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New Players In The ACC

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By JOEY JOHNSTON

jjohnston@tampatrib.com

Published: January 17, 2009

Today's ACC showdown has everything - two unbeaten teams, national television and that unmistakable on-campus buzz.

Duke-North Carolina?

Not exactly.

It's Wake Forest (15-0) at Clemson (16-0).

"It's going to be a great atmosphere," Clemson's Trevor Booker said.

And a rather unexpected scenario.
Wake Forest equaled the best start in school history (1926-27) with an 83-63 road victory against a Boston College team that handed North Carolina its first loss. Wake Forest's Jeff Teague (29 points) continued to look like one of the nation's best players, following up his 34-point performance against the Tar Heels.

Clemson, ranked No. 10 by the Associated Press, has its highest poll position since early in the 1997-98 season (No. 5).

"The game is sold out, and we expect Littlejohn Coliseum to be sold out the rest of the way," Clemson coach Oliver Purnell said.

The Tigers turned a corner last season, finishing 24-10 and earning the program's first NCAA Tournament bid in nine seasons (although it led to a bitter first-round collapse against No. 12-seeded Villanova in Tampa). It was the fifth straight season that Purnell's team improved its winning percentage - and this season might represent another positive spike.

Meanwhile, Wake Forest is seeking its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2005. With five returning starters - and the top five reserves also back - the Demon Deacons were expected to improve.

But this?

"Wake Forest is playing as well as anybody in the country," Purnell said. "A nice first-division ACC team is not a bad place to be, because you're a title contender then. And you're not just a title contender, you're a national title contender.

"If you can compete in this league, the best in America, year-in, year-out, if you're playing well at the right time, you can get some things done."

Reporter Joey Johnston can be reached at (813) 259-7353.

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