Tigers face tough task for ACC bye

CLEMSON -- While teams attempt to strengthen their NCAA Tournament resumes, ACC teams are also jockeying for position in their conference tournament.

The top four ACC teams receive first-round byes. Third-place Virginia Tech (8-4) followed by Wake Forest (8-5), Clemson (7-5) and Florida State (7-5) are all within a game of each other for the final two byes.

The top four byes are important.

Since the ACC Tournament expanded to its current form in 2006, only N.C. State advanced to the championship game without the benefit of a bye.

Of the four teams in the race for the final byes, Clemson has the most difficult remaining schedule. Of the group, the Tigers are the only team with more road games remaining (three) than home (one). The Tigers travel to second-place Maryland on Wednesday.

"How many bubbles can you be on at one time?" Clemson coach Oliver Purnell said. "(The bye) is important. It gives you a legitimate shot at winning the tournament, especially this year with so much balance. If you're not in the top four it's a tall order."

Thumbs up

Kyle Singler

Singler has heated up in February after struggling earlier this season with his transition from power to small forward.

The junior is coming off back-to-back 20-point, 10-rebound efforts, while also playing 40 minutes in back-to-back wins against Virginia Tech and Miami.

But might these be Singler's final weeks as a Blue Devil?

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski acknowledged he could turn pro after the season, though that prospect seems unlikely as ESPN rates Singler as a second-round prospect.

Greivis Vasquez

During Maryland's three-game winning streak, Vasquez has averaged 24.7 points, 6.3 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game. He and Duke's Jon Scheyer are the only ACC players in the top five of scoring and assists, and they might be the frontrunners in the player of the year race. Vasquez has helped lift the Terps to second place in the ACC.

Foul-free Favors

Georgia Tech's talented freshman forward Derrick Favors has often had his production slowed due to foul trouble. He's picked up four fouls in three of Tech's last four games and is averaging 2.7 personal fouls per game this season.

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Clemson Tigers

When Favors isn't in foul trouble … look out.

Picking up just one foul Saturday, Favors scored 21 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in a loss at Maryland.

Thumbs down

NCAA Tournament expansion

Nearly every ACC coach is in favor of expanding the tournament (see: job security). But Miami's Frank Haith and UNC's Roy Williams said expanding to 96 teams could have a considerable negative side effect -- a further watering down of the regular season.

BC's Biko

Biko Paris, fifth in the ACC in assists, was replaced in the starting lineup by Reggie Jackson on Saturday. And Paris might be coming off the bench for a while. Jackson scored 17 points to help Boston College snap a four-game losing streak with a win against North Carolina.

North Carolina

How much lower can the Tar Heels sink? Well, UNC is still half a game from last place, but the defending national champs have lost nine of 11 games to sink to 3-9 in ACC play. It's the program's worst stretch since 2001-02. At least 7-foot center Tyler Zeller is back.

He said it

"It's an unfair barometer. Consider the number of schools that actually make the tournament and compare it to football. It doesn't work favorably for coaches, and right now that's what they get judged on," Boston College coach Al Skinner, who like the majority of ACC coaches, is in favor of expanding the NCAA Tournament.

By the numbers

1 -- Number of ACC teams in The Associated Press top 25 (No. 5 Duke)

2 -- ACC's rank among conferences in the Sagarin rankings, trailing only the Big 12

41 -- Vasquez is the 41st ACC player to score 2,000 points for his career.

Trav's take

--Regarding NCAA Tournament expansion, Maryland coach Gary Williams said there are simply too many deserving teams being left out. He also said change is inevitable, and noted how the tournament was once limited to 16 teams. Still, what constitutes being a good team? If a team finishes in the top half of a power conference, the team is generally included in the field. Allowing teams that finish in the bottom half of power conferences is simply rewarding mediocrity.

--Most folks perceive the ACC as being down, but ESPN is still projecting six at-large berths from the conference. Sure, the ACC is stricken with parity this season, but so is every other conference.

--Vasquez should win player of the year honors in the ACC. Where would Maryland be without its do-it-all star?

Reach Travis Sawchik at tsawchik@postandcourier.com