During ACC basketball season, fans and coaches in states other than North Carolina sometimes complain that their teams don't get enough recognition.

Duke and UNC, in particular, tend to dominate the airwaves and the headlines. Maryland coach Gary Williams once said he felt as if he were "in Alaska," because his school is located so far from the league's center of attention.

The most blunt, honest reply to those unhappy folks is this: Get over it. The truth hurts sometimes.

It would be one thing if the ACC was North Carolina-centric simply because the league's headquarters is in Greensboro, or because its commissioner (John Swofford) is a native of the Tar Heel State and a graduate of UNC, or because its overwhelming television growth has included key relationships in Charlotte (Raycom) and Greensboro (Jefferson-Pilot).

But the more rational and more obvious explanation for the tilted coverage during ACC basketball season is this: Historically speaking, the four North Carolina schools have absolutely dominated everyone else.

(NOTE: Veteran ACC journalist Al Featherston tackled this topic in extraordinary detail in this week's edition of the ACC Sports Journal. His article also is available at ACCSports.com.)

Consider these staggering facts:

Since the creation of the ACC, the league’s four Tobacco Road teams (Duke, UNC, N.C. State, Wake Forest) have produced 45 conference championships, nine NCAA titles, 32 Final Four appearances, 71 Sweet 16s and 233 NCAA wins.

Meanwhile, the non-North Carolina schools have managed just eight conference championships, one national title, six Final Fours, 34 Sweet 16s and 95 NCAA wins.

Some skeptics have suggested that the Big Four's 45 ACC titles are merely a byproduct of the fact that 45 of the league's 53 postseason tournaments have been held in North Carolina — 13 in Raleigh, 21 in Greensboro and 11 in Charlotte. But the Big Four has won six of the eight tournaments held outside the state's borders, too. This year's event, by the way, will be in Florida (Tampa) for the first time.

Looking ahead, one hard-to-believe factoid about the Big Four's overwhelming success is in jeopardy.

Never in ACC history has the Big Four failed to place at least two teams in the top four (including ties) of the regular-season conference standings. (Many times, the Big Four were the top four.) This year, UNC is surrounded at the top by Boston College, Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Unless Duke rallies over the next 12 days, and someone above the Blue Devils in the standings falters, that's one long-standing Big Four streak that will come to an end.

Regardless, a lifetime might not be enough for those other numbers to balance out.

ACC Men's Basketball Championships

Duke — 16
North Carolina — 15
N.C. State — 10
Wake Forest — 4
Everyone Else Combined — 8 (Georgia Tech 3, Maryland 3, South Carolina 1, Virginia 1)

NOTE:  The league recognizes the ACC Tournament winner as its official champion.