Talk about the ACC Tournament with Seminole fans on the Hoops Message Board

Georgia Tech 69, Maryland 64 Final

The Greivis Vasquez of old returned in the final minutes. The Terps had their chances, but Vasquez cost them dearly, by dribbling into a trap in the corner that led to a block and a turnover and having an ill-advised 3-pointer blocked as well.

Have to believe that Tech has wrapped up an NCAA bid after beating a team that finished first in the regular season standings.

But, it's tough to believe Tech can string together two or three good games in the NCAA Tourney. The Yellow Jackets gave up a 19-point lead and combined for 26 turnovers. The Jackets were also lucky on a few bad calls, most namely, a Derrick Favors dunk that should have been a shot clock violation.

I'll be on our live blog for the FSU-NC State game from here on out. Thanks for reading everyone.

This has also been the most poorly officiated game of the tourney so far. A lot of questionable calls and no-calls, especially that in bounds play where the Terps appeared to steal the ball and score, then the official whistled a dead ball after the basket.

Georgia Tech 48, Maryland 46 11:39 left in second half

No wonder there is so much talk of Paul Hewitt's job being on the line. How do you lose a lead that big that fast?

Hewitt has already called two timeouts this half and his team hasn't been able to stop the bleeding after either. You have to put a bunch of the blame on the leadership. Tech has lacked composure and consistency all season and this time around it may just cost them an NCAA bid.

Tech's guards are getting open looks and knocking them down - the team is a combined 6 of 8 from 3-point land - and when that happens the Jackets can look like the best team in the league. Paul Hewitt's club is also doing a good job getting the ball inside to the big men in good spots, it's led to a lot of high-percentage looks.

Maryland is somewhat the victim of a horrible shooting half - the Terps are 0 for 6 from 3-point range and 9 of 31 from the floor - but their struggling to create open looks and making silly mistakes with the ball.

Tech's man to man defense has also been strong. The Terps need to be more patient with the ball and create some more movement on offense. Strangely, the ball hasn't been in Greivis Vasquez's hands as much as usual. Go to think that will change soon.

Georgia Tech could lock up an NCAA berth with a win while a loss would create some doubt.

The Terps are playing for seeding purposes at this point. Win the tourney, especially by beating Duke in the finals, and they may be able to climb as high as a No. 2 seed.

Moreover, the last time these two teams played it turned out to be one of the best ACC games of the year. There were four lead changes in the last 25 seconds, including a 25-footer from Maryland's Cliff Tucker at the buzzer which gave the Terps a 76-74 win in College Park.

I'm expecting Georgia Tech to pull of the upset. They really out played the Terps on the Terps' home floor and deserved to win. Defending big men Derrick Favors and Gani Lawal should also be troublemsome for the Terps.

Maryland needs to a lot of movement and ball rotation on offense to take advantage of their guards and the fact a number of their players are good shooters.

Miami 70, Virginia Tech 65 Final

Don't call this upset a fluke. Miami didn't get outrageously hot from the outside or catch some breaks. The Hurricanes simply out played the Hokies.

Miami's 2-3 zone was even better than against Wake in the first round. Malcom Delaney, the ACC's top scorer at 20-plus ppg, was held to seven points, his lowest total of the season (not counting a one-minute outing vs. Longwood). Delaney was 0-of-8 from 3-point range.

Miami's freshman point guard Durand Scott, who finished with a team-high 17, made a pair of tough bank shots in the final minutes. Both were some of the best plays of the tourney.

Miami freshmen DeQuan Jones and Reggie Johnson played big roles for the second straight game. Jones, whose dunk against Wake still stands as the play of the tourney, had 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting. Johnson gave the Hurricanes an inside presence, grabbing 12 boards and blocking three shots.

Really felt like Miami's depth wore down VT. Miami played nine guys 15 minutes or more. The Hokies had six players go 17 minutes or more.

This upset was also good news for FSU, which beat Miami twice this year. A couple of more points higher in the RPI could mean the difference between a No. 7 and a No. 8 seed.

Miami is sticking to that same 2-3 zone that gave Wake problems. Probably going to take Virginia Tech knocking down some outside shots for the Hokies to pull this one out.

Miami is nearing the double bonus. Virginia Tech has eight fouls and Miami just four. That will probably be a big factor too.

Looks like Miami continues to play well without their top big men Dwayne Collins. Miami freshman DeQuan Jones seems to really be breaking out in the ACC tourney. He had a big game yesterday and leads the 'Canes with 11 right now.

Miami has a lot more depth than the Hokies, who play their guards Malcom Delaney and Dorenzo Hudson almost all game long every game, so maybe that will show up here down the stretch.

If Virginia's Sammy Zeglinski hadn't had such an off shooting game the Cavs may have won. Zeglinski missed all nine of his field goal attempts and had five turnovers. Of course, some of that was because of Duke's D, which was very good.

Duke 46, Virginia 39 7:40 left in first half

That charge Duke's Lance Thomas just took may be the play of the game so far. It was going to lead to an easy layup for the Cavs. Instead, there was no score and Duke has the ball back.

You can feel the momentum slipping steadily onto Duke's side here. If UVa doesn't get some big baskets soon this game is going to get out of their reach.

I'd say Virginia's defense is keeping them close more than anything. They have been very sound and haven't given up a single easy basket.

For Virginia to keep this up and pull off the upset, which would be the biggest of the postseason by far, they are going to have to hit a few more 3-pointers and continue to keep the place slow.

Here's perhaps the scariest stat for Duke fans: UVa point Sammy Zeglinksi, who had 22 points yesterday, has yet to score.

I'm fully expecting Duke to take control in the second half. Look for the Blue Devils' defense to generate some turnovers that lead to transition baskets and get their fans into the game.

A Duke loss here would likely cost the Blue Devils a No. 1 seed but they can't do any worse than a No. 2 in the NCAA tourney. And, really there isn't that much of a difference between a 1 or 2 overall seed in the Big Dance.

Going to be interesting to see if Duke continues to press. It doesn't seem to be helping much. Virginia has three guards who are each solid ball handlers.

You still get the feeling Duke is going to explode offensively soon. They have too many weapons to stay cold for too long.

All signs point towards Duke winning in a rout. The Blue Devils have far more talent, depth and size and a far better body of work this season as well.

Virginia pulled off a surprising upset yesterday by knocking off Boston College behind some great shooting from their point guard Sammy Zeglinski. But with thier best player (Sylven Landesberg) and another starting guard (Calvin Baker) both out it will be an extremely tough task just to keep it close. The Cavs need Zeglinski and big man Mike Scott to play the games of their life to have a chance.

NC State used a stingy man-to-man defense to frustrate Clemson for most of the night. The Tigers never got in a rhythm offensively.

Defending Tracy Smith, who had a game-high 19 points, will be a huge key for the 'Noles.

I'll have a story up on the site tomorrow detailing the NC State-FSU matchup tomorrow night.

While playing Clemson would have given FSU another chance at a 'quality win,' I think facing NC State gives them a better chance to advance.

FSU's interior defense is so strong that I think they would neutralize Smith, which would make it tough for the 'Pack to score.

Clemson has to do a better job getting the ball to Trevor Booker. Don't want to lose his last ACC Tournament game without getting him enough touches.

Gonzalez hasn't looked good since coming back. He's a little tentative and has hasn't been looking to penetrate off the dribble.

Gonzalez got ice and tape on the ankle on the bench, put his sneaker back on and then headed to the locker room. If he can't come back it would be a huge blow. He is a key part of their offense and his ball handling can't be replaced.

I think FSU matches up better with NC State although Seminoles fans should probably be rooting for Clemson because it would give the 'Noles a chance to boost their resume more by beating another NCAA Tournament-bound opponent.

I'm picking NC State in the upset. The Wolfpack are hot, having won three of their last four, and when hot from the outside they can beat anyone (beat three ranked teams this year, including Duke).

I think it all depends what happens with the other conference tournaments. More than likely I think Tech gets in but they probably need to beat Maryland in the quarterfinals to feel completely safe.

That puts an end to a dreadful season for UNC. Going to be interesting to see what happens next year because much of the same personnel will likely be back.

Unlike last game it seems like the effort is there on both sides. There have been a lot of scrappy plays around the basket. You get the feeling this is coming down to the last possession.

On a side note, the FSU team has shown up and is sitting directly behind the Georgia Tech bench. I believe that will put them behind the Clemson bench for the second game.

With the possibility of Lawal and Favors both leaving for the NBA (both are probable first-round picks) this game holds even more importance for the Jackets. This is a year where the program really needs an NCAA berth.

GT needs to do a better job getting the ball inside. UNC doesn't have anyone who has the size or athleticism in the post of Derrick Favors or Gani Lawal.

GT has nine turnovers with just three assists. For those of you counting at home, yes, that is a 1-3 assist-to-turnover ratio. UNC has a 26-18 rebounding edge.

I'm seeing a handful of FSU fans pour in one of the sections in the lower bowl. The Seminoles should be rooting for the Yellow Jackets since they beat them twice and only beat UNC once in their lone meeting.

Going to be interesting to see how UNC reacts to playing on a Thursday game and against a team that has beaten them twice.

UNC needs better play out of their guards, especially when it comes to outside shooting. Georgia Tech needs to avoid turnovers.

They have been having internet problems here at the Coliseum so I may be gone for a few minutes but I'll be back as soon as possible.

Singleton on today's practice:

"We worked on what both teams will throw at us. Clemson really likes to press a lot so that was a big focus. We're all looking forward to playing. We're ready. We'll have to bring our 'A' game no matter who it is."

Singleton on how approaching his second ACC tourney compares to his first:

"We've got a lot more confidence and the experience of having another year helps. I think we are a much more versatile team than last year. We are trying to make a championship run and bring a title back to Tallahassee."

Hamilton on trying to prepare for two opponents in one practice:

"We're very familiar with each other. We all have plenty of film on one another. It's been a little longer since we played NC State but we were 0-3 against NC State and Clemson. We didn't play very well in any of those games. It's more about what we do. We need to focus on our system and our fundamentals to be successful."

Hamilton on grabbing a first-round bye for the second year in a row:

"I think we have a certain level of confidence but we can't let our whole body of work let us lose focus. We've got to put the losses behind us, realize we could played better and go out there and do a good job executing."

Reid on playing in his last ACC Tournament:

"There is a lot of emotions. Guys are going to go really hard. We all want a title, especially me since it's my last year. We got to the title game last year and that has given us a taste of it. Now we really want to win it and make history. I told the freshmen you can't be freshmen anymore. You've got to knock down open shots and play like you've been here before."

If Johnson plays like that again, Miami will have a chance to beat VT in the last few minutes.

The big story here is Wake's lack of effort. They didn't just play bad. They didn't even seem to care. The Deacs had just six assists and were outrebounded despite having a big size advantage on the inside and Miami's top post player Dwayne Collins missing due to injury.

Miami, which boosted its NIT prospects with the W, will face Virginia Tech tomorrow in what should be a competitive game.

I'm thinking a Miami upset will boost FSU's RPI and Strength of Schedule a little more since the Seminoles beat Miami twice and beat Wake once in their lone meeting with the Deacs.

The most telling stat of the first half may be the fact that Wake has combined for only two assists, with both coming from point guard Ishmael Smith. It shows just how inactive their offense has been.

Wake looks frustrated. Center Chas McFarland was just called for a loose ball, where he appeared to shove a Miami player under the basket.

Wake will probably make the NCAA tourney even if they lose - their non-conference resume is very strong - but tough to see this team even winning a first-round game right now. You get the feeling they peaked about a month ago and their confidence is shot.

Miami big man Dwayne Collins did not dress out due to injury but so far the other big men have been contributing and they haven't missed him.

The energy in the arena is starting to pick up, although all these Wake fans are waiting for something to cheer about.

Virginia 68 , Boston College 62 Final

Cavs kick off the tourney with a legitimate upset and break an eight-game losing streak in the process. Think this was just a case of one team wanting it more than the other. The Eagles looked lethargic from the start.

Don't see anyway UVa can upset Duke in the next round, especially without Landesberg's offense. But it's a big W for a program that desperately needed some good news.

Virginia 58, Boston College 52 4:14 left

Zeglinksi just scored his first basket of the second half and it's not because his shots aren't falling. Virginia needs to set up some plays specifically for him. Got to take advantage of his hot streak.

Bottom half of the arena is starting to fill up with a good number of Wake fans. The Deacs play Miami around 2 p.m.

I'm going to talk with Chris Singleton and Ryan Reid around 3:30. This will be Reid's fourth ACC tourney and I think it will be interesting to hear his take on how this one feels compared to the previous three.

Virginia 34, Boston College 27 Half

Got a possible upset in the works here. Virginia is playing with more energy and is the hungrier team. Maybe the Landesberg suspension has bonded them together or created some type of chip on their shoulder. Whatever it is, this is not the team who lost their eight previous games, seven by double digits.

UVa point Sammy Zeglinski may have just had the best half of his life. He's got 16 points and is 4 of 7 from 3-point range.

The Cavs are doing a great job protecting the ball and staying patient as well, racking up nine assists and committing just two turnovers.

BC's Joe Trapani, the team's top scorer, has just two points and is 0 of 6 from the field.

If Zeglinksi keeps shooting like he is and Trapani doesn't turn things around the Cavs will be in the quarterfinals.

Virginia 29, Boston College 25 3:01 left in first half

Virginia fans are starting to get a little rowdy and it is getting louder in here. Cavaliers are running a lot of screens and the Eagles look a little tired. Cavs have also been bailed out by some tough 3-point shots late in the shot clock.

BC is struggling to get open looks or create easy baskets. They look frustrated on both sides of the ball.

Game 1 - Boston College 23, Virginia 17 9:46 left in first half

It's noticeably quiet here in the Greensboro Coliseum. Almost feels like an exhibition game. You can hear the players talking to one another. Arena is only about 1/3 full.

Virginia is playing pretty well, considering their best player and one of the ACC's top scorers (Sylven Landesberg) is suspended. They look a lot looser than a team whose lost eight straight. Wouldn't be surprised if they pull the upset off.

Since FSU has the day off they are practicing at a nearby gym from 1:30 to 3:30. I'll be talking to a couple players afterwards and have some fresh quotes.

3/11/10: Andrew Skwara is in Greensboro to cover the ACC Tournament for Warchant.com. Here is his first story - a quick preview of FSU's possible first round opponents: Tall order for FSU in ACC Tournament

3/10/10: 1270 The Team's Jeff Cameron previews the ACC Tournament with Stan Jones, FSU Assoc Head Coach