Set to face fifth-seeded Clemson in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, No. 12 Villanova had better beware the big Tigers' passing ability. Forwards Trevor Booker and James Mays often attract double-teams, and both did good work passing out of them against Duke and North Carolina in the ACC Tournament.

Mays (four), Booker (two) and Sam Perry (one) accounted for seven of the team's 15 assists in the semifinal victory over Duke and four of the team's 14 in the title-game loss to North Carolina.

Forward Raymond Sykes said teams started trying to double down on the Tigers' frontcourt late last season as Mays began blossoming as a player. Passing by the big men has been a part of practice nearly every day.

"Now we use that to our advantage," Sykes said. "We know our shooters out there like K.C. [Rivers] and Terrence [Oglesby] will knock it down."

CLEMSON MAKES HISTORY: Despite losing the ACC title game, Clemson had two players -- K.C. Rivers and Trevor Booker -- on the all-tournament first team for the first time. In 54 previous tournaments, only four Clemson players had made the first team.

CHILLING OUT: Clemson coach Oliver Purnell had goosebumps when the Tigers were introduced before their first ACC Tournament championship game appearance in 46 years.

Guard K.C. Rivers felt chills, too, when he saw thousands of Clemson fans in the stands in his hometown before tipoff against top-ranked North Carolina.

"Coming back to Charlotte, what we did was really special to be the only other team to get to the ACC championship," Rivers said.

But Clemson couldn't win its first ACC title in its ugly basketball history, falling to the Tar Heels, 86-81, despite 28 points, eight rebounds and six steals from Rivers.

"Our three seniors, they wanted it as bad as anyone else does," Rivers said.