ACC takes big stage

If this season's point guard, ACC player of the year Ty Lawson, recovers from a toe injury, the Tar Heels will make the Final Four. If not, a regional semi against Gonzaga or Illinois could get dicey. UNC opens today against Radford, with LSU or Butler to follow.

Odds: 85 percent.

Wake Forest

Ask any NBA scout — with James Johnson, Al-Farouq Aminu and Jeff Teague, the Deacons are talented enough to make the program's first Final Four since 1962. But they're also unreliable enough to lose to Cleveland State on Friday, witness their uninspired effort in an ACC tournament loss to Maryland.

Should Wake dismiss Cleveland State and either Utah or Arizona in the second round, an above-the-rim aerial show against No. 1 Louisville could transpire in the regional semis. But since opening the season 16-0 and ascending to No. 1 in the polls, the Deacons are a pedestrian 8-6.

Odds: 50 percent.



Throughout the season, ACC coaches preached the conference's virtues and lobbied for six, seven — do I hear eight? — NCAA bids.

Wish granted, and rightfully so. Now comes the hard part.

Proving they were right.

ACC in first round

Times are approximate. Games on CBS 3 6.

• Radford vs. UNC,

2:45 p.m. today.

• Maryland vs. California,

2:50 p.m. today.

• Michigan vs. Clemson,

7:10 tonight.

• Binghamton vs. Duke,

9:35 tonight.

• USC vs. Boston College, 7:20 Friday.

• Cleveland State vs. Wake Forest, 9:35 p.m. Friday.

• Wisconsin vs. Florida State, 9:50 p.m. Friday.

David Teel can be reached at 247-4636 or by e-mail at dteel@dailypress.com. For more from Teel, read his blog at dailypress.com/teeltime.