CHARLOTTE -- Duke and North Carolina may have won the last two national titles, and Duke may be a heavy favorite to repeat as ACC champions, but Malcolm Delaney isn’t fazed.

The Virginia Tech guard -- and player-of-the-year candidate -- said he was a little awed when he played his first game in Chapel Hill as a freshman, but that’s not true anymore.

“The league is getting better,” Delaney said Wednesday at ACC basketball media day. “You can tell by last year. UNC was young, but … As of now, people don’t fear Duke and UNC any more. I know we don’t, as a team.”

Part I: Duke, FSU, VT, Md
Part II: UNC, Clemson, GT, Miami
Part III: State, UVa, BC, Wake

2009-10 record: 35-5 overall, 13-3 ACC (first)

Postseason: NCAA Tournament (6-0, national champions)

Projected starting lineup: G Kyrie Irving, G Nolan Smith, G Seth Curry, F Kyle Singler, F Mason Plumlee

N.C. State fans are pumped about C.J. Leslie, and UNC fans are
suddenly concerned about depth with the exit of the Wear twins, but the
decision that will have the biggest impact on the ACC basketball
belongs to Virginia Tech's Malcolm Delaney.

Delaney declared for the NBA Draft but did not hire an agent. He's trying to get in some
workouts before Saturday's deadline but got stuck in the Roanoke airport on Thursday.

Virginia Tech junior guard Malcolm Delaney opted to submit his name into the NBA draft, but he has not hired an agent.

He hopes to get the feedback he needs from pro scouts and NBA teams before deciding
whether his NBA stock is high enough or if he should return to Blacksburg, Va. for a final season of college basketball. But with a new, shortened period to withdraw his name and return to school, the question now is, does he really have enough time to get that feedback?

Virginia Tech junior Malcolm Delaney, the ACC's leading scorer, declared for the NBA draft on Wednesday but did not hire an agent.

Delaney, a combo guard who led the ACC with 20.2 points per game, has until May 8 to return to Blacksburg or stay in the draft.