In the end, it probably didn’t matter whether Duke won or lost against Boston College in Friday night’s final game.

Once Wake Forest lost — and the Deacons barely bothered to show up against Maryland — the Devils were all but certain to join North Carolina in Greensboro when the NCAA Tournament begins next week, even before their 66-65 win over the Eagles.

College basketball isn't always about coaching, as TV announcers would so often have us believe. But sometimes, it can make all the difference in the world. Friday's final Florida State possession in a 64-62 win over Georgia Tech was a tour de force by Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton.

Ty Lawson was in uniform on the bench, his ailing right big toe encased in a protective boot, so it’s not like North Carolina would have moved very fast with him in the game clunking down the court.

But with Bobby Frasor and Larry Drew II running the offense, the Heels certainly weren’t moving much faster.

North Carolina survived to advance to Saturday’s semifinals behind Tyler Hansbrough’s 28 points and a questionable jump-ball call with five seconds to go to hold off Virginia Tech 79-76, but it wasn’t the kind of basketball that makes Carolina so dangerous. It was really only half of it.

Good morning from the Georgia Dome, where everybody — in the media and league office for sure, and possibly the officials, players and coaches as well — is a little slow after working a 13-hour (or more)  day Thursday, then staying up to watch all six overtimes of Syracuse-Connecticut knowing there was another 13-hour (or more) day looming again today.

There wasn't anything that exciting here yesterday, with Virginia Tech dispatching a disinterested Miami team that couldn't get Jack McClinton the ball, Georgia Tech knocking the 'P' out of Clemson, N.C. State blowing a lead and going dry down the stretch for the FIRST TIME ALL SEASON and Boston College taking care of business against Virginia.

Big day, today, though, with all three of the remaining North Carolina teams playing for the first time, Ty Lawson's big toe looming over the festivities and waaaay more people on the streets around the GDome than at this time yesterday, which bodes well for the toothless smile in the upper deck.

More to come later. 

In my column in today’s paper, I mention Phil Chambless, who tried — and failed — to first sell and then give away his ACC Tournament tickets Thursday. In a couple ways, he may be the poster child for this tournament.

Chambless bought the tickets before losing his job with a management consulting firm in Atlanta, then was hoping to salvage some of his investment.

From Talking Points:

Perhaps feeling a bit insecure about the empty seats in the Georgia Dome, the ACC provided some comparative attendance figures from other conference tournaments. 

Thursday's attendance was 26,352 per session, which is substantially down from 2001, when the ACC averaged 36,505 per session in Atlanta. Still, that's better than the league has done since then.

Read more here. 

Staff photo by Ethan Hyman

Perhaps feeling a bit insecure about the empty seats in the Georgia Dome, the ACC provided some comparative attendance figures from other conference tournaments.

Thursday's attendance was 26,352 per session, which is substantially down from 2001, when the ACC averaged 36,505 per session in Atlanta.

This N.C. State team was going to go as far as Brandon Costner, Courtney Fells and Ben McCauley could take it. In the end, it wasn’t very far.

State’s season may have ended with Thursday’s 74-69 first-round loss to Maryland, with the NCAA Tournament out of the question and an NIT bid very much in doubt.

So if this is how that trio goes out, after coming in with such high expectations, it’s not exactly the kind of legacy they would have liked to leave.

Trevor Booker was one of the best players in the ACC this year, without question one of the top two forwards, but he’ll be kicking himself for missing two free throws at the end of Clemson’s first-round loss to Georgia Tech on Thursday.

There’s always something a little odd about basketball in a dome, particularly one as empty as the Georgia Dome was to open things Thursday. But this year’s ACC Tournament feels a little odd in the media areas, too.