What we learned (midweek)

• That's as good as it gets
• Wake and UNC can win without their fastball
• Who do you leave off the All-ACC team?

We've spilled a lot of cyberink on this site about what's wrong with the ACC but Wednesday was as good as it gets.

Two games, with three great teams and one good one, decided in the final seconds. I've covered all the post-expansion ACC Tournaments and there hasn't been a single day like Wednesday.

Going back to Tuesday, that's three games, out of four, decided at the buzzer. We could only be so lucky to have an encore in Atlanta in March.

Wake and UNC can win without their fastball

Duke made 33 percent of its shots against Wake Forest in Wednesday's 70-68 loss. UNC made 35 against the Deacs in its loss at the Joel on Jan. 11. Maybe we should give Wake's defense some credit?

With so many conspicuous offensive talents, Wake's ability to pressure shots, alter shots, block shots gets lost in the flash of their point production.

Remember, Wake fell to the bottom of the ACC in 2006 — and stayed there for two seasons — because it couldn't play any defense. With athletic bigs Al-Farouq Aminu, James Johnson, plus big bigs Chas McFarland and David Weaver, Wake blocked nine shots last night and ranks second in the conference with 6.3 per game.

An improved defense — guard Jeff Teague ranks second in the conference in steals — has Wake in position to grab a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and open the first two rounds in Greensboro.

The Deacs beat UNC with Teague's offense but Teague was held to 4-of-14 from the floor and 11 points by Duke. The defense won on Wednesday. Great teams find ways to win, even when the fastball isn't working.

UNC also won with its changeup, a combination of Danny Green and Ty Lawson. With Tyler Hansbrough handcuffed by foul trouble and FSU's size and quickness, Green shone with 20 points, seven rebounds and six steals.

Lawson's buzzer-beating 3-pointer gave him 21 points to go with a team-high nine rebounds, four assists and just two turnovers.

Hansbrough's UNC's heater, no doubt, but he was picked up on Wednesday by Lawson and Green.

Green's steal, layup and three-point play saved UNC with 1:12 left in the game. FSU guard Derwin Kitchen gets an assist with the idiotic ole foul on the break but Green's hustle started the game-saving play. Lawson's running 3 provided the exclamation point.

After the Clemson game, I praised Roy Williams' end-game management. Leonard Hamilton provided a prime example of what not to do on Wednesday.

On FSU's final offensive sequence, Toney Douglas, a point guard, was being guarded by Hansbrough, a power forward. Kudos to Hansbrough for staying in front of Douglas but how about a pick for the guy? Or at the very least, a clear out. Hamilton instructed neither.

After a fortuitous offensive rebound, FSU had a second chance to win the game. Hamilton called timeout. Douglas got the ball again and this time got a high screen but forced a shot, looking for a foul on a helping Hansbrough. Correctly he didn't get the call.

With 3.6 seconds left, again Williams displayed the command of his team. Under the Dean Smith Manual of Coaching, you always get the ball past halfcourt and then call timeout.

Usually, Williams would have done that but with FSU's players sloughing off Lawson and parting the Garnet Sea, Williams let Lawson go. The rest is history.

I know what you're thinking, "How is letting your point guard dribble the length of the floor and hit a lucky buzzer-beater great coaching?"

Because Williams prepared his team to do so. Flash back to the N.C. State-Florida game on Jan. 3. Florida hits a basket with 11.3 seconds left and Sidney Lowe immediately, without regard to Florida's intentions, called a timeout.

Williams gauged the defense and trusted his players to make plays. That's good coaching.

And as a postscript to Lowe's end-game management, at the end of overtime on Tuesday against Miami, Lowe had Julius Mays cross halfcourt and then called timeout. At least he's learning from his mistakes. Williams must have lent him a copy of Dean's book.

Who do you leave off the All-ACC team?

There were five guys last night with a legitimate claim at first-team All-ACC and that doesn't include Lawson or Green.

Jeff Teague and Gerald Henderson have to be on the team. Tyler Hansbrough will be on the team. Toney Douglas and Kyle Singler deserve to be on the team.

Then there's BC's Tyrese Rice, Miami's Jack McClinton and Virginia Tech's A.D. Vassallo. That's 10 guys for five spots.

We're not even at the halfway point, so a lot can change, but I'd go with: Teague (POY), Henderson, Rice, Douglas and Psycho T.

I'm tempted to go Green, instead of PT, but you're all convinced I hate Hansbrough, so I'll throw you a curve.

Wake's Aminu is the early ROY and Dino Gaudio is the early COY.