The past two years, Carolina has gone 8-5 with a 4-4 record in the ACC. Compared to years before, this is an impressive statistic. The 0nly problem is that the Heels don’t finish up the year strong. They lost the Car Care Bowl to West Virginia in 2008 and to Pittsburgh in 2009. Both respectable losses to very good teams, but Carolina had a chance to win both games but gave the game up towards the end. My other pet peeve is that Carolina cannot beat NC State for some reason. The Wolfpack are never more talented than UNC, but always manages to beat us.

Carolina is an upcoming college football team. They beat a very good Virginia Tech team on the road last year, they have an outstanding defense, and they have a great coach in Butch Davis. I have no doubt in my mind that Carolina will be in the top 25 next year. The Heels might even get into the top, but that is a huge maybe. All that UNC needs is a consistent offensive attack. If Carolina can get a quarterback to make better decisions, then I think that Carolina has a realistic chance at the ACC championship next year. Very hopeful thoughts from a faithful Tarheel fan.

They were hard to find, but there are some bright spots I saw in the Carolina vs. Clemson game last night.

                            1. Dexter Strickland is the best freshman on the team and he showed it last night. While the whole team was struggling, Strickland never lost his edge. He put in 17 points for the Heels. The next  highest scorer had nine points. It is clear to me that Strickland deserves the starting spot of Larry Drew. They both make poor decisions, but Strickland is lesser of two evils.

                             2. Roy Williams is a great coach. He literally turned his back for 5 minutes of the game, trying to get his starters mind right. He pulled all of his starters and put in 5 freshman. How many coaches would have enough confidence and trust in his young players to put five (like Dick Vitale says) diaper dandies in? Like I previously stated, he didn’t even watch them, and you know what? The youngsters were doing excellent for time they were in. Actually they performed better than the starters. Williams should have kept the freshman in, because the starting 5 turned the ball over instantly after they came back in.

   Usually I hear college basketball analysts say “Carolina doesn’t rebuild, they reload”. This year, they are wrong. Carolina lost 75 percent of their scoring last year. I saw that statistic several times toward the beginning of the year, because I didn’t think it meant anything. I believed that the freshman would bring youth and quickness. I also thought that Larry Drew practiced hard during the summer to prepare for filling Lawson’s shoes. I’m glad that the Heels have size, but the guards can’t get the ball to them without turning it over. I guess we Carolina fans just have to take our frustration one game at a time.

                              January 6 2008: North Carolina 90 Clemson 88 F/OT- I probably paced back and forth at least a mile while watching this game. The score was 87 to 88 with Clemson on top.  05.4 seconds to go Hansbrough inbounds to Lawson he dribbles passes it to Ellington for the three and SWISH; with .004 left. One of the happiest moments of my tarheel fan life……..probably top ten. What made it so much better was looking at the stunned faces of the Clemson fans. I loved it.

                            February 10 2008: North Carolina 103 Clemson 93 F/2OT- Carolina was down for the most part of regulation. Halfway throught the second half they decide to play some basketball. Later in the 2nd half both teams exchange some threes and Clinton Thomas, of all people, drives into the lane with the game tying layup to send the game into overtime. In overtime Clinton Thomas sinks to clutch free throws to send the game into the second overtime. (One of Clinton Thomas’s best performances)  So in the second overtime North Carolina starts to pull away, thus the score being 103 to 93. A very huge scare, but like before, the Heels survived

                            March 16 2008: North Carolina 86 Clemson 81 (ACC Championship)- Fresh off a game winning shot by Hansbrough against Virgina Tech, the Tarheels faced of versus the Tigers for a third time. It was either the Tigers or play Duke for a third time. So it didn’t really matter who the Heels faced I would have been equally as nervous. The game was close all the way through. Clemson  had a three point halftime lead, but gave it up in the second half to Carolina. The Heels win the ACC, but go on to get demolished by Kansas in the Final Four. Anyways……..

This Carolina team is full of youngsters. They are nowhere near the best of their ability. The team turns the ball over way to much, terrible free throw shooting, and not enough three point field goals to take away the zone defense that Carolina can never seem to figure out, but I have seen shots of brilliance in this team. They beat a very good Ohio State team, a well coached Michigan State team looking for revenge, and almost beat a spectacular Kentucky team. What do I expect? A very close game. Will the Heels pull it out. I have no idea. I just know that my palms are sweaty with anticipation just thinking of tonight’s game.

Florida State’s coach entered the year somewhat embattled and at least on the “warm seat” after last year’s season once again failed to live up to many fans’ expectations.

He finds himself a bit more comfortable after a solid start to the year, but life could still be a bit better for the Seminoles. Hamilton’s young men seem to be a bubble team year after year, and 2008-09 is looking no different.

Florida State (16-4, 3-2 ACC) owns an impressive record but has only notched a few wins over quality teams (California and Florida; Cincinnati is not as impressive).

FSU led Pittsburgh late in the second half, but eventually fell 56-48 and also owns an eight-point loss to No. 1 Duke in a game that only became close after a furious Seminole second-half rally. FSU just lost a crucial conference game a week ago at rival Miami (FL).

The ‘Noles did rebound nicely from that defeat in trashing Virginia, shooting a stellar 8 of 15 from behind the arc (53%).

Unfortunately, it’s not going to be as easy tonight when Hamilton and the Seminoles host a resurgent North Carolina (17-2, 4-2 ACC) team fresh off the consecutive obliterations of Virginia and No. 10 Clemson. The No. 5 Tar Heels look to be returning to the form they exhibited in early season blowouts of Notre Dame and Michigan State.

Wayne Ellington has found his shooting touch for the Heels in the last two games, which spells trouble for any opponent hoping to collapse on Tyler Hansbrough as the focal point of their defense.

Florida State lacks the explosive point guard that has troubled Carolina in their two losses (Wake Forest’s Jeff Teague and Boston College’s Tyrese Rice), though senior PG Toney Douglas isn’t exactly chopped liver.  Still, FSU only hands out about 11 assists per game and no one other than Douglas averages double digits in scoring.

The Seminoles really can’t afford to just launch three-pointers and hope that enough of them fall in order to defeat UNC.  Their half-court sets have been atrocious at times (with poor passing), and the Heels are known for eating that up, just as they did in defeating Clemson. 

The Seminoles turn the ball over about 17 times a game.  If they want to compete with North Carolina, they’ll need to virtually halve that number.

Still, the Tar Heels would be wise not to take Florida State for granted. There are no nights off in the ACC, as they painfully learned in their loss to Boston College. Here’s three keys to victory for each team.

To win, Florida State must:

1. Shoot (and hit) from behind the arc, but adapt if the Heels play pressure defense.

Florida State shouldn’t go away from their strength, which is clearly three-point shooting.  But if the Heels start smothering the perimeter, Solomon Alabi and Chris Singleton need to see the ball. No hesitation; get it to them fast.

The Heels can be vulnerable to this attack, but only if quick decisions are made, not an ability that Florida State has demonstrated much this year.

2. Refuse to rely on Toney Douglas to score 30+ points.

In fact, if Douglas scores more than in the low 20s, I can almost guarantee Florida State will lose. When Douglas goes off, the rest of the ‘Noles tend to stand around on offense and take snapshots, as their heads drift away like Mr. Mackey on acid.

Guess how many points Douglas had in the loss to Miami? Thirty. You betcha.

Florida State generally plays solid defense, but the offense can get quite stagnant.

3. Deny UNC the ability to set the pace of the game.

This is the tallest order for the ‘Noles because when a team shoots a lot of threes, it is often vulnerable to UNC’s fast-paced response.  This is doubly true in Florida State’s case as they have had trouble handling the ball.  If this game even gets into the 80s, Florida State stands virtually no chance of winning.

It means racing back on defense, sharp, crisp, passing, staying alert, and only taking the right kind of three-point shot with people in proper position (not necessarily the first open shot available).  Offensive boards, again the responsibility of Alabi and Singleton, can also greatly help blunt the Tar Heel fast break.

Guard Lawson with your feet, not your hands, or he will slice through you and lay it up before you can blink.  Reduce Hansbrough’s touches as much as possible.  If you have to let North Carlina get the ball inside, let it go to Thompson, who has been slumping some of late.  Stay in Ellington’s face.  Stay out of foul trouble.

Now for the Heels.  To win, UNC must:

1. Play inside-out, not outside-in.

Part of being successful for North Carolina is a good start because they do not often play well from behind (especially in the second half). They tend to shoot from behind the arc in an attempt to make up ground.

When they win, it’s because they feed Hansbrough and Thompson repeatedly inside, opening Green, Ellington and (lately) Lawson on the perimeter. It doesn’t work in reverse, as Boston College and Wake Forest both demonstrated to UNC.

This point can be made in practically every single UNC preview, but it is especially true when facing a quality defensive squad such as Florida State. They may not have the defensive talent of Duke, but the ‘Noles can match that intensity for extended periods of time.

2. Get better support from the bench.

The Heels need to realize that Zeller and Ginyard probably aren’t coming back, and get on with it. It looked like nearly everyone ratcheted up their defensive intensity against Clemson and that is what will be needed every single game, with defensive specialist Ginyard inching closer and closer to a medical red-shirt.

Ed Davis has been solid; his shot-blocking presence is a nice compliment to Hansbrough and makes him a good substitute for Danny Green. Davis still has some issues to work through on the offensive end (his mid-range jumper especially), but providing offensive rebounds is a key.

Davis averages as many rebounds as Hansbrough (in less minutes) and four times as many blocks.

Larry Drew II needs to quit hemorrhaging turnovers when he is substituting at the point for Lawson. Drew has a 2.6:1.5 turnover-to-assist ratio, which is not horrible, but it has been closer to 1:1 in recent games, which is. Lawson, on the other hand, owns about a 7:2 ratio, and that is what Drew needs to aim for.

Will Graves mostly just needs to make better decisions. His defense is improving, but he still has the tendency to launch ill-advised three-pointers, despite shooting a horrendous .286 from that range.  He turns the ball over far too often, usually a result of sloppy passing. 

Playing about 12 minutes a game, Graves needs to understand his role and not try to do too much.

3. Play Pressure Defense.

FSU is already subject to turning the ball over, so North Carolina should force the issue and force turnovers.  This is also one way to ensure Deon Thompson’s head stays in the game.  Lawson and Green especially excel in a pressure defense, and it helps compensate for some of Ellington’s defensive weakness.

Florida State doesn’t have the potent press-breaking weapons that Wake Forest and, to a lesser degree, Boston College possess, making the tactic especially effective against the ‘Noles.

Press, run, and run some more. This forces the pace and can help get FSU in foul trouble.  Serious foul trouble would likely be a death knell for the Seminoles, especially with the way that Hansbrough (.842), Lawson (.772), Green (.760), and Ellington (.830) convert their free throws.

On to the prediction…

I think Florida State does not match up well at all with North Carolina, who can truly eat up turnover-prone teams who rely on the three-point shot for pressure. Florida State plays better defense than most teams UNC has faced so far, but I can’t see the Heels being held to the 60s or even the 70s.

Florida State will drop to .500 in league play and North Carolina will continue their resurgence, getting a nice ACC road win.

No. 5 North Carolina Tar Heels 88, Florida State Seminoles 72

Bonus prediction: Toney Douglas scores 28 points in a losing effort.

The Atlantic Coast Conference is now 9-6 against the Big East this season, and no intraconference game was bigger than Duke’s relatively easy 76-67 victory over the Georgetown Hoyas on Saturday.

When Duke obliterated then-No. 9 Xavier in December, I argued that Duke was the No. 2 team in the country, behind then-No. 1 North Carolina.  After UNC’s struggles against Boston College and Wake Forest, I now believe that Duke can be named as the team to beat in the ACC.

What about undefeated Wake Forest?  What about undefeated Clemson?

It comes down to this: neither team has played the type of schedule Duke has and neither team has looked as dominant against quality opponents.  Neither Wake nor Clemson has shown the exemplary level of depth, toughness, and strength that Duke has thus far exhibited.

One of those teams will no longer be undefeated after this afternoon.  If Wake Forest defeats Clemson on the road, they certainly have an argument to make.  After all, they defeated North Carolina, but it should be noted that they have had very few tough opponents outside of the Tigers and Tar Heels.  It might be said that they also caught UNC at a weak moment.

Tar Heel fans might argue that they are still the team to beat in the ACC, but they will not be allowed to reclaim that mantle until (or if) both Duke and Wake stumble, or until they defeat those teams in February.

Right now, Duke is playing the best basketball in the country, with all due respect to Wake Forest and Pittsburgh.  They have played the toughest schedule of the three teams (by far), and their only loss (to Michigan) was a rematch on the road with a team they had already defeated.

It may not be a popular opinion, but I believe the top three teams in the country are:

1.  Duke

2.  Wake Forest

3.  North Carolina

Yes, I realize Pittsburgh is undefeated and has opened Big East play with victories.  Do they deserve to be ranked higher than UNC?  Yes, for the moment. 

But I don’t think Pitt would have fared any better against the ACC’s Big Three than Georgetown did today against Duke.  

Pittsburgh’s extraordinarily weak out-of-conference schedule leaves them as a bit of an enigma, but keep in mind that they struggled to beat Florida State on the road.  The Seminoles led for much of the second half, before the Panthers finally put them away.

Still, this argument is not based on one or two games, but a body of work. 

Duke rarely let Georgetown within 10 points in the second half and, make no mistake, the Hoyas are an excellent team.  The game was not really as close as the final score indicates.

North Carolina and Wake Forest have to be considered about equal, but right now remain a step behind the talented Blue Devils.

Duke defended the conference admirably today and, as a result, has garnered the “team to beat” moniker in the ACC…for the moment.

Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, and Danny Green were the key elements in an 83-61 victory in which UNC returned to playing “Carolina basketball,” and a collective sigh of relief was released by the fans in Chapel Hill and Tar Heel coach Roy Williams, to be sure.

The formula is not difficult:

1.  Ty Lawson, take care of the ball and get back to the form that allowed you to lead the nation in turnover to assist ratio.  Get the ball to Hansbrough (see No. 2).  Please, please move your feet on defense.

2.  Tyler Hansbrough, flail that gigantic booty around as well as your sixteen arms and elbows.  Get in the lane, grab rebounds, act like the opponent stole your favorite childhood toy out of your garage (the basketball), and get it back.  Keep going up and grabbing the ball until they can do nothing more than hack you and then punish them by hitting more than 80% of your free throws.

3.  Danny Green, have fun.  Stroke the threes, but only when it’s appropriate.  Block shots like you were six inches taller than you actually are.  Make smart passes on the break.  Dance like no one is watching.

4.  Ed Davis (and others), keep doing your thing from the bench.  You have no idea how important you are going to be in March.  Your six-point, seven-rebound effort was solid.  But, hey, Bench, what the heck happened to you during that mass substitution in the first half?  You need to at least maintain a lead and let some guys get some rest.

5. (BONUS)  Unnamed ESPN color commentator (you know who you are), please stop doing that stupid thing with your voice at the end of sentences.  I realize you think it’s your signature “thing” and that I have no hope of such a cessation actually coming to fruition, but do you have any idea how annoying it is? 

Also, would you mind taking a stand and sticking to it?  When UNC is up by 20, the game is over and you’re talking about their next opponent, but when Virginia scores a couple of baskets and cuts it to 16, it’s a game again?  Huh? Do you have any idea how unpopular you are?

Now, it would be nice if Wayne Ellington would get that smooth shot to return and it will, eventually.  He was at least involved in the game more than he was against Boston College, driving to the basket several times and getting to the foul line seven times.  Still, he shot .400 from the field, which is not good enough.

Deon Thompson, after an incredible start to the season, has tended to disappear for large chunks of the game lately.  Four points and five rebounds will not get it done against the cream of the crop in the ACC.

But this night was all about Tyler Hansbrough and Ty Lawson.  Did anyone see Hansbrough’s shoulders by the way?  He has put on some serious added muscle from last year and it doesn’t look to be impeding his free throw percentage.

Hansbrough got to the line an astounding 17 times last night, hitting 15 of his attempts (.882).  He got there through grit, hustle and just wanting the ball more.

No one on the Heels fills up a stat sheet like Danny Green.  He tallied 13 points on 5 of 13 shooting (though he was just 1-4 from behind the arc), added six rebounds (three of them offensive), four assists, two steals and three blocks.  He also ran the break with excellence, helping Lawson’s performance as well.

Lawson, for his part, shot .700 from the field (7-10), including 3 for 3 from three-point land, 1.000 from the free throw line (2-2), and dished out nine assists while committing exactly zero turnovers.

Marcus Ginyard, we eagerly await your return.

Not all was perfect, and thankfully it doesn’t have to be against Virginia.

The Heels shot just .422 from the field as a team.  Fortunately, no one from Virginia could muster more than 12 points, as the Wahoos shot a miserable .305.  North Carolina actually played solid defense last night, and it paid off.

Virginia is better than they showed earlier in the season, but they ran into a team frustrated by an 0-2 start.  As ESPN felt the need to point out at least a dozen times during last night’s broadcast, UNC started 0-3 in ACC play during the 1997-98 season under Dean Smith and made it to the Final Four, so no one in Chapel Hill was too panicked.

The dream is very much alive, if North Carolina just follows the formula.  I will be the first to admit that it’s easier said than done.

UNC joined the likes of Oklahoma, Connecticut, and Duke in losing a stunner to fall from the ranks of the unbeaten.

North Carolina reverted to the poor form it displayed in losses last year at home to Maryland and Duke, as well as the devastating loss to Kansas in the Final Four.

They also showed that no one will breeze through the ACC, including a team that returned all five starters from a national championship contender in 2007-08.

Don’t take anything away from Boston College; they played better than the unanimous No. 1 team on this night, and they fully earned and deserve this victory.

Let’s look at what I listed as the keys to a North Carolina victory, see how well the Heels did in achieving them. Afterward, I’ll hand out some offensive and defensive grades.

From my Creature vs. Creature article, here were the keys to a North Carolina victory:

1.   Get off to a fast start.

Well, this certainly didn’t happen. Surprisingly, Wayne Ellington shot pretty well in the first half, but Tyler Hansbrough and Deon Thompson didn’t get nearly enough touches. UNC was sloppy with the ball, turning the ball over 15 times while forcing just 11 turnovers.

The Tar Heels didn’t take their first lead until five minutes were left in the first half and they didn’t keep it long. They were down by six at halftime.

2.   Force turnovers and keep the Eagles running.

The Eagles were running just fine, but it was due to North Carolina turnovers, not their own. Sloppy passing was the primary culprit. Tyrese Rice, Reggie Jackson, and Rakim Sanders made them pay repeatedly.

Lawson looked incapable of defending Rice at times and missed many of his own runners on the offensive end. Boston College players were often left with uncontested threes and the Eagles’ offensive rebounding (at least in the first half) provided them with plenty of second-chance opportunities, something the Heels usually shut down.

Boston College took care of the ball better than any foe North Carolina has played thus far, turning the ball over just 11 times.

3.   Don’t get lazy on defense or rely on the three on offense.

The Tar Heels weren’t too bad from behind the arc until the last five minutes of the game. They would have been better off forcing the ball inside instead of launching one long three-pointer after another. Still, for the majority of the game, they didn’t fall into the trap of settling for long perimeter shots.

As far as their defense, I would credit impressive Eagles play more than I would call the UNC defense “lazy.” Rice outclassed Lawson time and time again. Deon Thompson wasn’t much of a factor on either end of the court and Hansbrough didn’t get enough touches or get to the line as much as he should have.

Finally, Danny Green picked up four fouls early, some of which did qualify as “lazy.” Without Marcus Ginyard at full strength, this really hurt the Heels ability to pressure Boston College as much as they would like.

Boston College shot .457 from the field, but it was UNC’s .384 that hurt far more.

Finally, let’s hand out some grades to North Carolina:

OFFENSE:

Perimeter Shooting:   B-

UNC shot well from the perimeter until the end of the game. In crunch time, neither Green, Ellington nor Lawson could get the threes to fall.

Interior Game:   D

Thompson was practically non-existent. Hansbrough missed nearly two-thirds of his shots, going 6 of 15 from the field. Lawson could not convert the fast break nor did he shoot well in the halfcourt sets, shooting a miserable 3 of 13 (.231). Worse yet, he and Ellington failed to get the ball to Hansbrough throughout the game.

Transition Game:   D+

A one to one turnover to assist ratio will not get it done. Lawson had those numbers (four and four) and so did the team as a whole (15 and 15). When they did get steals, the Tar Heels failed to convert many of them into buckets at the other end. They forced only 11 turnovers, and Boston College was rarely pressured into mental mistakes.

Free Throw Shooting:   D-

Usually one of the Tar Heel strengths, UNC shot just .556 from the charity stripe. The only reason they don’t get a failing grade is because Deon Thompson was the main culprit, going a pathetic 1 of 6. Though he’s one of the lowest percentage shooters anyway, that performance means it’s time for Thompson to spend some extra practice time shooting free throws.

Hansbrough was the best from the free throw line (.750 on 9 of 12 attempts), but even he was 12 percentage points below his average.

Offensive Rebounds:   B-

If UNC was given a first-half grade, it would have probably been in the range of a C or D. They stepped up the offensive rebounds in the second half and ended the game with 28, compared to Boston College’s 16. Of course, the reason they got so many offensive rebound was because they missed so many shots.

TOTAL OFFENSIVE GRADE:   C-

DEFENSE:

Perimeter Defense:   D-

The Eagles shot .375 from behind the arc, but it was the timing of the shots and how open they were that give UNC such a bad grade. When they did go out and guard the perimeter, they were slow in rotating, giving Boston College easy interior points.

Double-teaming was rarely effective and Tyrese Rice ran around Ty Lawson and the defense like a hot knife through butter.

The Tar Heels once again gave up far too high of a field goal percentage (.457) and could not get enough defensive stops at the end of the game to climb back into contention.

Interior Defense:   C-

UNC had five blocks; Boston College had eight. Those numbers should have been reversed, at worst. Boston College had 40 rebounds, 16 of them offensive. This is also far worse than UNC normally allows.

For their part, the Heels grabbed 50 boards. Hansbrough had nine total rebounds, but most of those were toward the end of the game. Thompson contributed just five rebounds for the Tar Heels.

Though Joe Trapani was generally shut down (minus a key three-pointer in the second half), Reggie Jackson repeatedly scored on the UNC defense. If you take away the last five minutes of the game, North Carolina drops a full letter grade.

Turnovers Forced:   D-

TOTAL DEFENSIVE GRADE:   D+

Hopefully, this loss is exactly what North Carolina needs. There will be no pressure of going undefeated. There will be, presumably, a real battle for the regular season championship. The players will hopefully find an easier time focusing on “one game at a time” instead of their goals for March.

I would love to be a fly on the wall in practice on Monday.

Bleacher Creatures appear to see it differently, clearly tiering the conferences into just two at the top and three more a significant step behind. Read ahead to find which conferences fall where in the first installment of the Conference Rankings, compiled from lists submitted by fans from coast to coast.

If you would like to read the original version of Conference Rankings (which were my own rankings only), you can read the long version here or the short version here. If you like a good background story, it will get you up to speed on most of what happened in November and December.

To vote in the next set of rankings, you can email your top-10 (or top-five or top-as far as you want to go) to nathanmedic2003@yahoo.com or post them on my profile.

Points are awarded by giving one point to a tenth-ranked conference up to ten points for the top-ranked conference. It couldn’t have been any closer for the top spot, which belongs to the…

1.  Big East [104 points, (6) first-place votes, Nathan's Ranking: 1]

(note: Louisville’s loss to UNLV occurred after the writing of this article)

I have stabbed my conference in the back, and I’ve got some “splainin” to do. Why has the Big East jumped the Big Ten and ACC?  Well, obviously, because Daniel Damico got his rankings in just in time.

No, I can’t blame it on him. Unlike earlier in the season, they have been winning the games they are supposed to, while some teams in the ACC (notably, Miami, FL and Georgia Tech) have been disappointing of late.

Lew Wright suggested the only way to argue against the Big East is to “shout louder than anyone else in the room.” The point is they received a ton of preseason hype and have generally failed to live up to expectations. Until the last couple of weeks, teams at the top of the Big East were winning by small margins over inferior teams and losing games they weren’t supposed to.

Lately, however, they have won key games against non-conference foes, including West Virginia’s (10-2) upset over Ohio State, and Marquette’s (11-2) buzzer-beater victory over N.C. State. Pittsburgh (12-0), though playing as a favorite, came back from a second-half deficit to beat a good Florida State team on the road.

There are a few bad apples at the bottom of this behemoth’s barrel, but that can be said for the Big Ten (Iowa and Indiana) and the ACC (see below) as well. The emergence of West Virginia as a ninth potential tourney team and the presence of seven teams in the top-20 is enough for me to (very) precariously place them at No. 1 for at least a week, anyway.

2.  Atlantic Coast [103 (5), Nathan's Ranking:  2]

They lost the top spot by the hair on Rick Majerus’ head. Garnering the rest (five) of the first-place votes, the ACC placed no lower than third, and that was only on one ballot.

With Oklahoma’s loss, the ACC will likely have three of the top five teams in the nation. Unanimous No. 1 North Carolina (12-0) continues to crush all comers, No. 5 Duke’s (11-1) only loss is to a ranked team it had already beaten (Michigan), and No. 6 Wake Forest (12-0) is steamrolling its competition. No. 20 Clemson (13-0) also remains undefeated, though it is the only other team that the ACC places in the top-25.

Voters continue to cite the stigma of being “top-heavy” as a major reason for voting the ACC behind the Big East. Georgia Tech (8-4) didn’t help by blowing a game to CAA foe Virginia. Don’t write hate mail; I know Virginia’s still in the ACC…for now.

Three teams are now entrenched in the basement (Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, and Virginia). N.C. State and Boston College are not far behind, looking mostly unimpressive in recent victories over weaker competition.

The ACC is nipping at the heels of the Big East. One major loss or victory can easily turn the tide, both for me and, it appears, the B/R voters.

3.  Big Ten [84 points, Nathan's Ranking: 3]

In the previous rankings (which were only my own), I placed the Big Ten at “1a,” just behind the ACC. The perception of the Big Ten by B/R voters is not nearly as positive, with one voter calling them, “the most overrated conference in the NCAA.”

I disagree wholeheartedly, but many of you do not, placing them on the same tier as the Big XII and the Pac-10, rather than on par with the Big East and the ACC.

The fact remains (as has been played out today) that the teams at the top of the Big Ten are simply not as good as those at the top of the Big East and ACC. It is still difficult for voters to place Minnesota (12-0), Illinois (13-1), or Ohio State (9-1) in the same league as Duke, UNC, Wake Forest, Georgetown, Syracuse, or Pittsburgh.

It appears the Big Ten will either have to garner even more non-conference victories or that some teams will have to emerge as “elite” before the voters are convinced.

In non-conference play, Illinois hammering Missouri was impressive; Ohio State getting punted by West Virginia was not.

The Big Ten ranked as high as second on two ballots, but also as low as sixth on one ballot and fifth on another.

4.  Big XII [77 points, Nathan's Ranking: 4]

Unlike the Big Ten, voters agree on what they think of the Big XII, as the conference ranked fourth on all but two ballots, one of which placed them at third and one of which slotted them fifth.

Keep in mind No. 5 Oklahoma’s (11-1) stunning loss to SEC opponent Arkansas did not factor into the votes for this set of rankings; Missouri’s (11-2) thrashing at the hands of Illinois did, however.

There is a significant schism between the top half of the Big XII, which includes No. 8 Texas (10-2), No. 19 Baylor (11-1), and Texas A&M (11-1), and the bottom half, which includes a disappointing Kansas (9-3) team.

Although all of the Big XII’s teams are at least two games above .500, many in the bottom half of the conference have already taken bad losses, most recently Colorado’s (7-5) back-to-back losses to Vermont (really) and Buffalo (no, really).

5.  Pac-10 [68 points, Nathan's Ranking: 5]

There are a wide variety of opinions on the Pac-10, with some believing Stanford (10-0), USC (9-3), and California (11-2) will join UCLA (10-2) and Arizona State (11-1) in the national rankings before all is said and done. Like the SEC, the Pac-10 has had a generally weak out-of-conference schedule, which has inflated the records of several teams, and several have already suffered bad losses.

Several voters noted the talent level in this conference is higher than the teams’ results thus far indicate. Lew points out that while recruiting scorers is about “as tough as finding a price marked down at Wal-Mart,” he also believes that the defensive-minded coaches and toughness of the Pac-10 players will have them winning “when it counts, in March.”

Not surprisingly, West Coast voters tended to rank the Pac-10 higher, as they placed as high as third on two ballots, and as low as seventh on one other.

6.  Southeastern [50 points, Nathan's Ranking: 6]

It should be pointed out almost all votes were in (including mine) before Arkansas‘ (10-1) monumental upset of Oklahoma. The Razorbacks may have single-handedly saved the SEC West, as LSU (10-1) is nowhere near as good as their record, most recently escaping with a 81-79 home win against Louisiana-Lafayette.

Tennessee (8-3), like many of the SEC teams, is inconsistent but extraordinarily athletic, and Florida (11-2), like LSU, has not beaten a single ranked (or even decent) team. Right now, the SEC has just three tournament-worthy teams (Tennessee, Kentucky (11-3), and Arkansas).

The entire SEC (Schedule Easy Cupcakes) is at least three games above .500, which means absolutely nothing, given their pathetically weak out-of-conference schedules.

The SEC ranked as low as ninth on one ballot and no higher than fifth.

7.  Atlantic 10 [38 points, Nathan's Ranking: 7]

This conference may be fading. After being embarrassed by Duke on a national stage, Xavier (9-2) fell to Butler at home. Dayton (12-1) has a gaudy record but only one quality win (over Marquette) and an 18-point loss to Creighton. The upsets and close losses to highly-ranked teams seem to have been an anomaly, rather than a trend.

Only half of the A-10 is better than a game above .500 and it looks unlikely that more than two teams will be dancing come March.

Fourteen teams in the A-10? They may want a recount, considering the dead weight at the bottom that’s dragging down the conference’s RPI.

On ballots that named at least eight conferences, the A-10’s ranking fell between fifth and ninth.

8.  Mountain West [30 points, Nathan's Ranking: 8]

The MWC doesn’t have any ranked teams (yet), but it still has a lot of dangerous teams that either have nabbed some surprising wins or close losses to ranked teams. BYU (12-1) is a one-point loss to Arizona State from being undefeated, and the entire conference is above .500, with the exception of Colorado State (5-9).

The Cougars and UNLV (11-2) are clearly the cream of the crop, but nearly every other MWC team has been impressive against quality opponents at various times.

Of ballots that ranked at least seven teams, the MWC was unranked on only one, showing as high as sixth on multiple ballots.

9.  West Coast [16 points, Nathan's Ranking: 9]

The WCC is lucky to still be in the rankings after Gonzaga’s (8-3) loss to Portland State. Voters likely remembered the near-miss to UConn and the continued upswing of St. Mary’s (12-1), though the bottom of this conference is nothing less than putrid.

The WCC ranked no higher than eighth on any ballot, and went unranked only on ballots that ranked nine conferences or less.

10.  Conference USA [8 points, Nathan's Ranking: NR]

Almost all rankings (including my own) were submitted prior to Houston’s (8-2)drubbing of Massachusetts, Tulsa’s (8-5) near-miss against BYU, and UAB’s (8-5) four-point loss to No. 25 Butler. 

These teams, as well as UTEP (7-5), Tulane (6-6), and East Carolina (8-4), hold the key as to whether Memphis (8-3) USA, er, Conference USA, has any chance of moving up the board.

Conference USA ranked no higher than ninth and went unranked on several ballots.

Others Receiving Votes: Missouri Valley (4 points), Summit (3), Horizon (1)

Fell Out: N/A, first week

Participating voters: Daniel Damico, Lew Wright, Trey Bradley, Nathan B, Jameson Fleming, Joe Guarr, Travis Miller, Give em Hell Devils, Samuel Silverman, HD Handshoe, Benjamin Williams

Unanimous No. 1 North Carolina (13-0) opens play at home against Boston College (12-2) on Jan. 4, and the Tar Heels would be wise not to underestimate this potentially dangerous team.

The Eagles have slipped up just twice this season, with consecutive losses late in November.  The loss to St. Louis was embarrassing for BC, but they have poured it on since then, losing a hard-fought 71-64 contest to then-No. 10 Purdue before reeling off nine in a row, including close wins over Iowa, Massachusetts, UAB, and Providence.

Meanwhile, since the Dec. 3 beatdown of Michigan State, the Tar Heels have played an array of cupcakes ranging from Oral Roberts to, most recently, Nevada. 

UNC was less than impressive at the outset against the Wolfpack, but pulled away for a 84-61 victory.  They held Nevada to .349 from the field and just .100 from behind the arc.

They can expect stiffer competition from the Eagles and their floor leader, senior G Tyrese Rice.  Rice hasn’t been in the same All-Conference form as he was last season, but he is bound to go off eventually, as he did several times in 2007-08, when he averaged 21.6 points a game.

Not surprisingly, Tyler Hansbrough (23.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg) and Ty Lawson (16.6 ppg, 6.6 apg, 2.5 rpg) have led the Tar Heels for most of the year, with Lawson being impressive enough to vault himself at least into the Player of the Year conversation, if not outright contention.

Defensive specialist Marcus Ginyard, though not at full strength, has returned to the lineup and Danny Green has been on fire from the perimeter, shooting .568 from the field and an astounding .481 from three-point range.

Hansbrough has been dangerous from the free throw line as well, getting to the stripe an average of 10 times a game, converting over 87% of his attempts.  That makes Hansbrough the best of the starters from the charity stripe, so hacking him won’t work for those defending him.

Getting the ball into Hansbrough’s hands remains one of the keys for North Carolina, and it’s a sure bet that Boston College will do everything in their power to deny him the ball.

The bench has also come up big for UNC and has helped them wear down opponents in the second half.  Ed Davis, Larry Drew II, and Will Graves have all been impressive off the bench, and Bobby Frasor has been adequate in spelling Lawson.

Their depth took a hit with the loss of Tyler Zeller for the season (injured in a win over Kentucky), but the substitutes have so far made up for his absence.

The Tar Heel team has played far from perfect, however.  They are still guilty of defensive lapses, though they have been significantly better defensively than the 2007-08 team.

They can’t afford to stand around and let Rice and Joe Trapani rain down threes and keep Boston College in the game.

Wayne Ellington is off to a cool start, shooting .439 from the field and .356 from behind the arc, both well below team averages.

The fans are excited that ACC play is finally here in a season in which nothing short of a national championship will be satisfactory, a tough position for any team to be in night after night.  I expect UNC will eventually lose a conference matchup, just not this one.

Keys to a Tar Heel Victory:

1.  Get off to a fast start.

Boston College is not Rutgers or Nevada.  In ACC play, UNC can’t afford to get off to a slow start and expect to come back every time just because of the name on the front of their jerseys.  The Heels did a good job in jumping on Michigan State and Notre Dame early; they need to do the same to the Eagles.

2.  Force turnovers and keep the Eagles running.

That’s pretty much a key to every UNC game.  If Boston College doesn’t take care of the ball, they will get blown out.

3. Don’t get lazy on defense or rely on the three on offense.

When playing without their heads completely in the game, North Carolina tends to engage in both of these bad habits.  They win when they force the ball inside. 

Teams compensate by collapsing on Hansbrough and Thompson, opening up Green and Ellington on the outside.  When the Heels try to do that in reverse order, it almost always backfires, and they find themselves struggling for consistency.

When they get lackadaisical on defense, they get burned by perimeter shots and they don’t get to play at the pace they prefer.  Do it against Boston College, and Tyrese Rice just might post a double-nickel on you.

I predict Roy Williams will have his dadgum Tar Heels dang ready for some durn ACC play, so the gosh-blessed prediction is:

North Carolina 92, Boston College 76

Team Leaders

Hansbrough: 28 points, 10 rebounds, 10-of-11 from the free throw line

Rice: 24 points, .400 from the field