ATLANTA -- N.C. State’s 61-52 ACC victory against Georgia Tech on Thursday was built on the memories of what happened the last time the two teams played.

It was a month ago, when the Yellow Jackets exposed the Wolfpack defensively, shooting 51 percent in an 82-71 win in Raleigh.

“That hurt us,” said Wolfpack Mark Gottfried.

But it also served N.C. State well on Thursday in Philips Arena. The Wolfpack (18-7, 7-3 ACC) clamped down defensively on Georgia Tech (9-15, 2-8), forcing the Yellow Jackets into a 32.2 percent shooting night on its way to a third consecutive triumph.

Mark Gottfried cut to the chase in his post-game comments about N.C. State's 82-71 loss to Georgia Tech on Wednesday.

The first-year coach called it one of his team's "poorer" performances of the season. He gave a rather amusing philosophical answer in trying to explain what went wrong against a struggling Tech team that entered the game with a 7-8 record.

"Sometimes, we'd all like to come up with this grand answer of why your team doesn't play good," Gottfried said. "Sometimes you just don't play good. Hell, I go golf, (expletive), sometimes I'm terrible, sometimes I'm a little better. It's part of life."

RALEIGH — With eight losses in its first 15 games, including the nonsensical variety to Mercer and Fordham, Georgia Tech isn't the kind of team a resurgent N.C. State was expected to lose to in ACC play.

Shouldas and couldas don't count in the standings, though, only the results. With 22 points from Glen Rice, the Yellow Jackets handed the Wolfpack a humbling 82-71 defeat on Wednesday night at the RBC Center, in one of the first setbacks of an otherwise relatively smooth first season for coach Mark Gottfried.

CHARLOTTE – North Carolina received 57 of a possible 59 first-place votes to finish atop the ACC media poll released Wednesday at the conference’s Operation Basketball media event.

The Tar Heels return all five starters, including preseason ACC player of the year selection Harrison Barnes, from a team that finished 29-8, reached an NCAA regional final and won first place in the ACC with a 14-2 conference record last season.

Duke was picked second in the poll, followed by Florida State, Virginia, Miami, Virginia Tech and Clemson. N.C. State was selected to finish eighth, with Maryland, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest and Boston College closing out the poll.

RALEIGH — Georgia Tech went up big early and then put N.C. State away for good in the fourth quarter for a 45-35 win Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium.

Orwin Smith scored three touchdowns for the No. 21 Yellow Jackets, including two in the first quarter. Georgia Tech led 21-0 before the Wolfpack responded with the next two scores.

Updated 6:30 p.m.

ATLANTA – All North Carolina coach Everett Withers said he wanted Saturday was a chance to drive the ball down the field at the end for a possible win on the road.

“What more can you ask for a team?” he asked.

In the case of UNC’s 35-28 loss at No. 25 Georgia Tech (4-0, 1-0 ACC), perhaps a bit more time.

Or a few more defensive stops.

You don't have to look far to find ACC talent in the NFL.

Every team in the league has at least three players from ACC schools and the conference has a total 249 players in the league as the season begins tonight in Green Bay.

Despite a recent downturn on the field, Miami leads the ACC with NFL players with 44. For the first time since expansion, Maryland takes over the second spot with 28, edging Florida State, which is down to 25 from an ACC-best 46 in 2006, and North Carolina (24).

Among those in attendance for the start of the ACC baseball tournament in Durham today will be a number of scouts from major league teams.

This year’s MLB draft, which will be held June 6-8, is likely to include several ACC players again. The league has emerged as a primary professional pipeline in baseball.

Four losing seasons in six years were more than coach Paul Hewitt could survive at Georgia Tech.

School athletic director Dan Radakovich announced today that Hewitt has been relieved of his duties as the Yellow Jackets' basketball coach after 11 seasons.

GREENSBORO - Coach Paul Hewitt had little to say about his future at Georgia Tech following a 59-43, season-ending loss to Virginia Tech in the first round of the ACC tournament late Thursday night.

It's the third time in four seasons that the Yellow Jackets have finished with a losing record. Georgia Tech is seven years removed from its trip to the NCAA championship game, which was the high point of Hewitt's tenure.

Hewitt was asked after Thursday's loss if he anticipates being back.

"Yes I do," Hewitt said. "But - you know."