Few Atlantic Coast Conference women's basketball teams would welcome N.C. State, the No. 8 seed, as an opponent during the league's tournament this week at the Greensboro Coliseum.

No. 9 seed Clemson will meet the Wolfpack at 3 p.m. today in the first round.

State coach Kay Yow, in her 33rd season, has a young, yet talented team that is steadily improving after an 0-4 start in conference play. The Wolfpack leads the conference in scoring defense and is tied for 21st in the nation, having allowed 56.0 points per game.

The Wolfpack (18-11) finished 6-8 in the conference, winning four of its last six games, with its only losses to top-seeded North Carolina and second-seeded Maryland.

With each passing contest, the Pack gets a little better, a little wiser.

"They're passing the ball better," Yow said after a 51-45 victory over Miami on Feb. 14. "And they're making better decisions. I think that's going to help us offensively."

Plus, the Pack has started to limit turnovers and improve team rebounding, particularly on the defensive boards.

Entering conference play, with injuries limiting its options and only inexperienced freshmen and sophomores to select from, State struggled to generate points. The offensive burden fell to senior forward Khadijah Whittington and junior point guard Shayla Fields.

But with the return of sophomore Lucy Ellison, the Pack is playing smarter and starting to get much-needed scoring balance.

Yow has talked all season about needing a third player to complement Whittington and Fields. Her bench has averaged only 8.5 points in conference play. The Pack will look for scoring support from three sophomores, guards Sharnise Beal and Nikitta Gartrell and center Chanita Jordan.

This could be the last game of Whittington's collegiate career. If so, she goes out as one of the best players in school history, having amassed 1,420 career points, 1,093 rebounds, 228 steals and 137 blocks. She has not missed a game in four seasons.

She's averaging a team-high 17.2 points and 11.3 rebounds. Tied for fifth in the nation in rebounding, she is a candidate for Naismith player of the year.

After reaching the ACC Tournament final last season in an emotional run that drew national attention, the Pack was picked to finish seventh in the league this season. Another deep run in the ACC Tournament would help State compensate for its early-season wrongs and make a case to the NCAA selection committee.

Yow said the ACC Tournament has always meant new life for any given team.

"It's a team that really gets hot," she said.