The Chronicle

It's the kind of story that starts a legend. One of the founding myths of Duke basketball. The day the Blue Devils began their rise to college basketball pre-eminence. It starts with an embarrassment-a 109-to-66-sized embarrassment to Virginia in the first round of the 1983 ACC Tournament.

Perhaps most disappointing, however, is that the 2006-2007 squad did not resemble the great Duke teams of the past.

By now, you've watched the video on EPN. You've seen the blood-soaked photos in the newspaper. You've heard too many people debate whether it was intentional.

Barton was hanging with Duke midway through the first half Saturday when Kyle Singler grabbed a rebound and quickly dished it ahead to Nolan Smith for an easy layup.

When center Chante Black finally gets the chance to pair up with forward Carrem Gay, it will mark the beginning of a new era for the Blue Devil frontcourt.

Since arriving at Duke, head coach Joanne P. McCallie has not just rearranged the furniture in Schwartz-Butters. She has changed the culture of the whole program, starting in the weight room.

For the past four years, Nolan Smith may as well have been playing for a college program.

Freshmen are supposed to be shy, unsure of themselves and daunted by the transition from high school to college.

Before he had ever taken high school geometry or attended a homecoming dance, Taylor King knew where he would be going to college. Or so he thought.

With refined scoring talents that have elicited comparisons to Larry Bird and Dirk Nowitzki, Kyle Singler is certainly an expert at drawing the attention of opposing defenses.

A lot has changed since last March. The 6-foot-7 frontcourt force, Alison Bales, is gone. The National Player of the Year, Lindsey Harding, is gone. The Associated Press Coach of the Year, Gail Goestenkors, is gone. But for Duke, the national-championship-or-bust mindset remains the same.

North Carolina head coach Roy Williams said that this season would not be a waste if the Tar Heels failed to win the national championship. But it would not be unreasonable for the No. 1 team in the nation to have a title on its mind. The Tar Heels return all but two players from a team that compiled a 31-7 record last year and won both the ACC regular season and tournament before losing in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight.

At this time last year, N.C. State had just started practice with new head coach Sidney Lowe, had lost star center Cedric Simmons to the NBA and was projected to finish at the bottom of the ACC by more than half the voters in the conference's preseason poll.

After a 2006-2007 season in which Clemson had its best start in team history, the ACC cannot say it didn't see the Tigers coming this year. Anchored by four returning starters from a team that went 25-11 and finished as the runner-up in the NIT, Clemson was picked fourth in the preseason ACC media poll.

Last year, with the help of Sean Singletary, the Cavaliers were able to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2001. This year, Singletary turned down the NBA in hopes of building on that success. The senior point guard was the catalyst for Virginia's success last year, averaging 19.

Maryland opens this season having lost several established starters, and so the Terrapins have no choice but to rely on their freshman class to contribute right away if they hope to return to the NCAA Tournament. And while the team's seven freshmen only met a few months ago, they have already proven to their older teammates that they belong at this level.

After inking McDonald's All-Americans Javaris Crittenton and Thaddeus Young before the start of the 2006-2007 season, Georgia Tech head coach Paul Hewitt appeared to have secured the Yellow Jackets' immediate future. Now, with both heralded recruits in the NBA after just one year in Atlanta, Hewitt's program must rebuild.

It's hard to know what to expect from Boston College when the Eagles don't even know what to expect from themselves. "The dynamics have changed a lot," head coach Al Skinner said. "This team has to come out and find its own identity." Boston College must find a way to replace the leadership and production of last year's conference player of the year, Jared Dudley.

Although the Seminoles unveiled a spiffy new uniform for the 2007-2008 season, the players who will take the court for Florida State this season should look very familiar. Returning four veteran starters to their lineup, including senior guards Jason Rich and Isaiah Swann, the Seminoles look to build off last year's 22-13 record and a ninth-place conference finish by using their wealth of experience.

Coming off a surprisingly successful ACC season, the Hokies need a talented group of freshmen to step up and mature quickly if they intend to repeat their 2007 performance. It will not be easy, though, as the departures of Zabian Dowdell and Jamon Gordon have left a gaping hole in the backcourt.

In the Wake Forest locker room, late head coach Skip Prosser's presence is everywhere. Prosser, who passed away in July, motivated his team in life. Now, his favorite sayings are pinned to the walls and lockers of the players he left behind so he can continue to support them.