Somebody asked me yesterday (before BC made Gary Williams turn several shades of purple) whether it was the worst day of ACC tournament basketball I’d seen.  I can’t remember what I ate for breakfast this morning, so I’ll take a pass on historical perspective.  But Thursdays at the tournament have generally been dreary since 2005, when the league’s expansion created a bulbous opening round to precede Friday’s 4-game quarterfinals.  I like basketball—but that’s too much basketball.  Too much mediocre basketball when it comes to Thursdays.

Speaking of Williams, he’s now one-and-done for three of his past four tournaments—or ever since Maryland upset Duke in the 2004 final (the John Gilchrist tournament).  He’s also gonna miss the NCAAs for the third time during this stretch—probably not the outgrowth Terps fans expected from back-to-back Final Fours and a national championship in 2001-02.  Trouble city?  Williams has piled up too many chits in College Park to be in peril.  But things have stagnated up there.  It could get uncomfortable.

Same goes for Sidney Lowe.  He mismanaged N.C. State this season, lost his last nine games, might lose freshman ace J.J. Hickson to the NBA draft, might not have a ballhandler in the program you’d trust to get an offense in sync—and, oh, yeah, those two Goliaths in Chapel Hill and Durham show no signs of diminishing in stature.  Maybe Lowe can rescue himself and his product.  But another downbeat season, and he’s in big trouble.

My favorite posted sign in Bobcats Arena this weekend?  Mascot Holding.  I keep walking by that area expecting to see Mike Krzyzewski with Buzz or the Hokie Bird in his arms,  but no such luck.