State (22-7)
25. Drake (25-4)

26. Davidson (23-6)
27. Clemson (21-7)
28. St. Mary's (24-5)
29. Miami (20-8)
30. Pittsburgh (20-8)
31. Massachusetts (19-9)
32. Southern California (18-10)
33. Brigham Young (23-6)
34. Kansas State (18-10)
35. Baylor (20-8)
36. Virginia Commonwealth (23-6)
37. Texas A&M (21-8)
38. Oklahoma (19-10)
39. Kent State (23-6)
40. Illinois State (22-8)

41. UNLV (22-6)
42. Arkansas (19-9)
43. West Virginia (20-9)
44. Arizona (17-12)
45. Western Kentucky (22-6)

--- Patrick Stevens

Maybe the best way to avoid a knee-jerk reaction to anything - good or bad - is to be prepared for a lot of scenarios to play out.

That isn't always easy, but if every outcome is placed on a continuum of 1 to 100, it's usually possible to prepare for most of the stuff in the middle. But the possibilities on the fringe - say, the extreme bad (1-10) and extreme good (91-100) - aren't worth obsessing over. The anxiety is hardly worth it for such a rare event.

Well, for Maryland, that rare event happened last night. You don't have a plan on how to cope with giving up a 20-point lead in the final 11 minutes in a game against a borderline top-25 team. You just don't.

As they said on Monty Python, "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition."

Objectively, the at-large field is still so weak that Maryland can plausibly overcome its 73-70 loss to Clemson (capped by an 18-2 meltdown in the final five minutes) and still reach the tournament.

But this isn't a standard fare loss to Duke or a road bludgeoning at Miami or even a surrendered lead to Virginia Tech. This was far worse, a sure victory and a cushion for the tournament snatched away in just a few minutes. This will linger, and won't soon be forgotten.

There is a tendency on the part of sportswriters to overanalyze the psychological implications of a given event. Most are mundane or common enough for players and coaches to have something in their mental store of experiences to be able to cope with what is thrown at them.

This one, not so much.

The only collapses in recent memory in the neighborhood of last night's were the twin losses to Duke in 2001. Maryland was zombie-like in the two-plus weeks after the Gone in 54 Seconds game before reversing course and reaching the Final Four. Once there, the Terps lost a 22-point lead to the Blue Devils and were sent home to dwell on an unfulfilled season; they proceeded to win the national title the next season.

No one's thinking that big right now.

Coach Gary Williams quickly admitted he and everyone else would discover what his team was made of when it visits Virginia on Sunday. Thirty games into a 31-game season, and no one really knows the answer to that question.

It's befuddling. It's frustrating. And above all, it's not a situation you can entirely prepare for if you're the Terps.

Then again, nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition.

--- Patrick Stevens

Moving ahead:

Johns Hopkins scored eight goals to start its meeting with Princeton at M&T Bank Stadium. That's hard to do to a Bill Tierney-coached team. The Blue Jays' midfield is as good as advertised, and a defense featuring Matt Drenan, Matt Bocklet and Michael Evans is superb. It's already safe to say the game of the year is April 5 when the Hop visits Duke.

One of the teams poking into the rankings this week was Army, which handled Air Force to move to 2-1. The Patriot League could be wide open this year; Navy is replacing some key parts, Bucknell is solid and Colgate has struggled early. That could be an opening for the Black Knights, who put a scare into Syracuse at the Dome two weeks ago.

It's tough to ask much more from the ACC, which is 11-0 against nonconference opponents entering Maryland's game with Providence today. Both Virginia (vs. Syracuse) and North Carolina (at home against Cornell) picked up significant victories this weekend. It's not a stretch to think four of the nation's top five teams are in the ACC. The league tournament in Charlottesville in late April is looking better by the day.

Looking to regroup:

Massachusetts absorbed a stinging 7-4 loss to Yale on Sunday and plummeted out of the rankings as a result. The Minutemen have a chance to make some noise in the ECAC, especially without an obvious No. 2 team behind Georgetown. But they'll need to sort out their offense, and quick.

Everybody in the Ivy League has a loss, including Cornell. The Big Red nearly lost their opener to Navy and then were handled easily enough in Chapel Hill. They lost a lot from last year's final four team, but have still struggled a bit more than anticipated. This week's visit from Army should be an upstate New York treat.

The America East had a great 2007, putting Albany and UMBC into the quarterfinals and raising expectations for the future. Yet the league's six teams are a combined 1-11 early on, with UMBC getting into the win column on Saturday against Denver. The record could get worse in the middle of this week; UMBC visits Hopkins, while Vermont (at Siena) and Hartford (vs. Holy Cross) play tossup games tomorrow.

And here's one ballot in this week's Inside Lacrosse poll:

1. Johns Hopkins (2-0)
2. Duke (3-0)
3. Virginia (4-0)
4. North Carolina (3-0)
5. Maryland (2-1)
6. Notre Dame (3-0)
7. Cornell (1-1)
8. Syracuse (1-1)
9. Georgetown (1-1)
10. Princeton (1-1)
11. Navy (3-1)
12. Delaware (4-0)
13. Loyola (2-1)
14. Towson (1-1)
15. Albany (0-2)
16. Drexel (3-1)
17. Army (2-1)
18. Bucknell (2-1)
19. Hofstra (1-1)
20. Fairfield (2-0)

--- Patrick Stevens

In most years, an 18-12 team with only one victory over a team in the top 50 of the RPI would be on the outside looking in.

This year, that team would probably be in the NCAA tournament if it started today.

That team, of course, is Maryland, and the Terps actually aren't the last team into this field. If there was ever a year to tempt fate as a middle-of-the-road college basketball team, this is it. Maryland fans howling about their postseason plans possibly being messed up should remember they would have resorted to duck-and-cover a long time ago in most years.

There will be two things no one should tolerate hearing on Selection Sunday. One, arguments for tournament expansion. A 72-team field (or bigger) would be like adding a round of the NIT to the NCAA tournament, at least this year. Two, gripes from anyone who was left out. It's almost unfathomable that anyone could feel legitimately slighted this season.

(Please note: No teams have been bolded during the construction of this bracket).

EAST REGION

Raleigh, N.C.

(1) ACC/North Carolina vs. (16) SWAC/Alabama State-SOUTHLAND/Lamar
(8) West Virginia vs. (9) Texas A&M

Denver

(4) Michigan State vs. (13) SOUTHERN/Davidson
(5) Vanderbilt vs. (12) Arizona State

Birmingham, Ala.

(3) BIG EAST/Georgetown vs. (14) OVC/Austin Peay
(6) WCC/Gonzaga vs. (11) Florida

Anaheim, Calif.

(2) Stanford vs. (15) BIG SKY/Portland State
(7) MOUNTAIN WEST/Brigham Young vs. (10) Oklahoma

SOUTH REGION

Birmingham, Ala.

(1) SEC/Tennessee vs. (16) MEAC/Morgan State
(8) Southern California vs. (9) Baylor

Tampa, Fla.

(4) Notre Dame vs. (13) SUMMIT/Oral Roberts
(5) Indiana vs. (12) Maryland

Washington, D.C.

(3) ATLANTIC 10/Xavier vs. (14) ATLANTIC SUN/Belmont
(6) Washington State vs. (11) Villanova

Raleigh, N.C.

(2) Duke vs. (15) AMERICA EAST/UMBC
(7) MVC/Drake vs. (10) Kansas State

MIDWEST REGION

Little Rock, Ark.

(1) CONFERENCE USA/Memphis vs. (16) BIG SOUTH/UNC Asheville
(8) St. Mary's vs. (9) Massachusetts

Denver

(4) Purdue vs. (13) Kentucky
(5) Marquette vs. (12) Virginia Tech

Washington, D.C.

(3) Louisville vs. (14) MAAC/Siena
(6) Mississippi State vs. (11) Arizona

Omaha, Neb.

(2) Kansas vs. (15) PATRIOT/American
(7) Miami vs. (10) MAC/Kent State

WEST REGION

Anaheim, Calif.

(1) PAC-10/UCLA vs. (16) NEC/Robert Morris
(8) SUN BELT/South Alabama vs. (9) Arkansas

Tampa, Fla.

(4) Connecticut vs. (13) IVY/Cornell
(5) HORIZON/Butler vs. (12) CAA/Virginia Commonwealth

Omaha, Neb.

(3) BIG TEN/Wisconsin vs. (14) WAC/Boise State
(6) Clemson vs. (11) Illinois State

Little Rock, Ark.

(2) BIG 12/Texas vs. (15) BIG WEST/Cal State Northridge
(7) Pittsburgh vs. (10) UNLV

Last four in: Villanova, Virginia Tech, Kentucky, Maryland

Last four out: Saint Joseph's, Syracuse, Rhode Island, Mississippi

Next four out: UAB, New Mexico, Western Kentucky, Temple

Moving in: Arizona State, UNC Asheville, Virginia Tech

Moving out: Saint Joseph's, Syracuse, Winthrop

Multi-bid leagues: Big East (8), Big 12 (6), SEC (6), ACC (6), Pac-10 (6), Big Ten (4), Atlantic 10 (2), Missouri Valley (2), Mountain West (2), West Coast (2)

--- Patrick Stevens

While trolling the message boards this morning, I came across this link from the Harrisonburg Daily News Record.

Apparently, Maryland assistant Chuck Driesell is one of about 764 candidates "on the radar" for the James Madison job, which opened two weeks ago when Dean Keener announced he would resign at the end of the season.

Much of the story is about the interest of erstwhile George Washington and St. John's coach Mike Jarvis. The 62-year-old --- who bears an uncanny resemblance to Uncle Phil from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air --- wants to get back into the game after his shenanigans helped land St. John's on probation it has yet to fully recover from.

I floated the idea of Uncle Phil taking up residence in Harrisonburg to a JMU alum I know, and he was adamant in his reply.

"No no no no noooooo," he said. "Do not want."

Well, that's one vote anyway. But that could be an interesting gig. (Other names on the list: American's Jeff Jones and Vermont's Mike Lonergan). The success of George Mason and VCU (and, a few years back, UNC Wilmington) has allowed all the boats in that league to rise a little bit. It's an off year in 2007-08, but the CAA has a bit more juice now than it once did.

--- Patrick Stevens

There's obviously plenty of nuggets and angles left over from Maryland's loss on Sunday, and maybe the most salient thing to look at the use of reserves Adrian Bowie and Jerome Burney that night (and in the case of Burney, other nights as well).

It comes as little surprise Bowie would have his best outing in more than enough against Clemson. His slashing style is perfectly suited to facing a team willing to extend its defense in the full court at the cost of giving up opportunities at the other end. The freshman didn't miss any of his six shots from the floor and tied a career-high with 12 points.

So why was he on the bench at the end, beyond simply parroting a line about being loyal to veterans like Eric Hayes? Maryland wasn't going to try to get into an up-tempo game in the closing minutes, and Bowie isn't exactly a great halfcourt option at this point. Even with Hayes struggling, it was smarter to have his perimeter (and free throw) shooting on the floor as an option.

The case of Burney is more befuddling. The genial redshirt freshman had six points, four blocks, three rebounds and two assists in 16 minutes, the third straight game Burney has provided a positive boost as the top frontcourt backup. But even as Bambale Osby suffered through another quiet night (just three points and a rebound in the second half), Burney was not deployed in the end game.

His activity over three games --- and willingness to aggressively do anything, even if it leads to a foul --- makes it even more confusing why he didn't see the floor for seven weeks. There's no practice observations to work with, but Burney was impressive in an early victory over Illinois and come up with some crazy blocks and dunks over the last three games.

Some numbers to consider: Burney has six blocks in ACC games this season, while WND (Shane Walker-Dave Neal-Braxton Dupree) have three.

Burney has 12 points in 44 minutes. WND have 34 points in 225 minutes.

Burney has 10 rebounds in 44 minutes. WND have 35 rebounds in 225 minutes.

You don't have to be good at math to realize Burney has provided a more efficient option. And yet he toiled at the end of the bench for almost two months for a team desperate for a backup forward who could both rebound effectively at one end and catch a pass and then go up for a layup/dunk at the other.

It's a real puzzler, and one of those things fans probably were out in front of the media on. From talking to Burney a few times during his PT drought, he never gave an indication there was anything in particular causing his situation and insisted he just had to be ready whenever he was called upon.

So he was. But it's still a mystery why he wasn't deployed sooner by Williams, who provided some replies in bland coachspeak whenever the topic of Burney came up in January and much of February.

Gary's taken some heat this season for various things. In some of those situations, his hands were tied (Really, who else on that roster is going to create a lot of scoring opportunities at point guard besides Greivis Vasquez? Really, what else was there to do other than handle some growing pains early on with Landon Milbourne at the three?)

But given the evidence both early in the season and of late, it's hard to make sense of where Burney was all season when the Terps could have used someone to capably spell James Gist and Osby.

--- Patrick Stevens

Since terminally bubble-bound Maryland insists on making this a typically tense early March (and since I'd like a decent Maryland-related item despite having no midweek game to work with), here's a look at who helped and hurt the Terrapins' postseason chances.

(The caveat here is no one helps or hurts those chances more than Maryland will in its regular season finale at Virginia and then in the ACC tournament).

Helping:

Mississippi dismissing Arkansas probably does a little more good than bad. Both are hopelessly bad road teams and reside in a division rife with mediocrity. That's five losses in seven games for the Razorbacks, who are among the many teams incapable of nailing down postseason berths in a weak year.

Hurting:

Virginia Tech wiped out Wake Forest in its home finale last night, and the Hokies can no longer be ignored as a plausible NCAA tournament team. The Demon Deacons, meanwhile, are pretty much toast unless they win the ACC tournament.

A team that got itself back in the discussion is Ohio State (aka the Maryland of the Big Ten). The Buckeyes snapped a four-game losing streak by beating Purdue in overtime and collecting their first victory over a current top-50 team.

--- Patrick Stevens

It's the time to really think about who the national player of the year is this season. And really, there seem to be two obvious possibilities: Kansas State's Michael Beasley and North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough.

(OK, maybe three. The only other player that really can claim a place in this discussion is Notre Dame's Luke Harangody.)

A voter in the AP poll is required to submit a player of the year, coach of the year and three teams of All-Americans at the end of the regular season. Which, as it turns out is less than two weeks away.

So who is the top player in the country? Please note, that question isn't "Who is the best pro prospect in the country?" (which is quite possibly Beasley) or "Who is the best player on a top-10 team?" (that's Hansbrough) or "Who is the best junior or senior?" (again, Hansbrough).

Those are all silly criteria for choosing the nation's best player. Voters who invoke that sort of rationale have to make you wonder whether they would give a nod to a pop-up book if they were presiding over the Pulitzers.

The question comes down to who is the best player, with factors such as level of competition, consistency and level of dominance all taken into account.

The thinking here is that it's Beasley, who might be even better than Kevin Durant was last year for Texas. Hansbrough carried North Carolina through the month of February when Ty Lawson was injured, and there's zero question he's vastly better this year than he was last season. Harangody got the better of Beasley in their head-to-head matchup at the Jimmy V Classic back in December.

Of course, that decision is not finalized on this end. Anyone have any arguments, for or against those three guys (and maybe someone who was omitted from the discussion)?

--- Patrick Stevens

This post could have had a different title. Really could have. Thought about using "What We Learned." But two things prevented that.

One, there's no way the initials "WWL" will make it into this space without some reference to the Official Dot Com Diva. And there's no way she will ever approve of anything connecting her with lacrosse. I probably already owe her a Yeungling just for making that slight an allusion.

Two, there's that pesky use of "we" to describe the work of a single person. If there's something that's downright ridiculous in sportswriting, it is the bizarre overuse of the word "we." When a writer opines "We think Georgetown will make the Final Four," it is always reasonable to ask (a) Do you have multiple personalities, (b) Do you have a mouse in your pocket and (c) In which sport?

Twain said it best with this pithy comment: "Only kings, presidents, editors, and people with tapeworms have the right to use the editorial 'we.'"

I promise I don't have tapeworms.

But I did watch two weekday lacrosse games (Maryland-Providence and Johns Hopkins-UMBC) and kept a close eye on a third (Virginia-VMI) via CSTV.com's Game Tracker. And there were some observations to be had.

* Johns Hopkins won't just breeze through the season. The Blue Jays looked absurdly good in the first half against Princeton on Saturday, then struggled to a lackluster 10-8 victory over UMBC last night at Homewood Field. The Hop is still the Hop --- they'll win close games, and lots of them. The Jays are 30-6 under Dave Pietramala in one-goal games, a total that speaks to excellent coaching and a proclivity to play tight contests year after year. This year won't be any different.

* Virginia just scored another goal.

* Much was made of Maryland losing starting defensemen Ray Megill and Steve Whittenberg, but Joe Cinosky has been as good as anyone I've seen early this season. The senior quietly plied his trade the last few seasons, but he will be as important as anyone for the Terrapins (3-1) this spring.

* Another defensive standout from the last two days was UMBC's Matt Kresse, who helped keep Hopkins' Kevin Huntley without a point last night. Kresse had some help --- a teammate usually joined him in swarming Huntley as soon as Huntley got possession --- but the defensive performance was encouraging for a Retrievers team that gave up 28 goals in two opening losses.

* Virginia just scored again.

* Maryland's freshmen on attack might not be ready to handle a defense like Duke's. But they're plenty capable of dealing with most teams. Grant Catalino (who is built much, much different than Joe Walters, the last No. 1 to start on attack for the Terps), Travis Reed and Ryan Young will give a lot of teams fits for a long time.

* The new faceoff rules are clearly helping teams that are willing to use an all-around player rather than a FOGO. When UMBC had a procedure violation late in the first half, Hopkins' Stephen Peyser simply stormed downfield on the restart and tied it at 5. The Retrievers never had a chance to get a replacement on the field to help protect their one-goal lead. That won't be the last time Hop takes advantage of that rule.

* I'm pretty sure Virginia just added another goal.

* Maryland's goalie situation bears monitoring. Brian Phipps and Jason Carter are splitting time, and coach Dave Cottle has given no indication that will change anytime soon. A case can be made that playing goalie games last year (with Phipps and senior Harry Alford, who returned from injury in the middle of the season) didn't do much good in the long run. It's far, far too early to tell in this case.

* A player who caught my eye last night was UMBC midfielder Maxx Davis, who scored two goals. I wondered where the heck he had come from; as it turns out, the sophomore barely played last year. Oh, and his cousin is former Hopkins star Kyle Harrison. With Davis and Terry Kimener, the Retrievers will have at the least a very dangerous first midfield line.

* CSTV has a minor problem with its Game Tracker. The gizmo can't show too many numbers larger than 19 on the scoreboard. So when Virginia scored its 20th goal, the scoreboard read VMI 4-2.

* That made it hard to keep up with Virginia scoring 24 goals, its most since a 24-3 thumping of Stony Brook in 1999. (The 24-5 margin was not as bad as last year's 20-0 blanking). In a completely unrelated note, the Cavaliers' football team failed to score 24 points on seven occasions last season. Lord Groh never seems to have such problems with a malfunctioning Game Tracker.

But chances are, he's probably used the editorial "we." Here's betting no one ever had him checked for tapeworms.

- Patrick Stevens

It was tough enough making the right calls in the 1965-74 era. This is easily the most loaded stretch in league history, enough that it was worth rolling out three teams instead of two.

I painted myself into a corner by insisting on three guards on my first team. Then again, who wants to argue very much with Phil Ford, Johnny Dawkins, Michael Jordan, Len Bias and Ralph Sampson. (I suppose Sam Perkins and Walter Davis could).

There's probably a few forwards that could make a case for at least third-team selection, Albert King and Buck Williams at the top of that list. It's just as amazing that Rod Griffin --- truly one of the forgotten greats, so much so that the ACC omitted him from its 50th anniversary team a few years ago --- was only a third-team pick.

Imagine a 12-season stretch in a league where it could be argued King and Williams weren't among the 15 best players. Skip Brown (Wake Forest), Hawkeye Whitney (N.C. State) and Tree Rollins (Clemson) join them on the fourth team. Forwards who still couldn't make that list include Mitch Kupchak, and he was only the league's player of the year in 1976.

Dean Smith had a pretty good dozen years, winning five ACC titles and the 1982 national title. Carolina finished first or second in the regular season every year except 1986.

Anyway, here's the only era meriting a 15-player rundown. And even that doesn't seem like it's enough.

1st team

G Phil Ford, North Carolina: 18.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 6.1 apg, 52.7 FG%, 80.8 FT%
G Johnny Dawkins, Duke: 19.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 4.2 apg, 2.6 tpg, 50.8 FG%, 79.0 FT%
G Michael Jordan, North Carolina: 17.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.8 apg, 2.0 tpg, 54.0 FG%, 74.8 FT%
F Len Bias, Maryland: 16.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.3 apg, 53.6 FG%, 79.5 FT%
C Ralph Sampson, Virginia: 16.9 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 3.5 bpg, 56.8 FG%, 65.7 FT%

2nd team

G John Lucas, Maryland: 18.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 4.7 apg, 52.5 FG%, 77.8 FT%
G Jeff Lamp, Virginia: 18.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.0 apg, 49.2 FG%, 84.9 FT%
F Walter Davis, North Carolina: 15.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.4 apg, 53.1 FG%, 77.3 FT%
F Sam Perkins, North Carolina: 15.9 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 1.8 bpg, 57.6 FG%, 79.6 FT%
C Mike Gminski, Duke: 19.0 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 53.1 FG%, 79.2 FT%

3rd team

G Mark Price, Georgia Tech: 17.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 4.0 apg, 48.7 FG%, 85.0 FT%
G Jim Spanarkel, Duke: 17.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.5 apg, 52.7 FG%, 80.6 FT%
F Rod Griffin, Wake Forest: 18.6 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 55.2 FG%, 73.5 FT%
F James Worthy, North Carolina: 14.5 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.4 spg, 1.1 bpg, 54.1 FG%, 65.2 FT%
C Brad Daugherty, North Carolina: 14.2 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 62.0 FG%, 72.0 FT%

Coach: Dean Smith

Here's Kevin Brewer's team:

First team

PG Phil Ford, North Carolina (18.6 points, 6.1 assists, 52.7 FG shooting)
SG Michael Jordan, North Carolina (17.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 54.0 FG shooting)
F Len Bias, Maryland (16.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 53.6 FG shooting)
F/C Sam Perkins, North Carolina (15.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, 57.6 FG shooting)
C Ralph Sampson, Virginia (16.9 points, 11.4 rebounds, 56.8 FG shooting)

Second team

PG John Lucas, Maryland (18.3 points, 4.7 assists, 52.5 FG shooting)
SG Johnny Dawkins, Duke (19.0 points, 4.2 assists, 50.8 FG shooting)
F Walter Davis, North Carolina (15.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 53.1 FG shooting)
F James Worthy, North Carolina (14.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, 54.1 FG shooting)
C Mike Gminski, Duke (19.0 points, 10.2 rebounds, 53.1 FG shooting)

Third team

PG Mark Price, Georgia Tech (17.4 points, 4.0 assists, 85 FT shooting)
SG Jeff Lamp, Virginia (18.8 points, 49.2 FG shooting, 84.9 FT shooting)
F Rod Griffin, Wake Forest (18.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 55.2 FG shooting)
F Buck Williams, Maryland (13.6 points, 10.9 rebounds 61.5 FG shooting)
C Brad Daugherty, North Carolina (14.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 62.0 FG shooting)

Coach: Dean Smith, North Carolina (five ACC titles, three Final Fours, one national title)

And Kevin's thoughts on the selection of this era:

The first team is self-explanatory.

Ralph Sampson, Phil Ford and Michael Jordan would likely make the all-time first team. Sam Perkins was a two-time consensus All-American but the second-best player on his team behind Jordan. Len Bias could play, too.

An All-American in basketball and tennis, John Lucas leads the second team.

Johnny Dawkins was Mike Krzyzewski's first great player. He helped Coach K to his first Final Four, the beginning of Duke's reign as the best program of the last 20 years.

At the forward spots, it's James Worthy and Walter Davis of North Carolina.

Mike Gminski was a great player, now a pretty good color analyst.

The point guard on the third team is Mark Price, who made Georgia Tech basketball relevant.

The anti-Hansbrough, Brad Daugherty was 16 years old when he started at center and 20 when he was the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft.

The last three spots were close ones. Jeff Lamp edged Jim Spanarkel, Rod Griffin edged Albert King and Buck Williams knocked out Mitch Kupchak.

Dean Smith of North Carolina was the easy pick as the era's most successful coach.

But his coaching acumen often received mixed reviews.

By 1982, Smith had advanced to seven Final Fours and finally won a national title. He was the best at producing fundamentally sound players and NBA players --- Ford, Jordan, Worthy, Davis, Daugherty, Kupchak, Kenny Smith, Mike O'Koren, Al Wood and Dudley Bradley just from the era at hand.

However, his in-game decisions raised questions.

Was he outcoached by Al McGuire of Marquette in the 1977 national title game?

Did he take great talent and produce just very good results?

Did he overcoach, taking great, athletic players and too often playing slow-down ball?

In the 1982 ACC final, he beat Virginia 47-45. That game, which featured Worthy, Jordan, Perkins and Sampson, was the No. 1 impetus in the NCAA adopting the shot clock.

Jim Valvano deserves honorable mention for 1983, when he introduced not the term but the idea of March Madness.

--- Patrick Stevens

Just a quick note on Maryland's ACC tournament outlook.

A Maryland victory over Virginia coupled with a Miami loss to Florida State will get the Terps a No. 5 seed in Charlotte and a friendly 2:30 p.m. tip-off on Thursday.

If either Miami wins or Maryland loses (or both), the Terps will be the No. 6 seed and get a not-so-friendly 9:30 p.m. tip time on Thursday. If you thought Greensboro Coliseum was sparse for Maryland-Boston College in a late-night quarterfinals two years ago, the possibility of those two schools in a 6-11 game in a deserted arena is enough to make you shudder.

On the bright side, at least an empty Bobcats Arena doesn't look like the Emerald City. On the ironic side, at least all those North Carolina fans eager to swoop in and buy the weekend tickets from a first-day loser would have to invest some late-night hours to get their ducats in such a scenario.

And on the amusing side, nothing makes it easier to hear Gary Williams' rants than an empty arena. The combustible coach's outbursts won't fall on deaf ears in such a scenario, that's for sure.

--- Patrick Stevens

A daily review of the teams scrambling for NCAA tournament berths. In general, it was not a good night for Maryland fans.

RISING

* Kentucky did exactly what it was supposed to, going to South Carolina and leaving with a victory. The Wildcats (17-11, 11-4 SEC) have almost beaten the No. 1 team in the country on its home floor and ground out a road victory in two games since losing Patrick Patterson. A victory over Florida on Sunday would burnish the message that Billy Gillispie's boys can win without their best player.

* Don't look now, but Temple might just make a play for an at-large bid. The Owls (17-12, 10-5 Atlantic 10) don't have a great profile, but an extended run in next week's conference tournament could put them into play. Temple knocked off Duquesne last night.

* Syracuse (18-12, 8-9 Big East) dusted off Seton Hall. The Orange's argument has been about the same for a month. Strong schedule (8th nationally), no cream-puff opponents (Rutgers is the only foe with an RPI worse than 200) and an OK record away from the Carrier Dome (5-7) all remain in place. The 'Cuse would still be wise to defeat Marquette this weekend.

* Massachusetts (20-9, 9-6 A-10) blitzed La Salle. It would probably take a big collapse to knock out the Minutemen, who have avoided the trap of every other team in their league not named Xavier and avoided a late slide. UMass visits George Washington on Saturday.

* The schedule in the final week favors Villanova (18-11, 8-9 Big East), which dispatched South Florida last night and gets reeling Providence this weekend. In such a bad year at the bottom of the at-large field, the Wildcats look better and better by the day thanks to victories over Connecticut, Pittsburgh and West Virginia.

* UAB got another 26 points from Robert Vaden to win its 14th in 17 tries. The Blazers (22-8, 12-3 Conference USA) have a wholly unremarkable resume --- five losses to 100+ teams with a neutral floor victory over Kentucky to their credit. That could change Saturday with a visit to Memphis.

FADING

* Florida (21-9, 8-7 SEC) squandered an 18-point lead at home and lost to Tennessee. The Gators have lost six of nine and have only three top-100 victories (Vanderbilt, Kentucky and vs. Temple in Miami). Their best true road victory is at No. 133 Alabama. The Gators really need to complete the sweep on Kentucky in Lexington this weekend. They have less of a case for inclusion than many teams (Maryland and Virginia Tech included).

--- Patrick Stevens

D.C. attorney Bill Hall is well-known as one of the key players in bringing baseball back to Washington. But he also happens to be a huge Bucknell basketball fan, often traveling to Lewisburg, Pa., for games and catching them whenever they play Patriot League games in the area.

I had met with Bill earlier this week to interview him about the Nationals stadium, and we chatted briefly about the Bison's chances against Navy. He was not terribly optimistic, but little did we know that Bucknell would prevail in triple-overtime on a 40-foot shot at the buzzer.

After listening to the game on the radio (it wasn't televised ... if anyone has video of the game, let us know) I immediately e-mailed a note of congratulations to Bill, as he is the only Bucknell fan I know.

"Truly amazing," he wrote back. "I unfortunately went to the Wizards game tonight with a client to watch a 30-point defeat. Should have gone to Annapolis."

Doh!

--- Tim Lemke

UPDATE (Friday)

A reader e-mailed me the link to a video of the last few seconds of the game. I believe the footage was shot by WBAL Channel 11 up in Baltimore. I'm told the game may also be available on CSTV's Patriot League All-Access.

Maryland has its new receivers coach less than a week after Kasey Dunn resigned to pursue an opportunity in the pros.

Lee Hull, who spent the last five years on Mike Riley's staff at Oregon State, will take over the wide receivers gig with Maryland.

He was the Beavers' receivers coach the last three years and their running backs coach in 2003 and 2004.

According to the Oregonian, Hull left Corvallis "solely for family reasons." He's originally from Millville, N.J., and both played and coached at Holy Cross.

Maryland's receivers job has gone through some flux since the end of the season. Bryan Bossard was fired the day after the Terps returned from their Emerald Bowl loss (to, of all teams, Oregon State). Dunn was hired in late January, then abruptly resigned last week.

--- Patrick Stevens

I think these are right. I think.

Someone out there will let me know if it's not. But for lack of someone else doing them, here's the ACC tournament tiebreakers heading into the final weekend of games. Those six contests include N.C. State-Wake; Carolina-Duke; Miami-Florida State; Georgia Tech-Boston College; Virginia Tech-Clemson; and Maryland-Virginia.

NORTH CAROLINA will be the No. 1 seed with a victory at Duke on Saturday. The Tar Heels will be the No. 2 seed with a loss.

DUKE will be the No. 1 seed with a victory over North Carolina on Saturday. The Blue Devils will be the No. 2 seed with a loss.

CLEMSON will be the No. 3 seed with a victory over Virginia Tech. The Tigers will be the No. 4 seed with a loss AND a Miami loss. Clemson will be the No. 5 seed with a loss AND a Miami win. (Maryland is irrelevant in a three-way tie with Clemson and Miami, since it went 0-2 against those teams). Miami and Clemson split the season series, and Miami would win the tiebreaker by virtue of its victory over Duke. Clemson would then earn the No. 5 seed.

VIRGINIA TECH will be the No. 3 seed with a victory at Clemson. The Hokies will be the No. 4 seed with a loss AND a Miami loss. Virginia Tech will earn the No. 5 seed with a loss AND a Miami victory.

MIAMI will be the No. 4 seed with a victory and a Virginia Tech loss; OR with a victory and a Clemson loss, pending the tiebreaker. (Maryland is irrelevant in a three-way tie with Clemson and Miami, since it went 0-2 against those teams). Miami and Clemson split the season series, and Miami would win the tiebreaker by virtue of its victory over Duke.

Miami will be the No. 5 seed with a loss AND a Maryland loss. The Hurricanes will be the No. 6 seed with a loss AND a Maryland victory.

MARYLAND will be the No. 5 seed with a victory over Virginia on Sunday AND a Miami loss to Florida State. Otherwise, the Terrapins will be the No. 6 seed.

GEORGIA TECH will be the No. 7 seed in the case of a three-way tie between the Yellow Jackets, Wake Forest and Florida State. Georgia Tech will be the No. 7 seed with a win AND a Florida State loss. Georgia Tech will be the No. 8 seed regardless of its outcome with a Florida State win AND a Wake Forest loss. The Yellow Jackets will be the No. 9 seed with a loss AND a Wake Forest win.

FLORIDA STATE will be the No. 7 seed with a win AND a Wake Forest loss. The Seminoles will be the No. 8 seed with a Wake Forest win AND a Georgia Tech loss. Florida State will be the No. 9 seed with a loss AND a Georgia Tech win; OR a three-way tie for seventh between Florida State, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest.

WAKE FOREST will be the No. 7 seed with a win AND a Georgia Tech loss. Wake Forest will be the No. 8 seed in the case of a three-way tie for seventh between Florida State, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest; OR with a Georgia Tech win AND a Florida State loss. Wake Forest will be the No. 9 seed with a loss AND a Florida State win.

VIRGINIA will be the No. 10 seed with a win; OR in the case of a three-way tie with Boston College and N.C. State. Virginia will be the No. 11 seed with a loss AND a Boston College victory AND an N.C. State loss; OR a loss AND a Boston College loss AND an N.C. State win. Virginia will be the No. 12 seed with a loss AND a Boston College win AND an N.C. State win.

BOSTON COLLEGE will be the No. 10 seed with a win AND a Virginia loss. The Eagles will be the No. 11 seed with a win and a Virginia win; OR a loss AND an N.C. State loss. Boston College will be the No. 12 seed with a loss AND an N.C. State win.

N.C. STATE will be the No. 10 seed with a win AND a Virginia loss AND a Boston College loss. The Wolfpack will be the No. 11 seed with a win AND a loss by Virginia OR Boston College. N.C. State will be the No. 12 seed with a loss; OR a three-way tie for 10th place with Virginia and Boston College.

--- Patrick Stevens

A daily review of the teams scrambling for NCAA tournament berths. Maryland fans might want to cover their eyes; this week's activity has pushed the Terps to "Last team in" status on a bracket that will be unfurled later this morning

MOVING UP

Saint Joseph's picked up a huge victory, outlasting Xavier at home. The Hawks have more than their share of flaws (three losses to 100+ RPI teams at home) and haven't played great of late, but they've won their share of road games and now have a signature victory. Phil Martelli's team finishes at Dayton this weekend, and a win there would keep the heat off the Hawks unless they bomb in the A-10 tournament.

In perhaps the least impressive late-season road victory imaginable, Arizona routed Oregon State to send the Beavers to 0-17 in the Pac-10. More importantly, the Wildcats got point guard Nic Wise (knee) back. He had 15 points, three rebounds, six assists and two steals in 34 minutes. If Arizona can win at Oregon this weekend and maybe poach a victory in the Pac-10 tournament, it will probably wind up seeded somewhere in the No. 7-No. 9 range. Like most teams, the Wildcats are a different bunch with a healthy point guard.

MOVING DOWN

In a year of horrible profiles, Arizona State takes worst in show. The Sun Devils are 10-11 against top-200 teams, 3-6 on the road, 4-8 in their last 12 and have the 309th-ranked nonconference schedule strength. Oh, and they lost at Oregon last night to fall under .500 in Pac-10 play.

Speaking of the Ducks, that victory merely gets them mentioned again. Oregon has the exact same faults as Arizona State: 11-12 against the top 200, 5-8 on the road, 5-7 in the last 12, a nonconference schedule ranked 168th, a losing record in league play. The plug didn't get pulled last night in Eugene, but it could be yanked soon enough.

--- Patrick Stevens

Just 10 more days of games before Selection Sunday. ...

EAST REGION

Raleigh, N.C.

(1) ACC/North Carolina vs. (16) SWAC/Alabama State-SOUTHLAND/Lamar
(8) West Virginia vs. (9) Baylor

Birmingham, Ala.

(4) Vanderbilt vs. (13) SUMMIT/Oral Roberts
(5) Indiana vs. (12) Syracuse

Anaheim, Calif.

(3) Stanford vs. (14) WAC/Utah State
(6) MOUNTAIN WEST/Brigham Young vs. (11) Illinois State

Tampa, Fla.

(2) BIG EAST/Georgetown vs. (15) BIG SKY/Portland State
(7) Oklahoma vs. (10) Massachusetts

SOUTH REGION

Birmingham, Ala.

(1) SEC/Tennessee vs. (16) BIG SOUTH/Winthrop
(8) Southern California vs. (9) SUN BELT/South Alabama

Denver

(4) Connecticut vs. (13) CAA/Virginia Commonwealth
(5) Michigan State vs. (12) Virginia Tech

Washington, D.C.

(3) ATLANTIC 10/Xavier vs. (14) AMERICA EAST/UMBC
(6) Washington State vs. (11) Villanova

Raleigh, N.C.

(2) Duke vs. (15) PATRIOT/American
(7) Kansas State vs. (10) UNLV

MIDWEST REGION

Little Rock, Ark.

(1) CONFERENCE USA/Memphis vs. (16) MEAC/Morgan State
(8) Mississippi State vs. (9) Texas A&M

Denver

(4) Purdue vs. (13) Maryland
(5) Marquette vs. (12) Saint Joseph's

Washington, D.C.

(3) Louisville vs. (14) BIG WEST/UC Santa Barbara
(6) WCC/Gonzaga vs. (11) Arizona

Omaha, Neb.

(2) Kansas vs. (15) OVC/Austin Peay
(7) Miami vs. (10) Arkansas

WEST REGION

Anaheim, Calif.

(1) PAC-10/UCLA vs. (16) NEC/Robert Morris
(8) MVC/Drake vs. (9) Saint Mary's

Tampa, Fla.

(4) Notre Dame vs. (13) IVY/Cornell
(5) HORIZON/Butler vs. (12) SOUTHERN/Davidson

Omaha, Neb.

(3) BIG TEN/Wisconsin vs. (14) MAAC/Siena
(6) Clemson vs. (11) MAC/Kent State

Little Rock, Ark.

(2) BIG 12/Texas vs. (15) ATLANTIC SUN/Belmont
(7) Pittsburgh vs. (10) Kentucky

Last four in: Maryland, Syracuse, Saint Joseph's, Villanova

Next four in: Virginia Tech, Kentucky, Illinois State, Arizona

Last four out: Florida, Rhode Island, Arizona State, UAB

Next four out: New Mexico, Ohio State, Mississippi, Southern Illinois

Moving in: Saint Joseph’s, Syracuse, UC Santa Barbara, Utah State, Winthrop

Moving out: Arizona State, Boise State, Cal State Northridge, Florida, UNC Asheville

Multi-bid leagues: Big East (9), Big 12 (6), ACC (6), SEC (5), Pac-10 (5), Big Ten (4), Atlantic 10 (3), Missouri Valley (2), Mountain West (2), West Coast (2)

--- Patrick Stevens

It's been a nasty flu season. And Maryland apparently is taking another hit or two.

The Terps have already played without Cliff Tucker for a stretch, pretty much quarantining him for a game while he battled the flu last month. And Bambale Osby got sick as well, with an ear infection making his life miserable for about a week.

And now ...

"This is certainly another test for us to see how strong we are mentally as well as physically," coach Gary Williams said today. "We have had some flu problems this week as it's gone along. I don't want to be specific a to what players have had it, but that's been out there. It makes it tough. That's part of a season. A season is a long time. You go through things you have to get out of if you expect to do well. I think we'll be in good shape to play Sunday."

Someone (or someones) has a built-in reason for a shaky performance in the regular-season finale at Virginia. Let the guessing games begin as to who (if anyone) might produce an understandable but still poorly timed clunker in C-ville.

--- Patrick Stevens

Just wanted to make a mention of the Virginia-Princeton game that will be simulcast on ESPN tomorrow afternoon. Yes, the mother ship is picking up a regular season lacrosse game --- and in the midst of basketball championship week, no less. In another three weeks, Virginia-Maryland will be carried live on ESPN2.

Will either of these be ratings blockbusters? Almost certainly not. But if you go back a little more than a decade, even a game of the week package on a Baltimore station was a huge deal. It probably doesn't need to be said, but the sport has come a long way.

Player to watch: Alex Hewit, Princeton. The Tigers goalie was lit up in the first half against Johns Hopkins last weekend and will be eager for a chance to rebound against No. 3 Virginia. Princeton came back to make it 14-9 after trailing 8-0, and Cavaliers coach Dom Starsia is wary of what awaits him in New Jersey.

"I would tell you the last time I saw Princeton get beat like that was in 1996 when we beat them like that and they went on to win the national championship," Starsia said. "For our younger players, I told them 'This is a very dangerous lacrosse team. It’s a little bit wounded right now emotionally."

In case anyone was wondering, "emotionally wounded" plus "Bill Tierney" equals a dicey proposition for Princeton's next opponent. The Tigers only have one final four trip in the last five years to their credit, but it would be no surprise if they upended Virginia tomorrow. (Virginia at Princeton, noon, ESPN, ESPNU)

Team to watch: Georgetown. The Hoyas bounced back nicely from an opening loss to trounce St. John's. Now comes a Sunday afternoon trip to the Dome. Syracuse very much looks like it is back, and the Hoyas might just be the sort of team to engage the Orange in an up-and-down affair on the turf. It's also an important game for Georgetown since its opportunities for top-10 victories are not remarkably high the rest of the way: Duke and maybe at Navy. Dave Urick's team could use a high-profile victory as a late-season fallback. (Georgetown at Syracuse, Sunday, 3:30 p.m.).

Game to watch: Notre Dame at North Carolina, Saturday, 3:30 p.m. The Fighting Irish have responded quite well to the suspension of attackman Will Yeatman. The Tar Heels have shown a fair bit of fortitude --- not always the trait associated with this program in the last decade --- while dismissing Denver and Cornell. Both teams are undefeated and should continue to be factors after their showdown at Fetzer Field. Carolina has plenty of chances for big victories in the coming weeks --- Duke, at Maryland, at Hopkins, Virginia --- and will have some wiggle room entering that stretch with a second straight quality win.

--- Patrick Stevens

A light but still significant schedule last night. Here's some quick hitters.

The night's biggest winner was Illinois State, the No. 2 seed in the Missouri Valley. The Redbirds shook off pesky Missouri State (in what was likely Barry Hinson's final game as coach of the Bears) to improve to 22-8. Illinois State has more going for it --- 7-5 on the road, 6-5 vs. the top 100, 105th ranked nonconference schedule, 9-3 in the last 12, only one home loss (to Drake) all season --- than it has going against it (questionable losses at Indiana State, Northern Iowa and especially Eastern Michigan, best win is a sweep of Southern Illinois).

If the Redbirds beat Northern Iowa today, they'll probably solidify their spot in the field.

It can still be said no No. 1 seeds have been harmed in conference tournaments. Austin Peay and Belmont survived yesterday and avoided taking a spot in the NIT (please take note, all NIT bracketologists). Drake also won in the Missouri Valley.

A subtle winner last night was Rider, the No. 2 seed in the MAAC tournament. The Broncs, led by NBA-bound senior forward Jason Thompson, will get bottom-feeding Canisius in tonight's quarterfinal after the Golden Griffins surprised Iona.

The night's biggest loser was clearly Southern Illinois, which had a slim chance of making an at-large case for itself. Instead, the Salukis lost to Northern Iowa and will miss the tournament for the first time since 2001. Still lurking in the Valley, however, is Creighton. The Bluejays have won six of the last nine conference tournaments and get a shot at Drake today in St. Louis --- and will need to win it to have any plausible NCAA hopes.

--- Patrick Stevens

In lieu of going with a full bracket over the next few days, here's a look at how the bottom of one man's at-large board looks heading into Saturday's play.

NEXT FOUR IN

27. Arizona
28. Illinois State
29. Kentucky
30. Virginia Tech

LAST FOUR IN

31. Villanova
32. Saint Joseph's
33. Syracuse
34. Maryland

LAST FOUR OUT

35. Florida
36. Rhode Island
37. Arizona State
38. UAB

NEXT FOUR OUT

39. New Mexico
40. Ohio State
41. Mississippi
42. Temple

ANOTHER FOUR OUT

43. Houston
44. Oregon
45. Dayton
46. Southern Illinois

--- Patrick Stevens

After taking a shot at three different eras, it's time to move onto 1987-1995. This stretch should just be referred to as the Rise of K, and I'm not talking about Tommy Lee Jones' character from "Men In Black."

It was surprising looking back just how good Kenny Anderson and Chris Corchiani were at point guard, especially in comparison to Bobby Hurley. Anderson was clearly asked to do more than those two guys were, and he certainly did. He was a consensus All-American as a sophomore, and for his all-around game, he was the best point guard of the era in the conference.

I imagine if Corchiani and Hurley flipped schools, Corchiani would be more revered, mitigating any talk about what a "winner" Hurley was. So I'll take the overlooked Wolfpack star and his eye-popping 2.6 assist-to-turnover ratio for my second team.

Corchiani's running mate, Rodney Monroe, is in the first team backcourt. State hasn't seen a guard as good as either of them in the last 15 years, though Julius Hodge (arguably a forward) was above average and Anthony Grundy was superlative for about six weeks as a senior.

It's an all-Duke frontcourt on the first team. There are no arguments for the accomplishments of Grant Hill, Danny Ferry and Christian Laettner.

I am a firm believer that for three days, Randolph Childress was a deity among men in 1995. His ACC tournament performance that year (outings of 40, 30 and 37 points), coupled with two strong seasons to end his career, lands him on the second team with do-it-all swingman Bryant Stith from Virginia.

The frontcourt on the second team includes Wake Forest's Rodney Rogers, another one of those forgotten stars, and Maryland center Joe Smith. Yes, Smith really was that good a college player. He might be the fourth best center in ACC history; unfortunately, two of the other guys were either a contemporary (Tim Duncan) or a near-contemporary (Laettner).

The third team features Hurley, Lethal Weapon 3's Dennis Scott from Georgia Tech and North Carolina's Kenny Smith in the backcourt. I'll snag Maryland's Walt Williams and Clemson's Horace Grant as my forwards.

The coach is obviously Mike Krzyzewski. A couple national titles will do that for you.

1st team

G Kenny Anderson, Georgia Tech: 23.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 7.0 apg, 1.8 a/to, 47.3 FG%, 78.7 FT%
G Rodney Monroe, N.C. State: 20.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.4 apg, 45.7 FG%, 83.6 FT%
F Grant Hill, Duke: 14.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.45 a/to, 53.2 FG%, 71.6 FT%
F Danny Ferry, Duke: 15.1 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 3.5 apg, 48.4 FG%, 78.5 FT%
F/C Christian Laettner, Duke: 16.6 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.8 apg, 57.4 FG%, 80.6 FT%

2nd team

G Chris Corchiani, N.C. State: 11.5 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 8.4 apg, 2.6 a/to, 46.3 FG%, 82.2 FT%
G Randolph Childress, Wake Forest: 18.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.9 apg, 44.6 FG%, 80.4 FT%
G Bryant Stith, Virginia: 19.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.6 apg, 48.3 FG%, 78.9 FT%
F Rodney Rogers, Wake Forest: 19.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 2.2 apg, 57.9 FG%, 69.4 FT%
C Joe Smith, Maryland: 20.2 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 1.0 apg, 3.0 bpg, 55.1 FG%, 73.8 FT%

Coach: Mike Krzyzewski (6 Final Fours, 2 ACC titles, 2 national titles)

Here's Kevin Brewer's team:

First team

PG Bobby Hurley, Duke: 12.4 points, 7.7 assists, 40.5 3-point shooting
SG Rodney Monroe, N.C. State: 20.6 points, 43.6 3-point shooting, 83.6 free throw shooting
F Grant Hill, Duke: 14.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 54.6 2-point shooting
F Danny Ferry, Duke: 15.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists
C Christian Laettner, Duke: 16.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 58.6 2-point shooting, 80.6 FT shooting

Second team

PG Chris Corchiani, N.C. State: 11.5 points, 8.4 assists, 82.1 FT shooting
SG Bryant Stith, Virginia: 19.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 51.1 2-point shooting
F Rodney Rogers, Wake Forest: 19.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 61.3 2-point shooting
F Horace Grant, Clemson: 13.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, 59.8 FG shooting
C Joe Smith, Maryland: 20.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.09 blocks

Coach: Mike Krzyzewski, Duke: two ACC titles, six Final Fours, two national titles

And Kevin's argument for his team:

From 1987 to 1995, Duke went to six Final Fours, became the first team to win consecutive national titles since 1973 and produced four players on the era's first team.

Christian Laettner is on the short list of best players in ACC history. The big shots, the stomp to the chest of Aminu Timberlake, love him or hate him, Laettner was a star.

The versatile forwards are Danny Ferry and Grant Hill. As a sophomore, Hill played five games at point guard for the injured Bobby Hurley and averaged 16.4 points and 5.6 assists. The next season, he was the nation's defensive player of the year.

Point guard was the toughest call on the board. Hurley gets the edge over Chris Corchiani, Kenny Smith, Kenny Anderson and Randolph Childress because of his team's success.

Corchiani takes the spot on the second team, even though he was never first team all-conference, a fact more revealing of the voters than his play.

But consider Corchiani’s career line: 11.5 points, 8.4 assists, 3.2 turnovers, 2.1 rebounds, 2.65 steals, 48.9 2-point shooting, 40.8 3-point shooting, 82.2 free throw shooting.

Hurley: 12.4 points, 7.7 assists, 3.8 turnovers, 2.2 rebounds, 1.46 steals, 41.5 2-point shooting, 40.5 3-point shooting, 77.6 free throw shooting.

Hurley holds a clear advantage in one category: teammates.

Shooting guard Rodney Monroe is the only non-Duke player on the first team. Bryant Stith is the shooter on the second team, edging out Dennis Scott.

Joe Smith is the only two-year player on the team, edging out Elden Campbell and Dale Davis of Clemson at center. Instead, forward Horace Grant is the Tigers' representative.

I watched Rodney Rogers consummate two breakaway reverse dunks against N.C. State in Reynolds Coliseum.

Mike Krzyzewski is the coach, the best coach since John Wooden.

--- Patrick Stevens

This comes from the cutting room floor of my story for tomorrow, which explores both the bad bubble and the pleas of coaches to expand the NCAA tournament. There's a disconnect th