Where's the Season Gone?

As I write this, it’s hard to believe that two weeks from now the ACC men’s basketball tournament will be under way. In my mind, this has been one fast, competitive season.

Still, there are several key games left in the regular season with a lot on the line. ACC coaches have really been lobbying hard about the strength of the league, but I don’t see eight or nine teams getting in. Clemson’s been terrible down the stretch, and so has Florida State, which has been missing Tony Douglas with a broken hand.

A lot depends on what happens in the next week. Right now, I see Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Boston College, Duke and Maryland as solid. Georgia Tech, I think, still needs some work. They take a 6-7 league mark into their final three

Can they win at Virginia on Saturday? Could they upset Carolina at home next week? Those games are huge for them. A strike against Tech is that they’re a poor road team, but two of their final three games are at home with their regular season ending hosting Boston College.

N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe made the trip to Tallahassee as the Wolfpack plays Florida State on Saturday. Lowe missed the second half of the Pack’s loss to Carolina because of dehydration. He’s better, and from what the State people are saying, he will be on the bench.

State just ran out of gas against Carolina in the second half. Lowe’s absence might have made a little difference but not much. State was on empty while Carolina just kept fresh players running in and out.

I don’t think anyone believes State will win the ACC tournament, so their sights are set on the NIT. That means their final three games are very important. Even the NIT won’t take a team with a losing record.

There’s no question that State is a tired basketball team. I couldn’t understand why the starters, as worn out as they were, were still in at the end of the Carolina game with State down by double figures.

It will be very interesting to see what State has left at Florida State. One thing about this Wolfpack team is you just never know.

Carolina goes to Maryland on Sunday. The Heels are in first place all by themselves, but their final three games won’t be easy, starting with the Terps on Sunday. They go to Georgia Tech on Thursday and close out at home with Duke.

Maryland has been playing well, and this will be a test of Carolina’s resolve. Maryland, after a very inconsistent stretch, has won four straight and is playing well -- when it counts. And you can bet it will be a fired-up Comcast Center waiting for UNC. Poise will be very important for Carolina.

Roy Williams said after the win at Boston College that he thinks his team is a very good road team. Tyler Hansbrough has said it is fun to hear the crowd go quiet. They’ll get a good chance to see if they can make that happen on Sunday.

Maryland is 7-6 in the ACC. They need to finish strong to ensure themselves of an NCAA tournament berth. An 8-8 conference record will get them into the NCAAs without question. They have Carolina at home, then at Duke and N.C. State at home. Losing all three would be disastrous for them, and they know it.

On Thursday night at Clemson, we saw the good Duke and the bad Duke. The good Duke attacked the basket in the first half, played with confidence and basically struck a tranquilizer dart into a desperate Tiger as the Blue Devils took a 21 point lead.

The second half was a different story. Clemson woke up, and Duke started throwing the ball all over the place. But Coach K said his team didn’t panic when the Tigers had cut it to five and Duke managed to end up winning a key road game that assures them of a 500 conference record.

Duke’s came back nicely after that four-game losing streak. They play a mediocre St. John’s team in New York on Sunday.

The Duke women’s team is the only unbeaten team left in college basketball, men or women’s. The regular season finale at Cameron on Sunday will be as good as it gets.

27-2 Carolina invades 28-0 Duke. The Tar Heels would love nothing better than to spoil Duke’s dream season, and they have the talent to do it.

It will be senior day as standouts Lindsey Harding and Alison Bales will play their last game at home. Harding has been the leagues player of the year while Bales has performed at an all-conference level. They can’t get up in the emotion of this as hard as it may be not to. There’s so much at stake.

Ivory Latta’s eyes will be big as saucers as she comes into Cameron looking to spoil Duke’s season. Latta is do big game.

Wow selection Sunday on March 11.

Where has the season gone