A look at Thursday's first-round matchups in the ACC tournament:
No. 8 Virginia vs. No. 9 Miami
Time; TV: noon; WATL
Records: Virginia (16-14, 7-9), Miami (18-13, 6-10)
Best ACC tourney finish: Virginia has one title (1976). Miami none.
Season matchup: Miami won 70-68 in overtime Feb. 5.
Scouting report: Miami is the most accurate 3-point shooting team in the conference (38.8 percent) and averages 71.6 points per game. Virginia likes to milk the shot clock on every possession. It averages a conference-low 61.9 points per game with the second-best defense (62.2 points per game). The Hurricanes can also go inside, where Reggie Johnson has a distinct weight advantage on Virginia's Assane Sene.
Who winner plays Friday: No. 1 seed North Carolina, noon, WATL/ESPN2
No. 5 Boston College vs. No. 12 Wake Forest
Time; TV: 2 p.m. (approx.), WATL
Records: Boston College (19-11, 9-7), Wake Forest (8-23, 1-15)
Best ACC tourney finish: Boston College hasn't won the title. Wake Forest has won the title four times, most recently in 1996.
Season matchup: Boston College won 84-68 on March 6.
Scouting report: Wake Forest arguably is the worst team in ACC history, losing 15 conference games. The Eagles, led by guard Reggie Jackson (18.3 points per game), come in with three consecutive wins. Wake's Travis McKie is trying to become the 10th freshman in ACC history to lead his team in scoring (12.9 points per game) and rebounding (7.6).
Who winner plays Friday: No. 4 Clemson, 2 p.m. (approx.), WATL/ESPN2
No. 7 Maryland vs. No. 10 N.C. State
Time; TV: 7 p.m., ESPN2
Records: Maryland (18-13, 7-9), N.C. State (15-15, 5-11)
Best ACC tourney finish: Maryland has won the title three times, most recently in 2004. N.C. State has won the title 10 times, most recently in 1987.
Season matchup: Maryland won 87-80 on Feb. 20.
Scouting report: Like Hewitt, N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe seems to also be on the hot seat. If you like skilled post players, this is the game to watch because Maryland's Jordan Williams and N.C. State's Tracy Smith will face off. Williams had 23 double-doubles this season to earn All-ACC honors. Smith has scored in double-figures in 17 of the 20 games he played this season.
Who winner plays Friday: No. 2 Duke, 7 p.m., WATL/ESPN2
No. 6 seed Virginia Tech vs. No. 11 Georgia Tech
Time; TV: 9 p.m. (approx.), WATL
Records: Georgia Tech (13-17, 5-11), Virginia Tech (19-10, 9-7).
Best ACC tourney finish: Georgia Tech has three championships (1985, '90, '93); Virginia Tech has made the semifinals two times (2007-08).
Season matchups: Georgia Tech won 72-57 on Jan. 25; Virginia Tech won 102-77 on Feb. 13.
Scouting report: Most eyes will be focused on the third matchup between All-ACC guards Iman Shumpert and Malcolm Delaney. Shumpert took the first, posting the fourth triple-double in Tech's history with 22 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. The second went in Delaney's favor. He scored 33 points on 9-of-14 shooting to lead the Hokies.
Who winner plays Friday: No. 3 seed FSU, 9 p.m. (time approximate), WATL/ESPN2
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