March started days ago. The Madness started Wednesday night.
On an evening where bubble teams could've punched their ticket to the NCAA tournament and boosters could've started humming bars of "One Shining Moment," teams turned down invitations like they were to a wedding without an open bar or the People's Choice Awards.
A memo, fellows. This isn't an invitation to a candlelight dinner with Randy Johnson. "Big Dance" doesn't mean you're cutting a rug with Mark Madsen or waltzing cheek-to-cheek with Mike Tyson.
Duke and North Carolina were separated by a single game in the ACC standings heading into Sunday; little did Duke know it, but they nearly had a chance to tie the Tar Heels again. However, games against Boston College and Miami, respectively, ended the wrong way for the Devils.
Boston College 80, Duke 74: The same problems that have plagued the Blue Devils all season -- point guard play as well as lack of an inside presence -- came into play again Sunday afternoon.
Wake Forest was on a very unexpected two-game losing streak heading into today's game against Boston College, following losses to Miami and Georgia Tech. The Eagles, meanwhile, were surprisingly all alone in third place in the league.
But a funny thing happened on the way to a tight battle of teams near the top of the ACC -- Wake drubbed Boston College 93-76.
It shouldn't come as a tremendous surprise that the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, the nation's only remaining undefeated team, are the consensus number one team in the nation. Oh wait, what's that? They're not the consensus team? Interesting.
They are close though -- Duke garnered four AP first place votes and six votes in the coaches poll to lock up the second overall ranking in both polls, while Connecticut and Pittsburgh rounded out the top four. Perhaps Coach K's media scathing resonated with more than just the News & Observer.
This is, the first time that Wake has been No. 1 since Chris Paul graced the hardwood of Lawrence Joel, but it's an interesting change because this is a completely different Deacon team, and one that's dominated by a youthful demeanor.
The Eagles had won 13-of-14 against the Hurricanes. Going back to their days in the Big East, it had been ten years since Miami won a game in Chestnut Hill. The drought came to an end tonight as Miami knocked off Boston College, 77-71.
The Hurricanes simply took and made better shots than the Eagles. Whether it was in the paint, from the perimeter or from the free throw line. Miami just shot better than Boston College. Miami spread it around with five players finishing in double-digits, but no player with more than thirteen points. The Hurricanes continually drove to the basket looking for shots inside. Dwayne Collins absolutely killed Boston College inside, drawing a slew of fouls that led to all but two of his thirten points coming from free throws.
Apparently they can play some ball in the Ivy League. Okay maybe Harvard wouldn't beat UNC, though, fellow Ivy Leaguer, Penn only lost by 15 to the Tar Heels.
Still the team that just went down to Chapel Hill to beat UNC comes home and loses at home to Harvard, 82-70. So, you could at least make connection. Or, you could chalk this one up to the classic let down game and/or looking past a presumed gimme.
''I tried to pre-warn them,'' said [Boston College coach, Al] Skinner after one of the Eagles' more disappointing regular season losses in many years. ''We were capable of being this team and capable of being another team.'' ... ''I told them its a short trip from the main house to the big house to the out house,'' Skinner said.
Apparently, Coach Skinner tried to give them a message.
The Eagles were guaranteed to struggle when their best player, guard Tyrese Rice, was held to only 3 points for the first 36 minutes. The best guard tonight was Harvard's Jeremy Lin who went for 27 points and did his damage inside -- 9-11 shooting from inside the arc.
So BC follows up handing the top team in the country their first defeat by coming home and losing to what was a 7-6 Harvard team that had losses to Boston University, Northeastern and William and Mary. It doesn't erase the win from Sunday, but it sure makes it look like a fluke.
ACC play has officially begun. In their first conference game of the season, the No. 1 ranked North Carolina Tar Heels were beaten by unranked Boston College, 85-78.
How the Eagles did it was pretty simple: BC was on fire from behind the arc and clamped down on the Heels defensively. The Eagles also fought on the offensive glass and kept UNC from getting into its deadly transition game. That fact caused the normally poised Tar Heels to take frustration shots and make frustration fouls, which fed the deficit.
This was the first time all season that the Tar Heels have been truly tested. In every other game, they went on huge runs to create distance from their opponents. Of course, those runs are fueled by creating turnovers and getting out on the break and Boston College simply wasn't allowing that. BC kept the Tar Heels in check with a 17-7 run in the middle of the second half and Carolina just couldn't complete the comeback.
The ACC has had an interesting start to the season. You have top-ranked North Carolina just rolling over everyone and flexing their muscle. Duke has looked very impressive for most of the year. Wake Forest and Clemson are still undefeated and climbing the polls.
Still, there have been some bad moments. Miami hasn't looked as good as advertised, Maryland followed up one impressive win by getting blown out twice. Virginia Tech has lost on two buzzer beaters. Then there is the glut of also-rans that litter the bottom half of the league.
Conference season doesn't get into full swing for another week or so and there has already been two league games played. There are some big non-conference game this week (Ga Tech at Alabama, Xavier at Virginia, NC State at Florida, Wake Forest at BYU) but the highlight will be the ACC's top two teams starting conference play.
The ACC/Big Ten Challenge is entering its final day of action. Both conferences have won three games. The ACC has a slim lead in points, 405 to 402.
One interesting note is that the ACC was 33-4 at home during the first nine years of the Challenge. They've already lost two home games this year.
Let's take a look back at what has happened:
Wisconsin 74, Virginia Tech 72: The Badgers avoided an upset with a Trevon Hughes jumper with 0.7 seconds remaining. The Tech loss was the first for an ACC team at home in the Challenge in 11 games. Big Ten leads 1-0
Ohio State 73, Miami-FL 68: How about another road win for the Big Ten? Miami's Jack McClinton was ejected after taking a swipe at a Buckeye player. After an agressive run by the Canes, Ohio State mounted a second half comeback and pulled out the win. Big Ten leads 2-0.
Clemson 76, Illinois 74: Clemson puts the ACC on the board with their own road win. The Tigers' Demontez Stitt led the Tigers with 18 points and they used their defensive pressure to force 17 Illini turnovers. Big Ten leads 2-1.
Boston College 57, Iowa 55: Iowa's Andrew Brommer missed the front end of a one-and-one with 0.4 seconds left as the Hawkeyes fell to BC. Boston College held on despite scoring just one point in the final 4:45. Challenge tied 2-2.
Duke 76, Purdue 60: Jon Scheyer came back to his home turf and scored 20 points for the Blue Devils. Kyle Singer was scorching hot late to put the game away. The win helped flex the ACC's muscle. ACC leads 3-2.
You'd think that if you held Tyrese Rice to just five field goal attempts that you would be able to handle Boston College. Rice would hit nine of his 12 free throw attempts and helped BC to a 57-55 win over Iowa.
The Eagles nearly gave this one away. They held a 56-45 lead with 4:45 left in the game. So, naturally, BC would score just one point the rest of the way and held off a furious Hawkeye comeback.
The comeback was nearly complete as Iowa's Andrew Brommer had two free throw attempts to tie the game. As Brommer was receiving the ball for a desperation three-pointer to win it, BC's Corey Raji grabbed him with 0.4 seconds left and before he could get a shot off. Brommer would miss the front end of the one-and-one and the game was over.
Brommer is just 3-of-15 from the stripe this year and I don't understand why he was even on the floor at that point of the game. It was Iowa's only missed free throw all night.
Everyone shot bad in this one. Iowa shot just 42%; Boston College shot 38.8%. Rice (15 points) was the only Eagle in double figures.
NCAA Basketball 
March started days ago. The Madness started Wednesday night. 
Wake Forest was on a very unexpected two-game losing streak heading into today's game against Boston College, following losses to Miami and Georgia Tech. The Eagles, meanwhile, were surprisingly all alone in third place in the league.
Ranking the rankings
The Eagles had won 13-of-14 against the Hurricanes. Going back to their days in the Big East, it had been ten years since Miami won a game in Chestnut Hill. The drought came to an end tonight as Miami knocked off Boston College, 77-71.
Apparently they can play some ball in the 
ACC play has officially begun. In their first conference game of the season, the No. 1 ranked North Carolina Tar Heels were beaten by unranked Boston College, 85-78.
The ACC has had an interesting start to the season. You have top-ranked North Carolina just rolling over everyone and flexing their muscle. Duke has looked very impressive for most of the year. Wake Forest and Clemson are still undefeated and climbing the polls. 
The ACC/Big Ten Challenge is entering its final day of action. Both conferences have won three games. The ACC has a slim lead in points, 405 to 402. 
You'd think that if you held 
