The ACC is 4-0, but not by much. Only Duke mustered so much as a regulation double digit win, and most Blue Devil players felt they played far less than their best in the win over Southern University. Boston College had to rally from six down in overtime to beat Pacific in double overtime. NC State won a squeaker against highly regarded Cal. North Carolina survived a major score from a physical, athletic Murray State team.

Of the four, NC State can feel best about its performance. The Wolfpack looked more like its mid-February selt in beating the Golden Bears. State was able to run some backdoor plays and get the ball inside. The Pack shot nearly 50% Most of all, State defended well. This team could make things interesting against Texas.

The other three ACC teams will all be favored in their second-round games. In the final analysis, the strength of a league's NCAA performance comes not in how many bids it receives, but how well its clubs play. So far so good for a conference overlooked on Selection Sunday.