N.C. State compared to the nine other 9-7 ACC teams since expansion:

The last time N.C. State won nine ACC games and didn't make the NCAA tournament was 1966. Press Maravich's second, and final team, went 9-5 in conference play but lost in the ACC tournament final to Duke.

GREENSBORO – Wake Forest made history on Friday night.

With a unlikely victory over second-seeded Miami, the seventh-seeded Demon Deacons advance to the semifinals of the ACC women's tournament for the first time since 1988.

WINSTON-SALEM Wake Forest's disappointing season took another downward turn today as coach Jeff Bzdelik announced the suspension of senior center Ty Walker for the remainder of the season due to "a violation of departmental policy regarding student-athletes."

“Unfortunately it has become necessary to suspend Ty Walker for the conclusion of the season,” Bzdelik said in a statement released this afternoon. “He will finish up classes this semester and is on target to graduate in May.”

Walker sat out the first nine games of this season due to a violation of the Wake Forest University student code of conduct. He ended up playing in 20 games with 13 starts, averaging 4.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game.
 

Outlook: There’s a lot to like about Wake Forest’s 2012 football schedule. There are seven home games and all are winnable considering the fact that Grobe’s teams generally have played well against ACC Atlantic Division heavy Clemson.

September home games against Liberty, UNC, Army and Duke should give the Deacs a chance to start 4-1.

RALEIGH – In a game decided by defense, Wake Forest proved tougher on Sunday afternoon, staggering N.C. State en route to a 70-57 victory at Reynolds Coliseum.

The Demon Deacons – mixing full and half-court traps – smothered the Wolfpack and pulled ahead late in the second half. They held on for the win and sent the sold-out crowd home disappointed after they had filled the venue for the seventh annual "Hoops 4 Hope" event. 

The Hoops 4 Hope basketball game to honor the life of legendary N.C. State Women's Basketball Coach Kay Yow and raise money for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund is this Sunday.

And I've got two tickets to give away to the game.

In addition to the tickets, one reader will win a prize pack that includes:

• a $15 gift card to Goodnights Comedy Club
• a Nike Kay Yow tote bag
• a Kay Yow Love t-shirt
• a breast cancer awareness band
• and a Play4Kay cup.

Oh, and did I mention that American Idol singer Scotty McCreery is scheduled to sing at the game?

Three Points from N.C. State's 87-76 win over Wake Forest on Saturday:

1) Brown back on track

State guard Lorenzo Brown had 15 points with eight assists in a season-high 38 minutes on Saturday. He even gave a half-smile as he left the locker room after putting an end to his mini-slump.

"It was a little better," Brown said.

Brown, who is his own biggest critic, was pleased with his turnovers, only two — a low in ACC play for him. He was more aggressive against the Deacs with 11 shots (making six) after only taking five against Boston College on Wednesday, despite an obvious mismatch with Jordan Daniels.

Updated 7:30 p.m.

RALEIGH — N.C. State will always have Wake Forest.

The ACC will regularly take a game against North Carolina away from the Wolfpack when the league expands to 14 teams but State and Wake will continue to play twice a season.

Since 2006, that has been a good thing for State. The Pack beat the Demon Deacons 87-76 on Saturday for the fifth straight time and the ninth time in the past 12 games.

Scott Wood's 23 points lifted the Pack in a closer call than the earlier meeting this season, a 76-40 wipeout in Winston-Salem, and the two lopsided State wins from last season (by 25 and 21 points).

N.C. State no longer will be guaranteed home-and-away basketball matchups with North Carolina in the new 18-game conference schedule announced this morning by the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The ACC announced a new scheduling format this morning for when Syracuse and Pittsburgh join the league. According to the new schedule, beginning in 2012-13, each school will play every other league team at least once each season, but each school  will have only one "primary partner" for guaranteed home-and-away games.

Updated at 12:40 p.m. with scheduling details and a statement by ACC commissioner John Swofford.

Quarterback Tyler Cameron, tight end Anthony Cook and defensive tackle Josh Banks (Cary Middle Creek) headline Wake Forest's list of football signees today.

As usual, Demon Deacons coach Jim Grobe dipped into Florida for recruits, including Cameron, a three-star recruit from Jupiter, Fla.