By ROBBI PICKERAL, Raleigh News and Observer

CHAPEL HILL, NC - North Carolina basketball coach Roy Williams sees the comparisons to the 2009 championship coming.

Like '09, this year's team returns multiple players who turned down the chance to enter the NBA draft early. Like '09, these Tar Heels feel they have something to prove after finishing short of their national title goal last season.

RALEIGH, N.C. - Since she was named N.C. State's athletic director last year, former Maryland AD Debbie Yow has tried to downplay her fractured relationship with Terrapins basketball coach Gary Williams.

So much for that.

Marquette shooting guard Darius Johnson-Odom used to dream of hitting a clutch shot in the NCAA Tournament, counting down in his Raleigh, N.C., backyard -- 3 ... 2 ... 1 -- as an imaginary crowd watched.

There's more on the line in Greensboro, N.C. this week than just the ACC tournament title.

Fifth-ranked Duke and No. 6 North Carolina are playing for the possibility of a No. 1 seed come NCAA Selection Sunday. Boston College, Virginia Tech and Clemson are competing for an NCAA berth, period.

Roughly 2,000 ticket books to last year's ACC men's basketball tournament went unsold, leaving noticeable holes in the Greensboro Coliseum sections reserved for Boston College, Florida State and Miami fans.

Now the league is determined to make sure that doesn't happen again.

Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton said he believes his team can adjust and succeed without star forward Chris Singleton, who fractured his right foot against Virginia on Saturday.

Why? Because Hamilton already has seen a couple of ACC basketball rivals do something similar.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - North Carolina freshman forward Harrison Barnes can envision the reception he will receive from the Cameron Crazies when he takes the court at Duke on Wednesday night.

"I think they're going to be excited to see me," the preseason All-America said, grinning. "I think they will."

Then he paused.

"Not in a positive light."

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - North Carolina coach Roy Williams may have thought he showed "great restraint" with his callers during his Monday night radio show, but he let it rip during Tuesday night's postgame news conference.

Roy Williams soon will go into the history books as having coached a 2,000-win college basketball program.

The question is, which one will get there first: North Carolina or Kansas?

New Virginia men's basketball coach Tony Bennett's philosophy has long been to sit a player for the rest of the first half if he picks up two fouls.

"I think you have to have a feel of the guy he's guarding, and the situation, if you're going to reinsert him in the first half," Bennett said.