With nine teams in the top 48 of the RPI ratings, pundits around the country are wondering if the ACC will get seven, eight, or even nine teams into the NCAA tournament. TSL has their own ideas on that topic, and we give our thoughts on what teams from the conference will and won't be dancing at season's end in this week's "Around the ACC." This week's ACC quiz: UNC has the most overall wins in the conference with 24, but which team has the second-most wins overall? The answer will surprise you.

There you have the answer to our quiz: The hard-charging Maryland Terrapins, with 21 victories, have the second-highest overall win total, behind the Heels.

Four Becomes Three

Last week, four teams were battling it out for the top seed in the ACC tournament. A week later, just three teams remain in that battle. Boston College has lost three games in a row and has dropped to 9-5 in ACC play. They are two games back in the loss column of conference leading UNC, and the Tar Heels hold the tiebreaker. Losses in the past week to UNC and Virginia Tech knocked the Eagles out of the race.

As it stands, only UNC, Virginia Tech and Virginia stand a chance to claim the #1 seed for the ACC tournament. Virginia Tech has the best chance to challenge UNC because they hold the tiebreaker over the Tar Heels. UNC holds the tiebreaker over UVA, and the teams won't meet again in the regular season.

Next Thursday's matchup between Virginia Tech and Virginia in Charlottesville could go a long way in shaking out the final standings at the top of the ACC.

A Look Around the League...

UNC responded to their home loss to Virginia Tech by winning two big games this past week. They knocked off Boston College on the road 77-72 on Saturday and got their revenge for an earlier loss to NC State by knocking off the Wolfpack 83-64 on Wednesday night.

With Virginia' loss to Miami on Wednesday, North Carolina moves into sole possession of first place in the ACC. They've easily been the class of the ACC this season, except when they've played Virginia Tech.

UNC is on top now, but they have a tough schedule down the stretch. They travel to Maryland and Georgia Tech, arguably the hottest teams in the conference, in back-to-back road games. Their final game is at home against Duke. UNC hasn't locked up the #1 seed in the ACC tournament quite yet.

Virginia Tech got bombed on the road 81-56 last Sunday by an NC State team the Hokies don't match up well against. Tech responded by returning home and blowing out Boston College 79-62 in a game that was not as close as the final score indicated. BC is effectively knocked out of the race for the #1 seed in the ACC tournament.

Zabian Dowdell continues to make his case for first team All-ACC. He had 23 points, eight rebounds, five assists, three steals and zero turnovers against the Eagles. And if you think A.D. Vassallo is developing into one of the top three-point shooters around, you're correct. Vassallo is 45.8% from three-point range on the season, and an even more impressive 52.8% in ACC play.

The Hokies are in good shape, and the only way they stand a chance to not make the NCAA tournament at this point is to lose their last three regular season games and their first game in the ACC tournament. With two of their last three games coming at home against Miami and Clemson, and a winnable road game at UVA, it looks like Tech will be dancing for the first time since 1996.

Virginia defeated struggling Florida State 73-70 in Charlottesville over the weekend but was upset by Miami on the road 68-60 on Wednesday night. It was just their second loss since a January 13 setback at Boston College.

Virginia's guards have been somewhat frustrated recently. Sean Singletary was just 1-of-6 from three-point range against Miami, and J.R. Reynolds was held to just seven shot attempts. Singletary was just 6-of-21 from the field in the previous game against FSU, and scored just 13 points against Virginia Tech a week earlier. Once the hottest backcourt combo in the conference, Singletary and Reynolds have cooled off.

Virginia needs one more win to get to 10 wins in ACC play, and that should sew up an NCAA tournament berth. They have back-to-back home games with Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech and a road game at Wake Forest to end their season.

Boston College is reeling. The Eagles recently lost two home games in a row against Duke and UNC, and then got crushed on Wednesday night in Blacksburg. Once holding the top spot in the ACC standings, BC is now fighting to hold onto their spot in the top four of the ACC. If Duke defeats Clemson tonight, they will be just one game behind the Eagles in the standings, and in possession of the tiebreaker.

Boston College only has two regular season games left, and they desperately need to win one of them. They are no longer a lock for the NCAA tournament, although they still possess a solid resume. They play Clemson at home on February 24 and travel to Georgia Tech on March 4. The Eagles need to beat Clemson at home, because a road win at Georgia Tech will be hard to come by.

The Maryland Terrapins have won four games in a row and five of their last six. Once thought to be an NIT team, the Terps have definitely gotten themselves back into the NCAA tournament race. They won at Clemson 82-66 last weekend and whipped FSU 73-55 on Wednesday night.

Maryland's freshman guard Greivis Vasquez is developing into a very solid ACC point guard, and D.J. Strawberry is showing outstanding senior leadership. Last week, Vasquez was named ACC Rookie of the Week, and Strawberry was ACC Player of the Week.

Maryland needs one more win to clinch a .500 mark in the ACC, and with their overall record, that will be enough to get them into the NCAA tournament. The Terps have home games with UNC and NC State remaining, as well as a road game at Duke.

After soundly whipping BC in Boston last week, Duke followed that up with another impressive win over the weekend. The Blue Devils knocked off Georgia Tech 71-62 in Durham on Sunday. They have now won two in a row after dropping four straight ACC games.

Duke has ACC road games at Clemson and UNC remaining, as well as a home date with the Maryland Terrapins. They also have a road game at St. John's sandwiched in between. If the Blue Devils can get to .500 in ACC, they'll be a lock for the NCAA tournament.

Georgia Tech is one of the hottest teams in the ACC, winning five of their last six games. The Yellow Jackets were defeated 71-62 at Duke over the weekend but rallied for a 75-61 victory over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Wednesday night in Atlanta. Things will be very interesting for GT down the stretch. If they can get to .500 in ACC play, they can make the NCAA tournament.

The Jackets have a road game at UVA this Saturday, and they have won just one road game all season. They follow that up with home games against UNC and Boston College. Georgia Tech has lost just one home game this year, to Virginia Tech back in January. Winning two of their last three in the regular season will give them a chance to make the Big Dance.

Unfortunately for the Yellow Jackets, they may have dug themselves into too deep a hole earlier in the season.

The Clemson Tigers have almost played their way out of the NCAA tournament. The Tigers have lost five of their last six games and seven of their last nine. They started the season 17-0 and looked like an NCAA tournament team in early January. A closer look reveals that Clemson has some major deficiencies as a team, and no one should be surprised by their recent collapse.

In ACC games only, Clemson is ninth is scoring offense (69.9 points), last in free throw percentage (59.2%), eighth in field goal percentage (45.2%), last in field goal percentage defense (48.9%) and last in three-point percentage (32%). They are also 11th in rebounding margin (-5.1), just 0.1 ahead of dead-last NC State.

The Tigers simply aren't an NCAA tournament basketball team. Unfortunately for them, the tough part of their schedule is coming up. They host Duke tonight and still have road games at Boston College and Virginia Tech.

Florida State had all the makings of an NCAA tournament team, until point guard Toney Douglas broke his hand. He'll miss the rest of the regular season, though he could possibly be back for the ACC tournament. Without him, Florida State has lost five games in a row.

The Seminoles' latest losses came at Virginia 73-70, and at Maryland 73-55. Their final two games of the regular season, home against NC State and at Miami, are winnable. After that, they need to hope for the return of Toney Douglas for the ACC tournament so they can make a run, otherwise they'll be back in the NIT.

After thoroughly whipping Virginia Tech 81-56 over the weekend, NC State was defeated at North Carolina 83-64 on Wednesday night. Three of their four ACC wins this year have come against Virginia Tech and UNC, the top two teams in the conference at this point.

The Wolfpack have no chance at an NCAA tournament berth unless they make a run in the ACC tournament in March, and with their lack of depth, that's unlikely to happen. The Wolfpack face road tests against Florida State and Maryland, and a home game against Wake Forest, in their final three games.

Don't look now, but Miami is playing much better basketball as of late. They are winners of two of their last three games. They defeated NC State 80-65, lost a tough 74-69 game at Wake Forest, and then defeated Virginia 68-60 in Coral Gables on Wednesday night. The Hurricanes have gotten better, and they are no guaranteed win at this point.

The Hurricanes recently brought center Jimmy Graham back from injury. He's rusty, but he played a big part in Miami's win over Virginia with five points and five rebounds in 21 minutes.

Miami has no chance for postseason play. They face road games at Virginia Tech and Clemson, and a home matchup with Florida State, in their final three games.

The Demon Deacons have also played better basketball as of late, winning three of their last five games. They defeated Miami 74-69 in Winston-Salem last Saturday and fell on the road to Georgia Tech 75-61 on Wednesday night.

The Demon Deacons got on a roll at the end of last season and snuck their way into the NIT, and they will look to do the same this season. They'll need to finish .500 or better overall. They have two regular season games remaining. They play at NC State on February 28, and host Virginia on March 4.