You want another sign showing the decline of ACC basketball over the past few years? How about that the ACC had just one underclassman declare (and keep his name in) for the NBA Draft this season.

That guy is J.J. Hickson, and there is even a line of reasoning that NC State may be better without him.

There really were just a few really outstanding seniors leaving (Duke lost DeMarcus Nelson; Virginia lost Sean Singletary). There is a chance where the ACC will have no players taken in the first round of the draft (Hickson is the lone hopeful).

Typically, the ACC fills the draft up with all kinds of talent.

• Last year, three ACC players were lottery picks ... part of six total that were taken in the first round.
• Three players went in the first round in 2006.
• In 2005, seven players went in the first round. (five went in the lottery; three went in the top five).
• In 2004, only Duke's Luol Deng was taken in the first round.

A Sign of a Down ACC? They May Not Have a Player Drafted in the First Round originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Two weeks ago, I mentioned that one of the ACC's biggest offseason stories would be (again) looking into expanding the conference basketball season to 18 games. For the third straight season, the current system of scheduling has been a talking point.

Last year, Virginia won a share of the ACC regular season crown with what was, statistically, the weakest schedule in the conference. This past season, Virginia Tech played UNC, Duke and Clemson just once apiece ... and that may have cost them an NCAA Tournament bid.

Now, the ACC may look into expanding the season from 16 to 18 games.

The Big East, Big Ten and Pac-10 all play the 18-game schedule and it hasn't hurt them come tournament time. The ACC is currently in a tournament funk (getting bids and winning games) and losing those bids to teams from those conferences.

Some say that adding the two extra games actually hurts the conference's RPI because it means those bad teams have to play more games, too. True, but one of the reasons the ACC continues to sit near the top of those RPI standings is because their "bad" teams are usually better than the other league's "bad" teams.

Typically the lower level teams in the ACC still can stick with the best of the bunch. Last season, Boston College and Virginia put scares into #1 ranked North Carolina. That's what has made the ACC what it is.

Now, there would be the worry that it would cannibalize the league a bit. I don't see it that way: I see it as giving an opportunity for those bubble teams to get an extra game or two against the ACC's top teams, pumping up their RPI and giving them a shot to get a big win or two on their tournament resume. It may cost a UNC or Duke a loss on their record, but could give a Florida State or Virginia Tech that one extra win they need to get in.

The ones who hate this idea is the coaches, of course. They say the ACC season is hard enough and that adding those two games who hurt their non-conference scheduling. The conference ... outside of Clemson ... prides itself on taking on anyone anywhere (well, as long as anywhere for Duke is New York).

ACC Looking at Expanding the Basketball Schedule to Eighteen Games originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The College Basketball Invitational was created because, apparently, there was such an interest in non-NCAA tournament events that the N.I.T. couldn't contain it (obviously, I'm being sarcastic).

So, while the NCAA and NIT fields have been set, the CBI got to look through the rest of the clearance rack and pick off sixteen teams for their own little dance.

Tuesday: Richmond at Virginia, Houston at Nevada, Brown at Ohio, Rider at Old Dominion
Wednesday: Cincinnati at Bradley, Valparaiso at Washington, Miami-OH at Tulsa, Utah at UTEP

The winners of these games will face off next Monday. The semifinals will take place on Wednesday, March 26th. Then there will be a best-of-three championship series taking place the following week. Most of the games will be on Fox College Sports ... a network most people don't get. And even if they did, they're probably not watching this.

Look, I'm all for letting these kids extend their collegiate careers. Really, I am. But this is dumb. Credibility is shot when you invite a 13-18 Cincinnati team.

Who's #98? First College Basketball Invitational Field Announced originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 17 Mar 2008 02:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yes, UNC beat Duke last night to win the ACC Championship. Still, there is a lot to play for on the final day of the regular season. There is seeding in the ACC tournament and bubbles to try to fly off of for a few teams.

Maryland at Virginia. The Terps are sitting at 18-12 and squarely on the bubble. The Cavs have been the league's doormat for most of the season, but have suddenly gotten a little hot. This is a must game for Maryland as a loss would be devastating for their NCAA hopes. A win makes them the #5 seed in the ACC tournament and a matchup with the last place NC State Wolfpack (who have lost eight straight).

Virginia Tech at Clemson. The winner of this game will be the #3 seed -- the loser is #4 (the #3 avoids UNC until the title game). This is so important to Virginia Tech's (18-11) tournament hopes. Right now, they are on the outside looking in. The biggest complaint against the Hokies resume is that they haven't beaten anyone important. Winning at Clemson would fulfill that. Of course, there is that little thing about ... winning at Clemson.

It can be done (Charlotte did it), but can Tech do it? Their biggest road win was at Maryland a few weeks ago.

Miami. The Canes' season is over, but they will have a little interest at what goes on today. If Maryland beats Virginia, Miami will be the #6 seed in the ACC tournament. That means a date with Tyrese Rice and Boston College on Thursday and, with a win, a date with the Clemson-Va Tech winner on Friday.

A Terps loss and the Canes take on NC State, Thursday, then the Clemson-Va Tech loser on Friday.

Interesting that Miami could be a #6 seed in this tournament, yet is considered by many a virtual lock to get into the NCAA tournament ... at least ahead of Maryland and Virginia Tech.

Here is the seeding for the ACC tournament heading into the day:

Thursday

• #8-Wake Forest vs #9-Florida State
• #5-Miami/Maryland vs #12-NC State
• #7-Ga Tech vs #10-Virginia
• #6-Miami/Maryland vs #11-Boston College

Friday

• #1-North Carolina vs Wake/FSU
• #4-Clemson/Va Tech vs Miami/Maryland/NC State
• #2-Duke vs Ga Tech/Virginia
• #3-Clemson/Va Tech vs Miami/Maryland/BC

ACC, Maryland, Virginia Tech Still Has a Lot to Play for Today originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 09 Mar 2008 13:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It is senior week in the ACC, as many home courts will say goodbye to their four year (or five) players. Many people feel that if you actually get to senior week, it just means you weren't good enough to get to the NBA. Maybe that's true, but there is nothing wrong with topping out as an ACC player.

Thanks for the memories.

Sean Singletary, Virginia: Singletary is one of the ACC's best leaders. Last year, he (along with JR Reynolds) led the Cavs to an unprobable ACC championship. Even as Virginia is struggling this year, Singletary is playing like a Player of the Year candidate.

DeMarcus Nelson, Duke: Nelson has followed a long like of athletic Duke swingmen who emerge into a major leadership role. Only Nelson had to do so sooner. Due to an uncommon young era of Blue Devil basketball, he has been forced into being the steadying influence for a couple of years. He's got it all: scoring, rebounding, great at finding teammates and a pretty good defender. On a team of shooters, he's the guy that can break his man down and get easy baskets. An All-ACC player.

James Gist, Maryland: Gist is one of the best big men in the conference. Once just an athletic forward, now he can score from a variety of places on the court. He's still deadly in the paint, as as scorer, on the boards and as a shot blocker.

James Mays, Clemson: Mays has been a glue factor for the rebuilt Tigers. A beast on the inside, his numbers may not wow you. But when healthy, he has done his fair share of damage on both ends of the court. He's the point man in Clemson's deadly press and a great passer out of the post.

Gavin Grant, NC State: Grant is a tall guy who has an outside game. He has a ton of skill for a man his height and is one of those "try too hard" kind of guys. Grant may be best remembered for saying this year's State team would lose no more than four games (they've lost 14 thus far).

Deron Washington, Virginia Tech: All you need to know is this.

Anthony Morrow, Georgia Tech: Morrow is one of the better shooters to come through this league. He's one of those guys that opponents try to hold from getting in a zone. In his sophomore season, Morrow averaged 16 ppg, but has fallen back a bit. This year, his scoring is back and he's among the greatest FT shooters in ACC history.

Quentin Thomas, UNC: For Tar Heel fans, Thomas has been through it all. Few people know that he started his first game in Carolina blue, a loss to Santa Clara in the 2004-2005 season (Raymond Felton was suspended for that game). Thomas won a national championship with that team but hasn't been a huge part of the program. When he did get time, everyone just prayed that he'd limit the damage until Felton, Bobby Frasor or Ty Lawson got the rest they needed. However, he has done a bang up job this year as he's been pressed into duty ... losing only to Duke. He should get quite the ovation on Tuesday when the Heels finish up their home season.

Cliff Hammond, Clemson: The vocal leader has been Mr. Consistency at Clemson. His scoring (around 11 ppg) assists (around 4 pg) and rebounds (about 3.5) have been steady in each of his four seasons ... as he's trying to be just the sixth Tiger to average double figures scoring in all four seasons. What has gone up is his FG%, as he's one of the better shooting guards in the league. So why the horrid free throw shooting??

Jeremis Smith, Georgia Tech: We will miss your dunks!

Bambale Osby, Maryland: The greatest hair in the ACC since the white spot on Rasheed Wallace's dome. Osby is a bull in a china shop. One of those hard working guys that this conference loves.

Anthony King, Miami: A beast on the boards, he is one of the ACC's most impactful players.

Isaiah Swann, Florida State: Not so much of a table setter as a sweet shooter. Sadly, he's been sidelined over the last couple weeks of his final season with an ACL injury.

Others: BC's John Oates and Tyrelle Blair, Clemson's Sam Perry, FSU's Jason Rich, Ralph Mims and Matt Zitani, Ga Tech's Matt Causey, Maryland's Josh McAlpin, Miami's Raymond Hicks, Virginia'a Adrian Joseph and Ryan Pettinella.

Ode to the ACC Seniors originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 04 Mar 2008 11:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First off, let me give hat tips to Ryan of Thrice Fortnight and Basketball Prospectus' Ken Pomeroy. Ryan submitted a comment to something I wrote which led me to KenPom's statistical analysis. In turn, I pulled out the pencil, paper and calculator to review the stats myself.

It is about the current ACC basketball season. Statistically, it is one of the wildest seasons ever. Heading into Thursday's action, there have been 56 conference games played. Of that, 25 of those games have been decided by three points or less ... or gone to overtime (which is considered as being decided by one possession). That is an astonishing 44.6% of games.

According to Basketball Prospectus, since 2000 there have been 20.8% of all NCAA games that have been decided by three points or less or gone to overtime.

This puts the ACC on the cusp of historic territory. No conference this decade has had more than a third of its games fall into the nailbiter category.

I crunched the numbers myself and there has been ten ACC games that have gone into overtime. That means 17.8% of all conference games ends up going to OT. Clemson has been in overtime four times. North Carolina and Virginia have done so three times.

Heck, the Tar Heels have had six conference games decided by two points or less, or that have gone into overtime. At the bottom of the ACC lies Virginia, who have had five games decided by two points or less, or in overtime.

The purpose of the study was to see how tight the ACC really was despite the appearance of "Duke, UNC and everyone else". The fact that the ACC appears to have a bunch of middle of the road teams may hurt them come Selection Sunday. However, you can see that there isn't much seperating the very best from the very worst.

Well, until you read this:

ACC Hoops Part 1: 44% of Conference Games Decided By One Possession originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 15 Feb 2008 02:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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North Carolina point guard Ty Lawson will miss a third straight game with a high ankle sprain. He will sit for Tuesday night's game against Virginia and it is unknown when he will play again.

Senior Quentin Thomas has been starting in his place with mixed results. At times, he's looked pretty good. At other times, he is very erratic and turnover prone. Junior Bobby Frasor is out for the season with a torn ACL suffered in December.

Thomas had been backed up by Marcus Ginyard ... the Tar Heels' starting small forward. Now comes word that he won't play against Virginia either. Ginyard, who has been nursing a sprained left big toe, twisted his ankle in the first half against Clemson on Sunday. There is a possibility that he may suit up, but it is doubtful that he'll play.

That means that North Carolina has no other real options at point guard. Sophomore transfer Marc Campbell could be a possibility. Campbell has played in just twelve games this season (all of 20 minutes), mostly in garbage time. He has scored five points and dished out two assists all season long.

Normally, being a bit short against the last place team in the ACC isn't a big deal, but Virginia's point guard is some guy named Sean Singletary ... who is one of the top scorers in the ACC.

UNC's Ty Lawson Won't Play Against Virginia; Neither Will Marcus Ginyard originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 12 Feb 2008 01:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What a day of college basketball! Especially in the ACC. The three remaining unbeaten teams in ACC play all took the court on Saturday. Only one survived.

One of the teams that didn't was top-ranked North Carolina who saw their trouble spots all hit a perfect storm today against Maryland. They weren't hitting from the perimeter (they missed 18 of their 25 three-point attempts) and weren't tight with their defensive assignments. It hurt them against Clemson and Ga Tech, but they left both places with wins mainly because their outside shots were hitting. Today, they weren't. It was like watching the Georgetown game all over again.

On another point of the Triangle, Gavin Grant stole an inbounds pass and scored a layup with two seconds remaining to give NC State a 79-77 victory over #24 Miami. The win was the first in conference play for the Wolfpack who looked horrific in their first two ACC games and gives the Canes a two-game losing skid.

Duke, the third point of the Triangle andthe lone unbeaten remaing, did the expected and beat Clemson, 93-80. But I digress.

Back to the upsets, Virginia beat Boston College, 84-66, giving the Eagles their first ACC loss. It's amazing since Virginia ... like NC State ... had looked like garbage in their first two games. By the way, Dave Leitao gets some props for having his Cavaliers dress in the hallway because he said they didn't deserve a locker room. Wow.

Finally, we have the battle of the Techs: Virginia vs Georgia. Georgia Tech is the only ACC school with a sub-.500 record overall ... yet they beat Virginia Tech, 81-70. G-Tech is an enigma: they played North Carolina and Kansas to the wire, yet lost to UNC-Greensboro.

So, two weeks into the ACC season and we get chaos. Three teams got their first conference win today as two received their first losses.

Terps Win Over Heels Just Beginning of Upsetting Day in ACC originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 19 Jan 2008 23:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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"I'll say the same thing I've been saying," said [Va Tech head coach Seth] Greenberg, whose team won by a point against Maryland in its previous game. "It's one stop, one rebound, one roll of the ball. That's the difference between having a good ride home and questioning everything you're doing."

And what a streak ender it was! Tech's Deron Washington hit a lay-up at the buzzer ... in overtime ... to give the Hokies the 70-69 win.

Tech hasn't had much success against Virginia. Virginia had won 29 of the last 37 meetings between the two. In the 40 years between wins at Charlottesville, the VT-UVa series has only been held on the Cavs' turf nine times. From 1974 to 2001, the series was typically held at neutral sites like Richmond, Norfolk, Roanoke and Hampton.

Virginia Tech Wins at Virginia for First Time Since 1968 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 17 Jan 2008 02:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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And The Beat Goes On: Xavier Thumps UVA originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 03 Jan 2008 22:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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People who woke up 25 years ago today saw on their news' sports segments what may be the biggest upset in college basketball history: Chaminade beating Virginia. This was before we had umpteen sports channels and our TVs actually went off the air late at night (remember the flag, the national anthem and then the color bars?).

This was Virginia ... the #1 team in the country who had Ralph Sampson, who was working on his third straight player of the year award. This was Chaminade ... an 800-student NAIA school from Honolulu. Just a week or so before this game, Virginia had just beaten Patrick Ewing's Georgetown squad in the "Game Of The Century". They had just beaten Akeem Olajawon's Houston team in Tokyo ... yes, Tokyo ... with Sampson out sick.

The late Tom Mees was nearing the end of a SportsCenter on ESPN that night and was given a piece of paper with the news of the upset on it, but he balked at reading it.

"We were dumbfounded," Mees told the Honolulu Star-Bulletin at the time. "Nobody had heard of Chaminade then. I asked them to double-check it.

"Usually I would bolt for the door to go home and get some sleep, but that night I went back upstairs and called someone in Honolulu. If I was going to read something this momentous to the country, I wanted to at least make sure I'd been right."

Random YouTube Magic: 25 Years Since Chaminade Beat Virginia originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 24 Dec 2007 10:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Right now is the slow time in the ACC. It's finals time at many ACC schools so the games are few and far between. With the holidays coming up and a full blast of the conference season once 2008 begins, let's take a gander at the ACC's power poll as of now:

1-North Carolina: The Tar Heels are #1 in the polls and boast the nation's third highest scoring team. They're also coming to the end of a road trip that saw them go a month between home games.
2-Duke: There may not be a team that has looked more impressive than Duke. The defense is still there, but they've found an offense to go with it.
3-Clemson: Okay ... is this the year that the Tigers can keep this going for an entire season?

4-Virginia: I'm a sucker for the Cavs. However, I wanna see them play at Xavier and Duke in a few weeks.
5-Miami: Sure, we all love those 9-0 Canes. But the biggest test to date was VCU (which is a good team).
6-Florida State: Their two losses have been by a total of three points. Plus they are blowing out pretty much every cupcake they play.

ACC Power Rankings: Holiday Break Edition originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 14 Dec 2007 17:27:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The 9th annual ACC-Big Ten Challenge is underway and the ACC seems to be picking up where they've left off. The Atlantic Coast Conference has won all eight previous Challenges and won 8 of the 11 games last year.

Well, it's starting again. On Monday, Wake Forest beat Iowa, 56-47 to give the ACC a quick 1-0 lead. On Tuesday, the ACC won 4 of the 5 games played.

• Florida State beat Minnesota, 75-61
• Virginia beat Northwestern, 94-52
• Duke beat Wisconsin, 82-58
• Clemson beat Purdue, 61-58

ACC Begins Its Annual Slapping Of Big Ten originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 28 Nov 2007 01:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virginia's Sean Singletary is fashioning out a nice start to his senior season. Singletary scored 24 points and made all 11 of his free throw attempts ... including two that broke a 69-69 tie with just over :80 left in the game. Singletary then came down and hit a clutch shot at the top of the key and the Cavaliers never looked back.

Virginia beat #17 Arizona, 75-72, on the same floor which they were blown out by 30 points just two years ago. Singletary was just a sophomore then, but has now emerged as a leader and a candidate for the ACC Player of the Year. What was most impressive is that despite the tough shooting night (just 6 of 19), he created opportunities by crashing to the hoop and getting to the line. He also was a distributor, dropping off 8 assists.

It helps that his teammates were freakin' unconscious. The Cavs shot 51% from the field ... and 57% from behind the arc. Take out Singletary's poor 1-of-6 from three point range and the rest of the Cavs made 11 of their 15 treys.

This Virginia team will be tough in the ACC this year. This league has seen plenty of senior players do great things for their teams ... just as Jared Dudley did for Boston College last year or Josh Howard, Juan Dixon and Chris Carrawell did in recent years. All won ACC Player of the Year honors in their senior seasons.

Virginia is a team that many are sleeping on. Remember, they were ACC regular season co-champions last season and have a lot of experience returning.

Singletary Leads Virginia to Win At Arizona originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 18 Nov 2007 01:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The ACC has gone two seasons without placing a team in the Final Four ... for the first time since 1980. Duke had a down year. Clemson went 17-0 yet couldn't nail down a tournament bid. Florida State was a huge disappointment. Virginia and Virginia Tech came out of nowhere to challenge for a conference title.

Oh, and the league lost Brandan Wright [#8 pick], Thaddeus Young [#12 pick], Al Thornton [#14 pick], Sean Williams [#17 pick], Javaris Crittenton [#19 pick], Josh McRoberts [#37 pick], Reyshawn Terry [#44 pick] and DJ Strawberry [#59 pick] to the NBA and others to graduation. What will the ACC hold this season???

1-North Carolina
2-NC State
3-Duke
4-Clemson
5-Virginia
6-Maryland
7-Georgia Tech
8-Boston College
9-Miami
10-Florida State
11-Wake Forest
12-Virginia Tech

Also:
Hottest Coaching Seats

ACC Hoops Preview: 2007-2008 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 31 Oct 2007 20:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Who are the main men? James Mays tested the NBA waters, but came back. That gives Clemson one of the best big men in the league. What will be interesting to see is if Mays tries to develop a perimeter game [which is what he learned that he needed] and if that affects what Clemson wants to do. Alongside Mays is Trevor Booker, another bulky beast that is tough to push around.

What are the team's strengths? That front line will be tough. Mays and Booker are legit ACC bodies that have been through the wars. They also get Jerai Grant, nephew of former Tiger Horace Grant. KC Rivers actually was a scoring leader for Clemson last year, though he was primarily a sixth man.

When will we see them struggle? Vernon Hamilton is gone, which leaves them a bit thin at experienced point guards. Frosh Demontez Stitt could get the nod, or a guy like Rivers who isn't accustomed to that role.

Why should anyone care? Clemson is the troubled son of this league. They have none of the history of the traditional ACC schools and would love to become a factor again. Plus, wouldn't be nice to see them finish what they started?

How stable is the program? This team has tore up the pre-conference schedule ... and even did well in the beginning of last year's ACC slate. However, being an ACC team that goes 17-0, yet misses the NCAA tournament says something about respect level the Tigers have.

Where will they finish in the ACC? Clemson is as experienced as anyone else in this conference. They are one of the few teams that didn't lose a big amount to graduation/draft. I think they can challenge for an ACC championship if they can find a way to handle success.

Name you didn't know, but will: Jerai Grant: Grant, as I said, is the nephew of former Clemson Tiger Horace Grant and son of NBAer Harvey Grant. Once he gets some bulk to him, he could be the next in a long line of NBA caliber Clemson forwards.

ACC Hoops Preview: #4-Clemson originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 31 Oct 2007 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Who are the main men? All-ACC player Sean Singletary waited until the final day to pull his name out of the NBA Draft. Not only was it the smartest thing he could have done, it also turned Virginia from a one-hit wonder to a team that could contend again for the ACC title.

What are the team's strengths? Singletary gives the Cavaliers a bona fide star that most ACC teams don't have ... especially at the guard spot. He's so tough to guard because he's quick and can shoot for distance at a nice average.

When will we see them struggle? When Singletary steps on the court and not see JR Reynolds out there. hey have other shooters [Adrian Joseph being one] but they are one-dimentional. Also, it will be key to see further improvement from forward Laurynas Mikalauskas

Why should anyone care? Having Virginia relevant again is a great thing. Not since the Bryant Stith/John Crotty days has UVa been a real threat to win ACC titles.

How stable is the program? Dave Leitao has this program going in the right direction, plus they have a jewel of an arena [John Paul Jones Arena] that will lure recruits in.

Where will they finish in the ACC? Virginia had a very fortunate schedule last year that allowed them to win the ACC. It won't be as easy this time around. Still, Singletary could turn into a Julius Hodge type who carries this team to the top tier of the ACC.

Name you didn't know, but will: Mustapha Farrakhan. He's grand daddy is only the Nation Of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. Farrakhan is a long range gunner who will need to work on his ballhandling.

ACC Hoops Preview: #5-Virginia originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 30 Oct 2007 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virginia Cavaliers' 2007-2008 Hoops Schedule Released originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 04 Sep 2007 14:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Despite some chit-chat about creating an 18-game schedule, the ACC shelved the idea at the recent coaches meetings. The feeling is that the league will stay in the current 16-game format for the remainder of the current television contracts, which end in 2010-2011.

Currently, every team plays two rival teams twice each and every season, plays two games against three teams [which go on a rotating basis every three years] and one game against the other six schools. The knock on the current format is that former ACC rivals get caught not playing much [like co-champs UNC and Virginia] and that certain teams end up with a much tougher conference sked than other schools. An 18-game slate wouldn't solve those problems, but would help a little bit.

This, to me, buys some time for the league to figure out what is best in the long run and where the NCAA could do down the road. One problem is that a longer conference season means that there could be less national matchups [like the UNC-Arizona, Virginia-Stanford series or the upcoming Duke-Michigan combo] which would hurt the league's national standing.

ACC Will Stick to 16 Games originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 17 May 2007 23:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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