The ACC is so bad, it is good

Sure, I know what you are thinking: Duke vs. North Carolina tonight isn't the same, just doesn't have that heavyweight feel. You are worried the entire nation, except New Orleans, will see on primetime television that the best of the Atlantic Coast Conference is a shell of its former self.

But look at the bright side.

One of the teams is still ranked.

All the North Carolina and Duke kids go to class, took their own SAT exams and will lead productive lives, whether they play in the NCAA Tournament or NIT this season.

Best of all, us college basketball enthusiasts who love a good, mad scramble absolutely cannot wait for the ACC Tournament next month in Greensboro, N.C. Just like the old days, the teams desperately requiring wins to qualify for an NCAA Tournament invitation will outnumber those simply playing for Big Dance seeding.

Otherwise, the ACC's recent unpleasantness truly is monumental.

At this time last year, five ACC teams were in The Associated Press Top 25: No. 3 North Carolina, No. 6 Duke, No. 7 Wake Forest, No. 12 Clemson and No. 25 Florida State.

Now all the ACC has to show for itself is No. 8 Duke and No. 20 Georgia Tech.

More alarmingly, the defending national champion Tar Heels are 2-6 in league play and No. 79 on the collegerpi.com list.

"The way I'm feeling right now, I'm wondering if I'm worth anything, wondering what I'm doing," North Carolina head coach Roy Williams said this week during an ACC conference call while discussing the importance of enjoying success. "You can't eat, you can't sleep and yet just last year we won a national championship, which we dream about.

"There's no question, I think you need to appreciate the good times a lot more than everybody does, and appreciate it while it's going on and not just waiting what could possibly happen one Monday night in April," he said.

High stakes

Clemson, ranked as high as No. 17 less than a month ago, is 4-5 in ACC play and jammed into the middle of the pack. The Tigers face almost "must-win" home games tonight against Florida State and Saturday against Miami.

Head coach Oliver Purnell talked on his radio show this week about Clemson fans "understanding what's at stake."

Five reasons for the ACC demise, not counting the same old younger-players- to-the-NBA yarn:

--Tar Heels slump. Injuries, under-achievement, close losses and chemistry issues add up to the unprecedented frustration for Williams. When an ACC main sail snaps, the rest of the ship floats in odd directions.

--Great expectations. North Carolina generally was a preseason Top 5 pick and there were four, five or six ACC teams on virtually all preseason top 25 lists.

--Weird losses. Harvard and Maine over Boston College. William & Mary over Maryland and Wake Forest. College of Charleston edging North Carolina on Meeting Street.

--Marquee freshmen have not come through.

--Non-conference results tilt the other way. The ACC is 7-7 vs. the Big Ten, 1-2 vs. the Big 12, 2-2 vs. the Pac-10, 7-5 vs. the SEC and 7-5 vs. the Big East. The poster loss, of course, is Clemson blowing a 47-27 halftime lead to Illinois.

There is trouble ahead, even for Duke. Often, a first-round NCAA Tournament regional is in friendly confines somewhere in the state of North Carolina. This year, the closest regionals are Jacksonville, Providence and New Orleans.

But hope springs as the season creeps closer to spring.

The ACC, believe it or not, is the No. 1-rated conference in the USA Today Sagarin rankings (No. 3 RPI).

North Carolina and Duke signing classes indicate the rivalry won't suffer for long.

Sooner than later, Greensboro should be a fun contrast of ACC agony and joy, and maybe a kick-start back in the right direction.

Reach Gene Sapakoff at gsapakoff@postandcourier.com