Apparently Florida State forward Al Thornton's opinion of how he is playing can be read in the wearing of his burgundy headband. The first team All-ACC selection starts each game with a headband and takes it off if he is not playing well.

    Sure enough, Thornton scored four points in the game's first 12 minutes and, returning briefly to the bench, removed his headband. "When I get aggravated, the headband comes off," Thornton said afterward. Over the final eight minutes of the half, including more than a minute he spent resting on the sideline, the ACC's leading scorer exploded for 14 more points.

    Of course a minor facilitating factor in Thornton's explosion was the foul trouble experienced by Clemson big man James Mays. He drew his second foul, at the offensive end, with exactly eight minutes to go and spent the remainder of the period on the bench. Without the point man on its press and its best interior defender, Clemson did well to stay within 38-36 at halftime.

    Mays is among the league's most under-rated defenders, at least according to the ACC's 12 head coaches. Mays finished third with seven votes in balloting for the 12th annual Fan's Guide all-defensive team, chosen by the coaches. The Tiger junior was left off the media's all-defensive team, as was teammate Vernon Hamilton and Duke's DeMarcus Nelson.

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    Note to grammarians: There may be no word more frequently misspelled than the one botched on the electronic message board on the front of the mezzanine level here.  "Tampa Bay Welcomes The ACC Tournament And It's (sic) Fans To the St. Pete Times Forum," the salute reads. Just to review, the contraction of it is is spelled "it's" and the possessive form is spelled "its."
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    The 54th ACC Tournament already has achieved one first. This is surely the first time in Florida State's 17 years in the conference that it had more fans in the stands than its opponent.