The bad news continues for N.C. State. By virtue of its 12th-place finish in the ACC regular season, the Wolfpack won't participate in next season's ACC/Big Ten Challenge, ACC commissioner John Swofford confirmed Friday.

The Wolfpack, which traveled to Michigan State this season as part of the made-for-ESPN event, would have been in line to host a Big Ten team next season.

One ACC team has to sit out the annual challenge each season because the Big Ten has 11 teams. Miami, the 12th seed in last year's ACC Tournament, did not play in this season's challenge, which was won by the ACC for the ninth time in as many years.

Missing the Challenge takes a high-profile game off the Wolfpack's nonconference schedule, which means one less TV appearance, but State is tentatively set to travel to Arizona next season. The Pack will not play in Hawaii next season, however.

"We agreed upon that at the conference level, and the ADs felt like that was as fair a way to determine it going forward as anything else," Swofford said of leaving out the 12th-place team.

MUM'S THE WORD

With 53 seconds left in the North Carolina-Florida State game, Tar Heels forward Tyler Hansbrough was called for a loose-ball foul. The name "Tyler" was shouted audibly across the Charlotte Bobcats Arena from the direction of the FSU bench.

Coach Roy Williams motioned Tyler Hansbrough over to the bench. From press row, it appeared that Williams was asking Hansbrough what was said to him by the FSU bench. But what was said between the twosome -- and then during a longer-than-usual chat between Williams and FSU coach Leonard Hamilton during their postgame handshake -- no one would divulge.

"Everything we do doesn't haven't to be public knowledge," Williams said after the game. "I'd rather keep that private."

Hansbrough gave a similar nonresponse: "I really don't recall. It was just some team issue."

HOKIES EYE NCAA

At 9-7 in the ACC and with an RPI of No. 59, Virginia Tech hopes to see its name included when the field of 65 is announced Sunday. The Hokies took a step toward returning to the NCAA Tournament with a 63-49 win over Miami on Friday in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament.

Friday's win was the Hokies' first against a team in the top 50 of the RPI, which helps explain their bubble status. They lost all four of their games against the top-rated ACC teams -- UNC, Duke, Clemson and Miami -- during the regular season.