March 10, 2008

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -

2008 ACC Tournament Bracket in PDF Format

Wake Forest will meet Florida State for the third time this season when the two teams open up the 55th Annual Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament on Thursday at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena. The squads will tip-off at noon, and the game will be televised by Raycom Sports and broadcast on the Wake Forest ISP Radio Network.

The Demon Deacons tied with FSU and Georgia Tech for seventh place in the final league standings, all finishing with 7-9 conference records. Wake received the eighth seed in the Tournament bracket, as Georgia Tech won the three-team tiebreaker by virtue of a 2-1 mark against the Deacs and Seminoles. Wake Forest went 2-2 against GT and FSU, while the Noles were 1-2.

The winner of Wake Forest-Florida State will meet top-seeded and No. 1-ranked North Carolina on Friday at noon. The Tar Heels captured the ACC regular season championship with a 14-2 record.

Wake Forest finished the regular season 17-12 overall and 7-9 in the ACC. Florida State finished 18-13 overall and 7-9 in conference play.

The Deacons won both meetings with the Seminoles this season. Behind 26 points and nine rebounds from James Johnson, Wake Forest defeated FSU 74-57 on Jan. 20 in Winston-Salem. In the return trip to Tallahassee, Chas McFarland's first career double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds propelled the Deacs to a 78-70 win on Valentine's Day.

Wake is a perfect 3-0 against FSU in ACC Tournament play. The Deacons defeated the Seminoles in 1997, 2003 and 2006. All three matchups were played in Greensboro.

The Deacons have won ACC Tournament titles in 1961, 1962, 1995 and 1996. Wake has advanced to the finals on 10 occasions and to the semifinal round 27 times. Wake Forest is 42-50 all-time in ACC Tournament play, including a 5-11 mark in Charlotte.

Last season, Wake Forest went 1-1 in the ACC Tournament in Tampa, Fla. The Deacons, seeded 11th, downed Georgia Tech, 114-112, in double overtime in the opening round. Wake then fell to third-seeded Virginia Tech, 71-52, in the quarterfinals.

Florida State was seeded ninth in last year's Tournament. The Seminoles edged eighth-seeded Clemson, 67-66, in the opening round before falling to top-seeded UNC in the quarterfinals.