Hoops Picked 9th

To be honest, the only real shocker at Sunday's media day was how few members of the media actually showed up. The 40 votes cast in the preseason balloting were by far the fewest in recent memory. By contrast, 64 people participated in last year's poll.

There are a couple of reasons for the disparity. First, there's the economy and the fact that most newspapers around the country are cutting back their budgets. The other, more compelling factor is that the event was held in Atlanta, instead of Greensboro -- where it has been for all but two other times in its 38-year history.

It's a fact Maryland coach Gary Williams, a vocal opponent of the perceived "North Carolina" bias that exists in the ACC, duly noted when he noted that "the 400 papers from North Carolina aren't here today."

In all seriousness, the ACC has no one to blame but itself for the sparse attendance that was so bad, media relations director Brian Morrison stood at the door of the interview room asking reporters to go speak to various coaches and players sitting idly at their tables.