ACC: Conference jumbled in the middle

About five weeks into conference play, the ACC race finally began to take shape.

Duke emerged as the surprising favorite to win the league’s regular-season title. North Carolina, the preseason choice to win the crown, was a solid second. Clemson and Maryland gained some separation from the pack of pursuers to establish themselves as the teams in the third and fourth slots.

Meanwhile, Miami wasted a strong showing during the nonconference portion of its schedule and seemed like a long shot for an NCAA Tournament berth. Virginia Tech was fading down the stretch with its young team, and Florida State was doomed to be a non-factor.

The unpredictable events of the last week and a half have changed all of that. With March Madness fast approaching, not much of anything is certain in the ACC.

“It’s amazing how big these two weeks are going to be in the ACC for every team,” said Maryland coach Gary Williams, whose team now finds itself among four ACC squads with six conference losses. “In other words, Duke and Carolina with their first- and second-place thing and then the rest of the teams looking to get in there and finish in the upper division in the league if that’s possible.

“I just think our conference has been great all year. The competitive nature of it has been tremendous. There’s just all good teams.”

Consider the events that transpired to turn the final two weeks of the ACC season a free-for-all.

Duke lost two league games in a row to teams outside the top four. Maryland lost two league games in a row, again to teams outside the top four. Florida State won two games in a row, including a shocking victory over Clemson. Virginia Tech stopped a three-game losing streak with three consecutive wins, and Miami beat Duke and Maryland to extend its winning streak to four.

Five teams — Clemson, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Miami and Wake Forest — are within one game of each other as they battle for third place. And just three games separate third place from 10th place as the teams head down the stretch, so almost everyone has a reason for hope.

“Obviously, we mathematically still have a chance to finish with a decent year,” said Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton, whose injury-depleted squad has risen to eighth place. “Our kids are motivated now trying to get the most out of the last three or four games that we have available to play.”

The Seminoles (16-12, 5-8) have some momentum, but they also have plenty of ground to make up in the final two weeks. Of the five teams jockeying for third place, which one has the edge down the stretch?

Virginia Tech (17-11, 8-6) owns an advantageous position in that it already has clinched a .500 league record. But Miami (19-7, 6-6) has the best remaining schedule. Three of the Hurricanes’ final four games are against teams in the bottom five of the league, while the other four teams in the fight for third play no more than one game against the bottom five.

Clemson (19-7, 7-5) and Wake Forest (16-9, 6-6) each play three of their last four games against their closely packed counterparts, giving them an opportunity to rise dramatically with a hot streak or the chance to fall hard with poor play.

“It’s in our hands right now,” said Wake Forest coach Dino Gaudio, speaking about his own team but making a statement appropriate for several of the teams in the league. “With four games to go, with this young team, we have a chance to go to the NCAA Tournament. That’s all we can ask for.”

Lawson on the mend

North Carolina has won five of six games since starting point guard Ty Lawson was sidelined with a sprained left ankle, getting solid play from senior backup Quentin Thomas.

Lawson, who is averaging 13.6 points and 5.7 assists per game this season as the engine in UNC’s high-powered offensive machine, might return to the lineup Saturday at Boston College. Lawson still had not taken part in contact drills at practice as of Monday, but he has all week to get healthy before UNC’s next game.

“I hope to play him against Boston College this weekend,” UNC coach Roy Williams said. “But for that to happen, he’s got to be able to go through some things in practice and be able to do it and do it effectively.”

If Lawson is unable to play against the Eagles, Thomas has proven that he’s a capable replacement. Thomas has posted an assist-turnover ratio of 2-to-1 (46-to-23) in the last seven games, best among all ACC point guards during that span.

Thomas has battled an assortment of injuries during his career and was bypassed on the depth chart first by Bobby Frasor and then by Lawson. But with Lawson and Frasor now sidelined by injuries of their own, Thomas has totaled at least seven assists in five of his six starts this season.

“It’s by far the biggest factor in how successful we’ve been,” Williams said. “To see a youngster who’s persevered through some adversity and through some tough times has been huge for us psychologically, and it’s also been very, very good on the court.”

Krzyzewski approaching 800 wins

Barring a return by Bob Knight to the sidelines, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski has a good chance to break the NCAA record for career victories one day. Krzyzewski is closing in on yet another milestone, entering this week just two wins short of 800 for his career.

Krzyzewski and North Carolina coach Roy Williams don’t agree on how to put together an injury report, but Williams has made it clear that his respect for Krzyzewski is sky high.

“I think what he’s done is mind-boggling,” Williams said. “To be able to be that successful for such a long period of time is something I admire greatly. Mike has done it about as good as it can be done. This is coming from a North Carolina guy, but I’ll repeat it: He’s done it about as good as it can be done. He’s deserving of every honor and everything he has.”

When Krzyzewski becomes the sixth coach to reach 800 victories — he could do so as soon as Saturday at N.C. State — he’ll be four typical Duke seasons away from Knight’s career record of 902 wins.

“You can’t even begin to imagine how good he’s been over the years,” said Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt, whose Yellow Jackets host Duke on Wednesday night. “You read about it and hear about it — you know, he’s had some great runs, obviously three championships.

“But 800 wins, it just boggles the mind, to be honest with you. Especially in this day and age where it’s so competitive and there’s so much parity. It’s a remarkable accomplishment.”

Wolfpack’s woes continue

N.C. State (15-12, 4-9) has lost five consecutive games, failing to score more than 70 points in any of them. The Wolfpack’s latest defeat, a 78-60 setback at Virginia on Sunday, featured awful ball handling.

N.C. State’s 25 turnovers were the most by a Virginia opponent since 2001, and the Cavaliers’ 16 steals were their most since 2000. Virginia guard Sean Singletary tied a school record with seven steals, six of which he picked up in the first half.

The Wolfpack entered this season without point guard Engin Atsur, who graduated last season, and Farnold Degand was lost in December to a season-ending knee injury. The result has been — in the eyes of N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe — too many quick shots and an inability for N.C. State to run its offense effectively.

“We’d like to be able to have players who can just go up and down and make plays and then execute when you have to,” Lowe said. “But our team is not structured that way. Even though we get out of character a lot and try to do that when we get excited, we’re not that team. We’re the same team that executed to death last year, but we did that with a very experienced point guard.

“So now to try to run, it’s just ridiculous for us to try to do that. It’s not who we are.”

Rising team: Miami

It was a historic week for the Hurricanes, who clawed their way back into the top half of the ACC standings with home victories over Duke and Maryland. Miami has put together a four-game winning streak after losing six of seven.

Miami defeated the Blue Devils 96-95 on Wednesday, ending its 10-game losing streak to the Blue Devils and posting its first win over them since 1962. Then the Hurricanes came back with a 78-63 win over Maryland, committing a season-low six turnovers while shooting a season-high 91.7 percent (22 of 24) on free throws to post their fourth consecutive ACC win for the first time since they joined the league.

“I don’t think we want to rest on where we’re at,” Miami coach Frank Haith said. “We know it’s not going to be easy. We know these last four ballgames everybody is fighting, trying to continue to play in late March. I know every game we have left on our schedule is going to be a dogfight.”

The Hurricanes will be in position to succeed as long as they keep getting balanced production. Miami has good perimeter scoring led by sharpshooter Jack McClinton and strong interior defense anchored by fifth-year senior Anthony King, and now the team has an emerging offensive threat inside. Sophomore Dwayne Collins scored a career-high 26 points on 12-of-14 shooting against Duke and contributed 12 points on 6-of-11 shooting against Maryland.

The Hurricanes also have made better than 80 percent (79 of 98) of their free throws during their four-game winning streak, a fact that has enabled them to win three games decided by three points or fewer during that stretch.

“There’s no question that’s been a huge plus, our ability to make free throws,” Haith said. “Our perimeter guys are really good free-throw shooters. I think that’s a key stat, and we recognize that. If you’re able to win tight ballgames, you’ve got to have something you can hang your hat on.”

Falling team: Maryland

The Terrapins blew an 11-point second-half lead at home en route to losing to Virginia Tech 69-65, and then they lost at Miami. Maryland has dropped two games in a row and three of four overall since winning 10 of 12.

The Terrapins have a tough finishing schedule with just one home game remaining. They host Clemson in between road trips to Wake Forest and Virginia. And with only one win over the RPI top 50 to its credit, Maryland likely needs to win two of the three to feel good about its NCAA Tournament chances.

“It’s a big test for our team to maintain a very positive attitude,” Maryland coach Gary Williams said. “We had a couple of tough games the past week and played against some teams that are really playing well.”

Player of the week: Tyler Hansbrough, F, North Carolina

Hansbrough continued his tear through the ACC, leading the Tar Heels (26-2, 11-2) to wins over in-state rivals N.C. State and Wake Forest. The 6-9, 250-pound junior tallied 32 points and 12 rebounds in UNC’s 84-70 win over the Wolfpack, and he followed that performance with 29 points and five rebounds in UNC’s 89-73 victory over the Demon Deacons.

Hansbrough made 20 of 32 field-goal attempts and 21 of 27 free throws for the week, and he added nine steals to increase his team-leading total in that category to 44.

“I’m sure Roy [Williams] is as happy as he can be to have that lad,” Wake Forest coach Dino Gaudio said in the ultimate understatement of the year.

Hansbrough, who leads the ACC in scoring (23.4 points per game) and rebounding (10.5 per game), has increased his production when his team needed him most. In the six games UNC has played without injured point guard Ty Lawson, Hansbrough has averaged 29.0 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.

“That kid has put that team on his back,” Gaudio said, “and he’s carrying them.”

Freshman of the week: Moe Miller, G, Georgia Tech

Miller delivered a breakout performance in his team’s 92-84 loss to Virginia Tech on Saturday, scoring a career-high 29 points and grabbing four rebounds in a career-high 31 minutes. Miller, a 6-1, 181-pound point guard, made 7 of 13 field-goal attempts and 13 of 14 free throws.

Miller also added five assists and two turnovers against the Hokies, continuing a positive trend in those departments. After totaling 16 assists and 14 turnovers in the first six games of his college career, Miller has posted an assist-turnover ratio of better than 2-to-1 (55-to-27) in his last 16 contests.

Stats and facts of the week

Virginia’s game at Georgia Tech, postponed because of a leaky roof in the arena, has been rescheduled for March 3 at 7 p.m. As a result, the Cavaliers will have to play three games in a five-day stretch beginning Saturday. The Yellow Jackets will face three games in six days.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski started sophomore Jon Scheyer for the first time this season Saturday in an 86-56 win over St. John’s, bringing sophomore Gerald Henderson off the bench. Scheyer tallied 12 points, three assists and no turnovers in 27 minutes, and Henderson snapped out of his slump with 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting in 23 minutes. Henderson has been bothered by a sprained right wrist, an injury Krzyzewski said will require surgery after the season.

In Miami’s 96-95 win over Duke, the Blue Devils scored 56 points in the game’s final 12:47 after trailing 59-39. Scheyer scored 22 of his career-high 27 points during that span.

North Carolina, which has shot at least 50 percent from the field in four consecutive games, has won at least 11 ACC games for the fourth year in a row for the first time in school history.

North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough has scored 365 points at the Smith Center this season, breaking the school record of 350 set by Rashad McCants in 2002-03. Hansbrough has one home game remaining, but his home scoring average of 24.3 points per game is ahead of the school-record figure of 22.2 points that Antawn Jamison averaged in 1997-98.

In their loss to Virginia Tech, the Terrapins failed to get a single point from their bench for the first time since March 7, 1997 — a span of 395 games.

A pair of young big men posted their first double-doubles during the week. Duke sophomore Brian Zoubek put up 11 points and 13 rebounds against St. John’s, and Boston College freshman Josh Southern tallied 11 points and 10 rebounds in a 66-63 loss to Florida State.

In Virginia Tech’s 92-84 win over Georgia Tech, the teams combined for 60 fouls and 83 free throws. Twenty fouls were called in the game’s first 11 minutes, and 12 players went to the locker room at halftime with at least two fouls.

They said it

“Yeah, I think it’s why I have two artificial hips. As a player myself, that earned me the right to play. We weren’t going to block a lot of shots. And when you’re young like that, you do crazy things. I used to be able to demonstrate a lot of things that I can’t demonstrate right now. Thank goodness for [Duke assistants Johnny] Dawkins, [Steve] Wojciechowski and [Chris] Collins.” — Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski on how he used to show his Army players how to take charges

“It’s real simple. It’s just the next 40 minutes that are the most important. I know that’s the world’s sickest cliché, and you guys are rolling your eyes and thinking it’s coach-speak. But let’s face it: It’s true. I wish I could come up with something really creative so that you could say, ‘Man, that’s brilliant.’ But there’s no brilliance in it. It’s boring.” — Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg on his approach with postseason play nearing

Key upcoming games

Wednesday, Feb. 27
Miami at Clemson, 7:30 p.m. ET
The Hurricanes have won six of the last seven meetings between the teams, including a 75-72 victory Jan. 27 at home. The Tigers, who are 3-0 this season with at least six days to prepare for their next game, enter this game after a seven-day layoff.

Thursday, Feb. 28
Maryland at Wake Forest, 8 p.m. ET
The Terrapins, who won the first meeting between the teams 71-64 in College Park, are looking to snap their two-game skid. That won’t be easy in this one against the Demon Deacons, who are 14-1 at home this season.

Sunday, March 2
Clemson at Maryland, 7:30 p.m. ET
This game will be important regardless of how the Tigers and Terrapins fare in their big games earlier in the week. Clemson is pursuing a rare above-.500 finish in ACC play but can take comfort in its mid-20s RPI standing. Maryland, which finds itself in the mid-60s of the RPI, needs to win this game to boost its NCAA resume.

Tuesday, March 4
Wake Forest at Virginia Tech, 7 p.m. ET
The Demon Deacons erased an eight-point deficit in the final 82 seconds to beat Virginia Tech 77-75 on Dec. 23 in a game that looms large late in the season. The Hokies will enter this game having had a week off since posting their third consecutive victory.

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